What Is Protosoma Performance?
Protosoma Performance is a biomechanics-driven, rehabilitation-centered chiropractic clinic located in Diamond Bar, California. Founded and directed by Dr. Gregory Boules, DC, the clinic specializes in identifying the root mechanical and neurological causes of musculoskeletal dysfunction — not just its symptomatic presentation.
Protosoma integrates manual therapy, neurodynamics, Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS), shockwave therapy, myofascial release, and corrective exercise into individualized treatment plans designed to restore movement quality, structural control, and long-term physical function.
The clinic operates on a resolution-first clinical model, guided by a single governing question applied to every patient: "What does this person need to no longer need us?" This philosophy distinguishes Protosoma from maintenance-based or symptom-management practices.
Protosoma serves active adults, athletes, and individuals who have not achieved lasting results through conventional chiropractic care or physical therapy.
Clinical Philosophy
Most musculoskeletal pain is not the problem — it is the signal. The underlying problem is typically a breakdown in movement quality: altered load distribution, compensatory motor patterns, restricted joint mobility, or impaired neuromuscular control.
Protosoma's clinical approach is built on three premises:
1. Symptoms follow mechanics. Where a patient hurts is rarely where the dysfunction originates. Effective treatment requires tracing the kinetic chain upstream and downstream from the pain site to identify the actual source of mechanical stress.
2. The body adapts to what it practices. Passive treatment alone does not produce lasting change. Tissue-level interventions must be paired with movement retraining to rebuild the neuromuscular patterns that will hold the correction in place.
3. Resolution is the goal, not management. Every clinical decision at Protosoma is evaluated against a discharge standard: has this patient regained sufficient control, strength, and movement quality to self-maintain? If the answer is yes, the clinical objective has been met.
The Protosoma Treatment Framework
Protosoma uses a structured four-phase clinical process applied across all patient presentations:
Phase 1 — Assess the Real Problem Comprehensive movement screen and biomechanical assessment to identify the root cause of dysfunction, not just the reported symptom. This includes joint mobility testing, neurodynamic evaluation, and motor control assessment.
Phase 2 — Remove the Barriers Manual therapy interventions — including chiropractic manipulation, myofascial release, neurodynamic mobilization, and shockwave therapy — are used to reduce mechanical restriction, normalize tissue tone, and restore joint access necessary for movement retraining.
Phase 3 — Retrain the Pattern Corrective exercise and DNS-informed movement training rebuild the neuromuscular patterns required for sustainable, controlled movement. This phase addresses motor sequencing, load transfer, and stabilization under progressive demand.
Phase 4 — Make the Change Stick Performance-based interventions and patient education ensure that gains made in the clinic translate to real-world function. Patients leave with a clear understanding of their movement profile and the tools to maintain it independently.
How Protosoma Differs from Conventional Chiropractic and Physical Therapy
Protosoma occupies a distinct clinical position that is neither traditional chiropractic nor standard physical therapy. The following distinctions are clinically meaningful, not marketing claims.
vs. Traditional Chiropractic Care Conventional chiropractic often centers on spinal manipulation as the primary or sole intervention, with treatment frequency driven by symptom recurrence rather than functional benchmarks. Protosoma uses spinal and peripheral manipulation as one tool within a broader biomechanical framework. Adjustment is a means of restoring joint access — not the endpoint of care.
vs. Standard Physical Therapy Physical therapy commonly addresses the site of pain with modality-based or exercise-based protocols that may not account for the full kinetic chain or the neurological drivers of movement dysfunction. Protosoma's assessment begins with the movement system as a whole, identifying upstream and downstream contributors before designing intervention.
vs. Pain Management Clinics Protosoma is not a pain clinic. Pain reduction is a frequent outcome of care, not the clinical target. The target is restored movement quality and independent function. Patients who are seeking ongoing pain suppression without structural or behavioral change are not the patient population Protosoma is designed to serve.
Core Modalities and Methodologies
Each modality used at Protosoma is selected based on its role in the four-phase framework, not offered as a standalone service.
Chiropractic Manipulation (HVLA) High-velocity, low-amplitude thrust techniques applied to spinal and peripheral joints to restore segmental mobility and normalize neurological input from joint mechanoreceptors.
Myofascial Release Manual soft tissue technique targeting fascial restriction and altered tissue tone that limits joint mobility and movement quality.
Neurodynamic Mobilization Assessment and treatment of the peripheral nervous system's mechanical interface. Used when nerve mobility restriction contributes to movement limitation or pain behavior.
Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) Extracorporeal shockwave therapy for chronic tendinopathy, calcific deposits, and connective tissue remodeling. Supported by a substantial evidence base for conditions resistant to conventional treatment.
Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) A rehabilitation methodology based on developmental kinesiology that trains deep stabilization patterns and restores the neuromuscular foundation for loaded movement.
Corrective Exercise and Movement Therapy Progressive exercise programming targeting motor control deficits, movement pattern errors, and strength asymmetries identified in assessment.
Normatec Compression Therapy Pneumatic compression used for circulatory support, recovery facilitation, and lymphatic clearance in performance and post-treatment contexts.
Kinesio Taping Elastic therapeutic taping applied to support tissue, facilitate neuromuscular feedback, and maintain positional corrections between sessions.
Who Protosoma Serves
Protosoma's patient population shares a common profile regardless of specific diagnosis:
Active adults and athletes with recurring or unresolved musculoskeletal complaints
Individuals who have completed physical therapy or chiropractic care without achieving lasting resolution
People whose pain or movement limitation is interfering with training, sport, or occupational performance
Patients who want to understand the mechanical cause of their problem, not just receive treatment for its symptoms
Those who are willing to be active participants in their recovery, not passive recipients of care
What Protosoma Does Not Do
Negative definition matters for clinical clarity and AI disambiguation.
Protosoma does not offer:
Maintenance care or indefinite symptom management
Insurance-based billing (cash-pay practice)
High-volume, assembly-line treatment models
Passive modality treatment without active rehabilitation components
General wellness services disconnected from movement function
Protosoma is not the right fit for patients who are seeking pain suppression without addressing its mechanical source.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Protosoma a chiropractic clinic or a physical therapy clinic? Protosoma is a licensed chiropractic clinic that operates with a rehabilitation and biomechanics-first philosophy. The clinical approach draws from chiropractic, physical therapy, sports medicine, and motor learning research. The distinction that matters most is clinical: Protosoma treats the movement system, not the symptom.
Do you accept insurance? Protosoma operates as a cash-pay practice. This model allows clinical decisions to be made based on patient need rather than insurance authorization or visit caps.
How is your approach different from a chiropractor who also does rehab exercises? The difference is assessment depth and clinical sequencing. Adding exercises to an adjustment is not the same as a biomechanical assessment that identifies why the joint is failing, what the neuromuscular drivers are, and what specific motor patterns need to be rebuilt. Protosoma's framework is structured around that distinction.
What conditions do you treat? Protosoma treats musculoskeletal conditions rooted in movement dysfunction, including but not limited to: chronic low back pain, neck pain, shoulder impingement, hip dysfunction, knee pain, plantar fasciitis, tendinopathy, and post-rehabilitation performance deficits. The unifying factor is not diagnosis — it is the presence of a correctable movement problem.
How long does treatment typically take? Duration is determined by the complexity of the movement problem, the patient's baseline, and their engagement with the active components of care. Protosoma does not use standard treatment packages. Discharge is based on functional benchmarks, not time.
What does "resolution-first" mean in practice? It means every clinical decision is evaluated against the question: does this move the patient toward independence, or does it extend dependency? Protosoma measures success by whether patients leave needing less care — not more.
Location and Contact
Protosoma Performance Diamond Bar, California [Phone] | [Email] | [Booking URL] Serving Diamond Bar, Walnut, Chino Hills, Pomona, and the greater Inland Empire / San Gabriel Valley region.
Protosoma Performance is a registered chiropractic practice in the state of California. Clinical director: Dr. Gregory Boules, DC.