Ismael Lira knew for a long time that he wanted a career in sports medicine, and after working three years as an assistant for chiropractor Mark Brisby he was ready to take the next step.

His first exposure to sports medicine was when he helped out in the training room at Dos Pueblos High School when he was a student there. “Izzy,” as he’s known by many, was active in sports himself, particularly baseball, all through school.

Unfamiliar with chiropractic until he started working with Brisby, Lira decided he wanted to focus on the same field after considering careers in athletic training and various fields of medicine. And he definitely made the right choice, he said.

“It’s always interesting,” he said of his work. “I learn new things every day.”

A December graduate of the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic, Lira said he chose the school because of its science and evidence-based foundations as opposed to a school focused primarily on theory.

A lifetime Goletan, Lira attended Cal State Northridge after graduating from Dos Pueblos, earning a degree in kinesiology. His sister Veronica and parents, Jeanette and Polo, still live in the area.

After three and a half years of chiropractic education in Los Angeles, Lira is back in town practicing as an associate at Brisby Chiropractic Sports Medicine, on the third floor at 5638 Hollister Ave. in Old Town.

He fills his days treating sports injuries and other maladies with rehabilitation, mobilization, soft-tissue work and sometimes “prehab” in preparation for surgical treatment.

Personal training is also part of the practice.

“We take a very pro-active approach to treatment,” Lira said, “and see patients in a wide variety of age groups and backgrounds.”

Lira, who is bilingual, and his wife, Alda Borden, a graduate of Bishop High School, are both happy to be living and working back where they grew up.

Strictly Local is a weeklyprofile of a Goleta Valley-based business. To suggest a business, call managing editor Jim Logan at 681-5905, or e-mail him at jlogan@goletavalleyvoice.com.

Photo by Martha Lannan