Betina Bain, PT, DPT

Betina received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from University of California, Irvine in 1988. It was her experiences as a dance educator along with the kinesiology curriculum she experienced at UCI that inspired her to become a physical therapist. She received her Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from California State University, Long Beach in 1992, Board certification in Orthopaedics in 2005 and Doctor of Physical Therapy from Chapman University in 2015. Her paradigm for practice is largely shaped by continuing education in Australian Manual Therapy including a yearlong course at Kaiser in 1996.

A back injury which restricted her ability to dance led to a committed personal practice of Pilates for fitness. She has studied and taught Pilates for over 25 years and incorporates the Pilates method into rehabilitation as well as teaching group reformer classes.

Betina has been part of the Movement Works Physical Therapy team since 2000 and took over ownership of the practice in 2021. In addition to her work in the practice, she served as the onsite physical therapist for the UC Irvine dance department from 2015 to 2020.  She is proud to carry on in a practice that values the joy of movement and personal connection as the guiding principles to promote good health to the community.

Betina enjoys spending time in nature especially hiking and skiing and has a regular yoga practice. She is an avid reader of fiction and enjoys travel, theatre, bookstores, and art museums.

Jill Aversa, PT

Jill Aversa was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and attended the University of Florida in Gainesville where she received a Bachelor of Science degree with High Honors in Business Administration.

Living an active lifestyle that included long distance running, cycling and gym workouts, Jill developed a repetitive motion injury which led to receiving physical therapy treatment. After realizing that her passion was in rehabilitative care, she eventually received a Bachelor of Science degree, Magna Cum Laude from the University of California, Long Beach in 1996.

Jill’s experience has been primarily in outpatient orthopedic settings, and she combines manual therapy with therapeutic exercise to help patients recover and return to their pre-injury lives.  Manual therapy techniques include soft tissue mobilization, myofascial release, muscle energy techniques and joint mobilization. Her background includes a certification with Polestar Pilates and courses with the Australian Physiotherapy and Pilates Institute (APPI). She particularly enjoys incorporating Pilates into her rehabilitative programs as well as empowering and educating her patients.

Outside of work, Jill enjoys traveling locally and abroad, playing ukulele, gardening, working out, and dancing West Coast Swing.

Ramji Pasricha, DPT,

Ramji is a Southern California native. She holds a Doctorate of Physical Therapy
from Azusa Pacific University and a Bachelors of Science from UC Berkeley.
After multiple injuries prevented her from her passion to dance, she sought out mentorship and training in rehabilitation. Her experience and dedication to self-healing led her to become a physical therapist. 

Ramji is a certified Functional Range Conditioning Mobility Specialist and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization Exercise 1 Specialist. She employs a very integrative approach to care, taking the time to understand her patients needs, assessing all the factors that influence biomechanics and pain perception.

In her free time, she enjoys freediving in the ocean, playing spikeball at the beach, spending time in nature, adventuring to new places, and learning new styles of dance.

Claire Babikian, PT

Claire earned her Bachelor of Science with Honors in Physiotherapy from the University of Liverpool in 1997. After several years of working in the UK, she went on a life changing year-long backpacking trip around the world. This ultimately led to her emigrating to the US, becoming a registered physical therapist in California, and beginning work at St Mary’s Hospital in Long Beach in 2003.

Claire has extensive experience in many areas of physical therapy including acute care, hospital rehabilitation departments, skilled nursing facilities and home health. Working with a diverse mix of patients in a variety of therapeutic settings, allows her to have an holistic approach to her treatment sessions with an emphasis on incorporating movement and education to allow patients to progress towards their own functional goals. 

In her spare time Claire enjoys hiking, running, working out, camping, reading and spending time with family and friends.

William Woodward, PT, DPT

Will was born and raised in Long Beach and graduated from Long Beach Poly High
School. Active in multiple sports Will was surrounded by athletes and their many
injuries. It was this perspective combined with the values and skills he embodied as an
Eagle Scout that led him to pursue a career as a physical therapist.

Will received a Bachelor’s of Science and a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Drexel
University in Philadelphia. His clinical experiences in Philadelphia and New Jersey as
well as working as a volunteer in Guatemala have given have allowed him to learn a
wide variety of treatment styles for populations with differing resources and complexity
of injury.

He is happy to be back in Long Beach and part of the Movement Works team providing
exceptional care with a personal touch in the community where he grew up. In his free
time he enjoys reading, getting 8-10k steps a day, going to the gym, and playing spike
ball with friends.

RICHARD STUElpnagel, PT, MA, MPT, GDAMT, FAAOMT

Richard and Mary Stuelpnagel opened Movement Works Physical Therapy in Long Beach in 2000. Their vision was to create an open, warm, friendly healing environment that focused on manual therapy and movement therapy. They named it Movement Works because appropriately applied therapeutic movement harnesses the power of the body to heal itself.

Richard’s background includes earning a Master’s degree in Physical Therapy from University of Southern California, a Graduate Diploma in Advanced Manual Therapy from the University of South Australia, a Master’s degree in Exercise Science from California State University, Los Angeles and numerous certifications including Fellowship of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Therapy and board certification as an Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist.

He retired from patient care in 2021 and currently serves at Movement Works Physical Therapy as a senior advisor.

Tena Miller, Office Manager