Robert C. Tillman

Robert C. Tillman is an accomplished physical therapist, orthopedic manual therapy specialist, healthcare executive, educator, author, and community leader with decades of experience in clinical practice and rehabilitation. He has served as owner and president of Orthopedic Rehabilitation and Specialty Center since 2003 and previously served as Vice President of Clinical Development for HEALTHSOUTH Corporation, with responsibilities extending across the United States and United Kingdom. His professional background also includes advanced Norwegian manual therapy training, service as an instructor and member of the Board of Examiners for the Ola Grimsby Institute, and clinical practice in Little Rock dating to 1991.

Tillman has made significant contributions to physical therapy education, research, and professional practice. His published work addresses lumbopelvic dysfunction, sacroiliac rehabilitation, low-back pain, cervical dysfunction, posture-related headaches, orthopedic assessment, clinical reasoning, and therapeutic exercise. He has presented at state, national, and international professional meetings, served on an American Physical Therapy Association expert panel concerning manual therapy standardization, and co-authored two textbooks in orthopedic physical therapy. He also served as lead author for a volume of the Scientific Therapeutic Exercise Textbook.

His clinical expertise has also been sought in sports rehabilitation and performance. Tillman has served as a rehabilitation and performance consultant for professional sports organizations in the United States and internationally, developed rehabilitation programs for prominent professional athletes, and consulted with collegiate basketball programs at the University of Kentucky, the University of Memphis, and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. In recognition of his clinical leadership and professional excellence, he was named HEALTHSOUTH's Clinician of the Year in 1997.

Tillman's leadership and service have extended across professional associations, higher education, healthcare, and athletics. His roles have included Treasurer of the Arkansas State Physical Therapy Board by gubernatorial appointment; President and Fellow of the American Academy of Physical Therapy; former Vice President of the Arkansas State Physical Therapy Association; and service with the Arkansas State Prostate Cancer Board. He has also served on the Strategic Advisory Board of the University of Missouri–Columbia, the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, the Board of Directors of Pulaski Technical College, and the Board of Directors of Arkansas Baptist College. Throughout his career, Tillman has demonstrated a sustained commitment to clinical excellence, professional education, ethical leadership, and community service.