Matthew Vraa

PT, DPT, DSc, PhD, MBA, OCS, CMTPT, FDN, FAAOMPT

Education

mvraa@eimpt.com

Bio

Dr. Matthew Vraa, PT, DPT, DSc, PhD, MBA, OCS, CMTPT, FAAOMPT, brings 21 years of experience spanning physical therapy practice, private business ownership, and academia. Currently, he serves as the Dean of the Anderson Family College of Health Sciences at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. In addition to his current deanship, Dr. Vraa has previously held significant leadership roles, including Director of the EIM Hybrid Learning Certificate and Dean and Program Director for the School of Physical Therapy at Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington.

Dr. Vraa’s extensive career also includes serving as Program Director at Manchester University in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and as Director of Clinical Education and Musculoskeletal Lead at Concordia University – St. Paul Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. Notably, he spearheaded a groundbreaking initiative as Program Director for the Hybrid Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Rasmussen University.

Academically, Dr. Vraa’s credentials are as diverse as his professional experience. He earned his Master’s in Physical Therapy from Carroll College in 2002 and an MBA with a Healthcare Finance emphasis from Argosy University in 2009. He completed his Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Regis University in 2012, where he also finished the esteemed Manual Therapy Fellowship program. Further enhancing his expertise, he holds a DSc in Physical Therapy from Bellin College and a PhD in Health Sciences from Faulkner University. This robust educational background underpins his focus on manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, and cognitive-behavioral approaches for chronic pain, alongside his proven proficiency in curriculum and instructional design for both residential and hybrid higher education models.

Author:

• Visibility of Entry-Level Doctor of Physical Therapy Program’s Mission, Vision, and Value Statement and Alignment with Professional Values – Journal of Innovation in Health Sciences Education (2024)
• Prevalence and Extent of Low Back Pain and Low Back-Related Disability in Non-Care-Seeking Working-Age Adults – Musculoskeletal Science and Practice (2022)
• Concerns About the Methodology and Data Collection in a Systematic Review – Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy (2022)
• More Than 1 in 3 Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain Continue to Use Opioids Long-Term After Spinal Fusion: A Systematic Review – Clinical Journal of Pain (2021)

Additionally, he has contributed to:

• Travell & Simons’ Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual (3rd edition, 2018; 4th edition, 2025)
• Physical Rehabilitation for the Physical Therapist Assistant (2nd edition, 2025)

Areas of Interest:

• Dry Needling
• Myofascial pain
• Manipulation (High Velocity Low Amplitude Thrust)
• Curriculum improvement
• Student engagement in hybrid learning
• Program development
• Accreditation
• Professionalism