Dr Carmen Scuito
Dr Carmen Scuito
PT, DPT, CSCS
Performance Physical Therapist
I grew up in Chicago, Illinois. I attended the University of Illinois for undergrad where I played 4 years of lacrosse and earned my Bachelor’s in Kinesiology. After graduating, I moved to Las Vegas to attend Touro University and earn my Doctorate in Physical Therapy. I’ve been a runner since high school, and I’ve been working with runners in the form of coaching and training for years.
Additionally, my experience playing lacrosse at a high level and earning my CSCS certification have helped me learn and understand what it takes to make the best runners outside of pounding the pavement.
Health and well-being, dedication, discipline, continuous learning and growth, empathy, and compassion are my core values.
“We question all our beliefs, except for the ones that we really believe in, and those we never think to question.”
A lot of patients deal with a lack of education when it comes to proper cross training and building mileage efficiently without getting hurt. I want my patients to be able to run as much as they want to without having to worry about getting injured.
I specialize in working with runners and endurance athletes. The two conditions that I love treating the most are patellar tendonitis and shin splints because I’ve seen the quickest changes in my runners coming in with those two complaints.
I love that the sessions are all one-on-one so I can spend time truly getting to know and listen to my patients. This helps me really understand what is going on and how I can help them. I also love being outdoors whenever I can. When I’m not working, I love going for runs, hikes, and playing with my dog. Other times, I love playing video games and watching YouTube.
What is Carmen, Watching, or Listening to?
- Movies: Dumb and Dumber, Forrest Gump, Ace Ventura
- Shows: The Office, Psych, New Girl
Carmen’s Client Testimonials
“Christina and I representing Las Vegas Gold elite running team started working with Dr Carmen last year, we are so excited with our progress and resilience that he has been able to instill into our workouts. Dr Carmen is so knowledgeable & passionate about our needs as elite runners. He has taught us so much in such a short time. Working on very detailed and specific aspects of our training has made us build strength & stability in areas that are critical for our injury prevention.
During our time working with Dr Carmen I stumbled on a pine cone and twisted my ankle I thought I was going to be ok but my Achilles did flare up and I was unable to run (and hardly walk) I immediately came to see Dr Carmen where he assessed me and we worked on some critical things immediately. The work we had previously done helped my strength and stability which meant that I was already ahead of the game. I was still nervous and worried that I would cause more damage but his knowledge and expertise was incredible!!
It was like a magic trick I was able to get back to my FULL running schedule in 9 days. I am very thankful for the support & incredible knowledge of all the staff at optimize . They work together as a solid team and we are so excited to be working with them and have them in our corner for continued success with our running endeavors.“
– Ellie S.
“I started working with Carmen in June of 2021 coming off an achilles injury. We went from walk/jog intervals to 4 marathon PRs, 2 half marathon PRs, and a 15k PR. Before, I ran 9 marathons unable to break 4 hours. We have done so 3 times now, with my most recent marathon being a 3:32, good enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I feel stronger and more confident in my running than I ever have before!“
– Jordan S.
“I came to Carmen after recurrent running injuries. He was able to get me back to running, and with his coaching, back to running a marathon within a very tight timeline from an injury. Carmen has now helped me through 3 marathons & I am more confident than ever in my ability and longevity in this sport I love.“
– Christina V.