Our Story
Santa Cruz Atrophy Clinic started with a question: What if we could reverse muscle loss, even in people who can’t move?
Twelve years ago, Issara’s wife was diagnosed with MS. The medical system had few answers. So Issara went looking. That search led him from forums to medical papers to strength trainers, aand eventually to Rick Stassi.
Rick had trained hundreds of pro and Olympic athletes using eSTIM. But in his downtime, he worked with the people no one else did: stroke survivors, amputees, firefighters who’d lost limbs. He taught Issara everything he knew.
Today, Santa Cruz Atrophy Clinic helps people grow muscle they thought was gone forever. We use the same neuromuscular tech used by elite athletes, Compex eSTIM, but we bring it to the people who need it most.
We’re not doctors. We’re not selling false hope.
We’re the team that shows up, plugs in, and fights for your comeback.
Who We Are
Rick Stassi
DIRECTOR OF ATROPHY RECOVERY
Rick has extensive knowledge of the human body. He graduated from Stanford University’s paramedic program and is a retired fireman/paramedic. His master’s degree is in kinesiology with an emphasis in exercise physiology, sports medicine, biomechanics, and motor development.
For the past 33 years, he has trained more than 300 professional and Olympic athletes with total contracts worth more than $300 million. His roster includes more than 200 professional baseball players, including 14 #1 draft picks. Rick has worked for the Seattle Mariners, Anaheim Ducks and Cal State Fullerton where he trained the baseball team for 10 years. More than 100 players signed professional contracts during those 10 years.
In addition, Rick has developed conditioning programs for Olympic gold medal swimmers (one performance was voted the number 2 Summer Olympic performance in history). Among his clients in the MLB, one is a record holder for most total bases, 19, in one game. He also designed programs for athletes in the NBA, NFL, LPGA, NHL, CISL, MLS, more than 75 collegiate All-Americans, a Heisman Trophy award winner, two Golden Spikes’ award winners in college baseball, an ESPY award winner, and a Guinness Book record holder for highest single leg box jump.
Issara Willenskomer
PATIENT CARE
Hi, I’m the founder of Santa Cruz Atrophy Clinic. My background is in the tech world, where I’ve spent over 20 years building and scaling systems. But my journey into the world of muscle atrophy, strength recovery, and eSTIM (electrical stimulation) began in a much more personal way.
Twelve years ago, my wife was diagnosed with MS. Like many families facing a chronic condition, we dove into everything—nutrition, lifestyle changes, and emerging therapies. One of the most powerful tools we discovered was neuromuscular electrical stimulation. But learning how to use it safely and effectively wasn’t easy. There was no roadmap, no guide—just scattered information and a lot of trial and error.
That changed when we met Rick Stassi, one of the top strength and conditioning coaches in the U.S., known for using eSTIM with elite athletes. Rick generously took us under his wing and taught us everything he knew. Over the years, he trained us on the exact techniques he uses with Olympians and pros. The results for my wife were life-changing.
Today, I use this technology with my wife nearly every day—and I’ve spent years researching its history, use cases, and methods. I’ve become deeply knowledgeable about eSTIM and passionate about helping others benefit from it the way we have.
Santa Cruz Atrophy Clinic was created to pay that knowledge forward—to help people facing stroke recovery, MS, limb loss, or other causes of atrophy rebuild strength, regain function, and feel hope again.
If you’re curious about whether this might help you or someone you love, reach out. I’d be honored to share what I’ve learned.
Contact us
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