Russ has been involved in sports medicine his entire career.  He began to develop his expertise by working and training with David Drez, M.D. of Lake Charles Louisiana from 1985 – 1991.

Russ has worked in conjunction with sports medicine physicians in the Houston area from 1991 to present. He has served as a rehabilitation consultant to the Houston Astros, Houston Rockets, and NASA.

He continues to be a rehabilitation consultant to the Houston Rockets.  Currently a director of the Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Sports Medicine Institute, Russ continues to devote his time to research and education while maintaining a busy sports medicine clinical practice.

Serving on the planning committee of the Sports Physical Therapy Section Team Concept Meeting, Russ is involved on a national level with sports medicine education.  Russ is also a founding member of the ICCUS society and a member of the AOSSM.  Paine received the Career Service Award from the American Sports Medicine Institute in 2009 from Dr. James Andrews. As a  well established author and lecturer on topics related to sports medicine, he has lectured at over 500 meetings in the United States and abroad. He has published 25 chapters in textbooks and over 30 research articles in peer review journals.