Ironhorse Physical Therapy & Pilates

I've always been a very active person, participating in multiple sports and engaging in as many outdoor adventures and I can find. After being diagnosed with a herniated disc in 2007, I was driven to "fix" my body. However, after spending countless hours researching treatments and easily over 15 trial periods with physical therapists in both the SF Bay Area and in Seattle, I had basically given up on the idea of ever getting back to a pain free existence. After finally finding Victoria and her fantastic team at Ironhorse, I can say that I'm finally free of nagging and limiting pain! What's more, I'm learning more about ways to elevate my fitness, increase my flexibility, and win the fight against the dreaded aging process! The best part about the Ironhorse team is that they're not out to capitalize on recurring visits from their clients. This team is geared toward the long term fitness and education of all their patients. This focus is greatly appreciated. Keep up the great work!

Victoria at Ironhorse Physical Therapy and Pilates has helped me immensely with her bulletproof running program! The class series help me refine my form a few years ago which adapted me to healthier and stronger performance, where I eventually ran an ultra. This year, I am fighting a minor running injury and Victoria works with me one-on-one. This, in addition to continually attending bulletproof runner workshops, is helping me come back stronger and healthy as I thirst to get fully back into my running. I would highly recommend her to any serious athletes, especially runners.

Stories from an aging triathlete…I first started going to Victoria several years ago after many “normal” PT sessions failed to get my hip pain-free after some cycling crashes. I hit the asphalt twice with my right hip over about a year and even after on going PT sessions, my hip was not pain free. After 2 sessions of ART, mobility exercises, and use of various tools by Victoria, the pain went away.My second set of visits came after a shoulder MRI revealed a 50% torn rotator cuff. I went to a different-than-before “normal” PT provider, and after several weeks of stretching bands and range of motion exercises, I felt I was getting nowhere and still had pain. At the conclusion, the doctor and PT recommended significantly limiting overhead activities or have surgery to repair it. Not happy with that, I turned to Victoria again. With the shoulder mobility exercises and strengthening plan she gave me, I have been able to return to full function with few restrictions on overhead activities. And I’m back swimming again with no problems.About 18 months ago I had foot surgery to repair some tendon damage. After about 2 months when I could start walking again, I went to “normal” PT to get my foot range of motion and strength back. All seemed fine for several months after that until I started ramping up my bike and run training. Then mild pain in both hips began after activities. With the previous “normal” hip PT unsuccessful, I went back to Ironhorse PT. Victoria’s evaluation showed significant balance, strength, and flexibility issues between my right and left sides, causing among other things, me to walk lopsided. This caused by favoring one side with my foot injury for so long. On to another plan to correct this and after a few months, am significantly better and back in training.All of these took a plan and time. No quick fixes. But what makes Ironhorse PT different is, their goal is not just resolving the current issue, but also giving you direction on how to stay strong and prevent it from happening again. Why didn’t I just go to Ironhorse PT all along? Because most of the cost is not covered by my insurance, so I was testing success with the other guys. In the long run I probably spent more money and time doing that.

I found Ironhorse PT when dealing with what I thought was a hamstring issue. No amount of rest, stretching, rolling or other things I tried were letting me get back to running without a lot of discomfort both during and after the run. During my initial consult with Gigi, I learned it wasn't my hamstring at all but actually sciatica. She worked on relieving the pain with manipulation and gave me lots of core work to help me build the necessary strength I needed.I then was able to participate in Victoria's amazing Bulletproof Runner Series. We started out by learning where our individual weak points were that could lead to injuries down the road, and the strength and conditioning that would help make those weak areas strong. I'm still a work in progress, but so happy where I am now and back to running with so much less pain.

I can’t say enough good things about Victoria and the team. I have a handicap husband who is not able to move much; therefore I have a lot of stress emotionally and physically. I hurt myself quite often and earlier in 2018 I hurt my lower back again and went to see Victoria for the first time. Not only was she able to quickly diagnose the issue but was able to guide me to a fast and long-term recovery.I’ve been pain free for over 8 months now and I can definitely say it’s all thanks to the classes I take from Victoria: Pilate and kettlebell. Through her classes I am able to continue strengthening my core and my overall strength. It is a lot easier to help my husband now.Victoria and her team is great! I referred my dad to Gigi and he’s doing so much better after 5 sessions too. Gigi is very thorough with explaining the problem and therapy plans for my dad.Thank you!!!!!Elaine

I was a 55 year old woman who one day woke up not being able to straighten myself to a standing position or sit upright. I had a herniated disc. I was told by my neurosurgeon to try Pilates Therapy to strengthen my core if I didn't want to undergo back surgery. That is how I cam to know and train with Victoria. She helped me to overcome the extreme pain and mobility issues I was having and to eliminate my need for prescription pain pills. On my first visit with Victoria she did a complete physical assessment and came up with a program tailored to meet my issues. We started with Pilates exercises on a reformer along with some manual muscle manipulation. I was truly amazed at how quickly my body started to respond. I think it had a lot to do with how Victoria truly cares about helping you heal and repair your body and mind. She is patient and understanding of your limitations when it comes to your mental and physical abilities. She answers your questions and educates you about your body. She encourages and motivates you to push through the pain. When you leave your session you feel inspired, a sense of accomplishment, and rejuvenated (maybe even a little sore). You look forward to your next session because you see improvement. It has been 11 years and I have never needed back surgery. I continue to see Victoria and her team of highly qualified Pilates Instructors to maintain my core strength, flexibility, and do other strength training. Her favorite saying to me is "exercise strengthens your muscles around your bones and by improving your balance and coordination as you age you will be less likely to experience a bond fracture due to a fall". For the same price as a Personal Trainer at a large Gym, I get an intimate environment to do Pilates and other core/strength training in. I do not feel intimidated or judged by others during my time spent at her Studio. Victoria is continuously on top of the newest methods for both strength training and muscle manipulation techniques. She herself is a high level athlete and she practices what she preaches on a daily basis. I would highly recommend Victoria to anyone that is looking for a great Rehabilitation Physical Therapist or just a Great Physical Trainer - she is both!

I was an intern at Ironhorse Physical Therapy and Pilates for several months. In the beginning, I saw it as a chance to expand my exposure to the workforce and explore physical therapy as a career choice, however, after helping Victoria and the other physical therapist, I gain much more valuable knowledge and experience than I thought I would! As a runner, shadowing Victoria during the Bulletproof Runner Workshop taught me how to be an improved runner myself. I was taught by my coaches that the way to be a better runner was to run higher intensities and strive more miles. I learned from interning here that the most common mistake for returning runners is they pick up too many miles at once and force their bodies into more stress than it can handle. In her Bulletproof Runners Workshop, Victoria assesses mobility on both sides and puts emphasis on strengthening the essential parts for running. I had such a worthwhile time learning from such an experienced runner and physical therapist as well as hearing the success/comeback stories from her patients.One patient who I had the pleasure to talk to told me that she was recommended by her Kaiser physical therapist to seek out a privately owned physical therapy clinic. This is because here, the practitioners are not restricted by a third party to give the care that would result in the best outcome for the patient. Although an appointment here is pricier, you really receive the quality of treatment you paid for! Victoria taught me that part of recovery is the right mindset and a positive attitude to get better. At Ironhorse PT and Pilates, you won’t be able to find the same enthusiasm, passion, and dedication to their patients anywhere else.

I have been working with the staff at Ironhorse PT & Pilates for months and have taken advantage of Victoria's vast expertise to repair my diastasis from pregnancy, rebuild strength after major surgery, and build strength to train for run/walk races. Her whole body approach was just what I needed to address issues all over. I have also worked with Kerry and Gigi who were also so helpful. Victoria's Bulletproof Runner class gave succinct and effective exercises to build runner specific strength and each week built on the skills of the previous week. Holly is a fantastic pilates instructor, her joyful spirit and stories almost distract you from how hard she is working you!The only challenge is getting scheduled since people who are good at the craft fill up fast. I highly recommend this great practice and their holistic approach to physical therapy and strength building.

When I first went to see Victoria back in January 2018, I had been having lower back pain on and off for 5 years. I race bikes, backpack, and generally have a pretty active lifestyle at 26 years old, but a few crashes have given me lower back and shoulder issues. Last August I had an incident that resulted in some pretty debilitating hip and lower ab pain. I wasn’t able to ride my bike and I was having issues concentrating at work due to constant pain. I was referred to a couple of different Physical Therapists (PTs) including Victoria, but I wanted to try a PT that took insurance for financial reasons. This led to a several month long endeavor that never solved the hip, ab, or back pain and cost me a lot of time and money.Fast forward to December and I was frustrated with still not being able to exercise and do the things I wanted to do. I had tried numerous other experimental doctors and the PT I was going to was doing damage control rather than fixing my problems. So, I went back to my primary care physician and he recommended that I give Ironhorse PT and Victoria a try.The first time I met with Victoria I could tell she was going to be able to help me with my issues because she was focused on how my body worked as a whole. I told her my problems and my experiences of the last couple months and what I wanted to accomplish. She was able to diagnose some issues right off the bat that my other PT hadn’t even thought to look at. She showed me a few exercises the first appointment and I slowly began the healing process.Over the next 8 weeks I progressed from retraining my muscles to strengthening them with pilates (thanks Holly!) to being able to do a full kettlebell circuit. After not being able to ride my bike for 6 months, I am back on my bike training hard a couple times a week and can concentrate at work again! Virtually all of my hip and back pain is gone and I am stronger than I was before I injured myself.I have been to several PTs over the last couple of years with mixed success. Often times the bureaucratic nature of dealing with insurance companies at run-of-the-mill Physical Therapy means that the root of the problem might not get taken care of. The difference with Ironhorse PT and Pilates is that they diagnose ALL of the problems and find the root of your issue instead of just looking at the one place where it hurts and only treating that area. The combination of Victoria’s vast experience in her field coupled with access to pilates and kettlebell training creates an environment where you are not only able to get the issue you came in for fixed, but it also allows you to retrain your muscles and strengthen your entire body.If you have any type of chronic pain or an injury that just won’t go away, I highly, HIGHLY recommend you give Victoria and Ironhorse PT a call. It is absolutely worth it. Victoria will be able to help you.

I have seen Victoria for 4 weeks on my back pain issue that has been bothering me for the last 4 years. Before seeing Victoria, I thought the back pain was caused by my excessive training for my 70.3 ironman races so I rested for a few weeks; however, the discomfort on my back never disappeared. I decided to see Victoria since I know she is also a triathlete so she understands that we have to keep training throughout the session or off season. On the first meeting, Victoria assessed my back pain issue; she asked whether I have had injuries in the past. I had ankle injury about 7-8 years ago. I let it healed by itself without any PT session. I thought it was fine. But after my first meeting, Victoria was able to assess that my back pain was caused by old injury on my left ankle. I have been using the right side of my body to compensate the weakness of my left ankle. She gave me few exercises on weekly meeting to strengthen and balance the right and left side of my body. After 4 meetings, my back pain issue which always lingers after a long or hard workout is much lessen to almost disappearing! I am so happy! Thank you Victoria!