Ironhorse Physical Therapy & Pilates

I had postpartum pain in my back, hips, shoulders and had limited mobility. At first I waited to see if I’ll feel better eventually, but the pain lingered and was affecting my everyday activities. Taking baby on walks hurt, I felt shooting pain up my back from lifting baby from her crib, even getting in/out of bed required slow and careful steps, etc.Ironhorse (Victoria) helped me work through my issues with educational sessions and a personalized exercise routine. I’ve now resolved a lot of the pain and my next goal is to build back strength. I am moving normally as well and feeling a lot better overall.I am glad I reached out when I did instead of just waiting/hoping to get better. The most important thing is that I am as well as can be for my baby.

I have life long knee and back issues. I finally decided I’d had enough with trying to fix it on my own. I had tried Kaiser’s physical therapists in the past, but knew I needed so,one who would look more holistically at my issues and address them as one big problem to solve, rather than one small issue at a time.I started with a very thorough in take, Victoria asked detailed questions about everything. From there we started with a basic plan. Each visit we adapted the plan to the complex needs and to my abilities. One of the discoveries was that I had been compensating for my knee so much that it was likely part of my back and hip pain. We also discovered that my c-sections were likely adding to the problem.Sessions included not only exercises, but manual work to reduce pain and increase my ability to complete the exercises. I have also moved into taking private Pilates classes (classes are also offered). Victoria and Nicole (my Pilates instructor) work together closely to adapt to not only how I’m strengthening weak muscles, but also adapting to my daily needs when I go in ( too much time in front of. Computer for instance and tense shoulders.While I am paying out of pocket for all of these services, they are some of the best money I’ve spent in years and my only regret is that I didn’t prioritize myself sooner. I highly recommend Victoria and her team!

For context I am your typical over achieving 35 yo amateur endurance junky. So it was no surprise that while training for an upcoming marathon I began to develop a dull pain on the outside of my ankle. The cause? As most runners know- too much too soon, but who doesn't dabble in glutinous running from time to time. A quick visit to my google physician and the symptoms were spot on- peroneal tendinitis. My game plan was simple- cut back the mileage and pray for a lucky race in four weeks. Things improved enough (rest, running in new shoes on a cambered road) to allow me to run pain free during the race. I'm cured! But in the weeks following the pain returned. In the ensuing months, the pain progressed to the point I could no longer run or bike without aching pain in the hours after a workout. I double my efforts with improvised PT only to realize in hindsight that I was simply overloading an already injured tendon. I finally got an MRI and I wont forget reading the words "partial tear of the peroneus brevis with underlying tendinopathy" Not good. In fact it was worse than not good, it was down right terrifying. The depression swiftly sank in as I ruminated on the word "tear" over and over again. I voluntarily put myself into a walking boot and started looking for a physical therapist.I saw a physical therapist through my HMO insurance and was disappointed when they barely performed an exam, ordered some clamshells and was out the door. I had heard of Iron Horse PT through a family member, and I soon walked into my first appointment with Victoria. The difference was stark. Victoria was this crazy fit endurance athlete with ironman medals strewn across the walls. I knew immediately that she understood what it means to someone to be able to run, and to do it healthy. My first appointment was really impressive- she just listened carefully for almost an hour while taking notes and examining my leg. You could tell she has treated countless endurance athletes and was extremely knowledgeable regarding tendinoapthy's. One of the most important lessons she taught me was that MRI findings DO NOT equate to symptoms! People can walk around with all sorts of maladies like partial tears and have no idea. So it was vital to keep an open mind as to other factors that could be playing a role in the injury, not get lost in the one specific area of pain. Respect the kinetic chain!Victoria was quick to point out that the entire leg should be understood and evaluated. I soon was finding that the more I stretched and rolled out my IT band and hips, the better the pain became. After two months of biweekly hour long visits, slowly increasing my at home PT with lots of isometrics, I was cycling again and starting to run with confidence. All those months previously attempting to self treat were simply delaying my progress.I cannot recommend Victoria and Iron Horse PT enough. Her patience and expertise are invaluable. She is one on one, hands on and takes times to invest in your health. I acknowledge that she is not cheap, but worth every penny. If you find yourself saying "I would do anything to get over this injury" then here is your answer- go see Victoria, you wont regret it.

I've had an incredible experience at Ironhorse PT and would highly recommend them to anyone, whether recovering after an injury or fixing imbalances / strengthening key muscle groups to prevent injuries. Their staff is very friendly and professional, the therapists / trainers are of the highest caliber, and most importantly they are deeply invested in helping their patients reach their individual goals.I was recovering from a back injury and had gone to multiple sessions of physical therapy prescribed to the in-house facility in my orthopedic clinic. Those were helpful at first, but after a few sessions I no longer felt improvements to my strength or mobility, and it seemed as if we were just "going through the motions" with a generic plan for anyone with a back injury. I'm very active and wanted to resume weightlifting and other activities if possible, so I looked for a physical therapist that specializes in treating athletes and building individual recovery plans. Ironhorse seemed to be at the top of that category, and I'm very grateful I found them :)We started with an overall assessment - when I arrived I still had very limited mobility and a big imbalance on the injured side of my body. The staff at Ironhorse PT were able to assess not only the symptoms of my injury, but also the muscle imbalances and core weaknesses that contributed to it in the first place - that is what I find so special about this clinic. They have extensive knowledge and a treatment methodology that focuses not just on the symptoms of injury, but more on the underlying mechanics and limitations that caused those injuries or pain. The exercise plan was completely customized - it focused specifically on key muscle groups to stabilize my back and strengthen my core, as well as ankle and knee mobility which were preventing proper form during weightlifting exercises.Within a few sessions I was doing movements that I never thought I'd be able to do again, and building up strength and confidence. Today, I've been able to go back to doing the workouts I love, staying fully active, and also with more awareness about how to prevent future injuries from happening. I feel I've made tremendous progress thanks to Ironhorse PT and continue to grow stronger, and even when fully recovered I will continue with Ironhorse to maintain that stability in addition to my normal workouts - I highly recommend any athlete to do this before injuries happen.I've also referred my wife (an avid runner) and all my friends :)Thanks so much!

Participating in Victoria’s run clinic was so helpful!! Victoria led us through exercises to assess and identify where our weakness Les and vulnerabilities are. Thanks so much! Looking forward to to taking my new skills on my next run!!

I have a fibroma in the arch of my right foot, probably from an old injury. It is painful. I run, and play tennis and soccer. For 10 years, all I did was manage the pain by stretching the foot at night before going to bed. Part of this was bad advice from a foot doctor, and part of it was my "just deal with the pain" attitude.Victoria did an injury assessment presentation at my work. I liked what I learned, so I scheduled a one-on-one assessment for my foot. The key thing Victoria figured out for me was a lack of strengthening of the achilles area and the calf muscles. She also taught me the active release technique for the foot stretches I was already doing. I've consistently followed those and all other rolling and balance techniques I learned from her. I'm happy to say that I don't suffer from the throbbing pain I usually felt after my runs and soccer. Looks like the fibroma along the fascia will take longer to heal, but it feels great to have reduced the pain drastically.If you are like me and think that injuries and pain are part of being an active person, think again. I recommend at least getting an assessment with Ironhorse PT.

Though I'd done 4 full ironman and many half-ironman since 2009, I given up running 3 years ago due to pain in my lower back, one knee or the other, and a big toe. My goal was to again complete a half-ironman. As training distances were increasing, I consulted with Victoria 10 weeks before the event to manage the pains I anticipated would arise with increased distance. During our video call Victoria evaluated me and prescribed exercises to complete several times a week. I was pretty regular following her recommendations (as well as core and yoga) and placed 2nd in my late 50's age group with minimal pain. A great success considering I had mostly given up going long distances on foot. Thank you Victoria.

Best physical therapy in the area. Victoria is highly skilled physical therapist who was able to diagnose the cause of my hip pain while no other doctor or physical therapist could. Her treatment helped so much, I rarely feel the pain. So grateful, thank you!!

I have had a phenomenal experience at Ironhorse Physical Therapy & Pilates! I originally called their office for evaluation of my diastasis recti and pelvic floor problems post baby #3. From the get go, I was very impressed with IHPT. The owner, Dr. Victoria, set up a call to share information about the practice & answer questions. Scheduling appointments is simple via an online program or via text/call with the administration assistant. Dr. Kate's initial evaluation was extremely thorough. She is so knowledgeable and an expert in her field. I planned to only discuss my diastasis recti and pelvic floor problems, but Kate was keenly observant of my limited range of motion & asked many questions about my previous level of function and how my presenting issues were impacting quality of life. From Dr. Kate's thorough questions, we discussed long term headaches, upper back, and lower back pain - symptoms I had just accepted as status quo and did not realize could improve with physical therapy. I am an active person - love hiking, running, yoga, etc, but experienced pain for years & ignored symptoms. Each week, Dr. Kate has taught me exercises to slowly improve my strength and stamina. She helped me to understand how my symptoms are related to one another, what muscles are involved, how my body has overcompensated, & how to self correct. My body finally feels strong enough to start back on a walk-to-run program. Dr. Kate is supportive and realistic, knowing I have 3 small kids at home, and being mindful of that as she increased my home treatment program so that it was manageable. Each exercise built upon the previous one, and I have noticed such improvement in symptoms from week to week. She has incorporated various treatment methods including cupping, massage, pilates, ROM & weight bearing exercises, etc.I have also seen Dr. Victoria a few times for pelvic floor evaluation & treatment. Her diagnostic skills are phenomenal. I learned so much in my few sessions with her, and noticed marked improvement in my pelvic floor symptoms. Dr. Kate and Dr. Victoria have provided a coordinated treatment plan. As their patient, I feel well supported. I have tried physical therapy a few times in the past and did not see much improvement. I was skeptical to try it again, but I am so glad I did. As an out-of-network provider, IHPT is able to treat each client more holistically, versus the more traditional narrow diagnoses/treatment model through insurance. They will provide a detailed superbill which many insurances accept for out-of-network providers.In 4 months, my symptoms have significantly improved. My body feels stronger and I'm able to hold my kids without constant back pain. If I tweak something and experience pain, Dr. Kate helps me to understand what happened and recommend small adjustments to help prevent it from occurring again. I have also started a pilates program at IHPT and Dr. Kate has helped to make small adjustments on the reformer to ensure I maintain proper position and prevent further injury. I highly recommend this practice!

I would definitely recommend Victoria for your physical therapy needs. I was in search for a PT for our daughter's running injury. I searched for a long time for a PT who had medical knowledge and could provide therapies that worked. In the past, the PT's I went to did nothing but print out a pamphlet and expected their patients to just read it and figure out their own PT. This occurred often at the big HMO's, which was a waste of time and money. This time I found a PT who actually did hands-on therapy that was individualized for the patient's needs. My daughter's pain has improved immensely. Victoria is a runner, herself, therefore, really understands running injuries. We are thankful for Victoria's expertise.