Autumn
AUTUMN
I have been a lifelong runner, and always wanted to run marathons. I ran my first marathon in 2001 at the age of 24, and caught the bug. Over the next 5 years, I ran 5 more marathons. High mileage can take its toll on your body; for me, it was in the form of Achilles tendonitis and IT Band Syndrome, which I hoped to beat in a few months’ time and resume running when I felt better. Unfortunately, what was supposed to be a 6 month break turned into several years due to a series of non-running related injuries, most notably displacing my 5th metatarsal as well as breaking it in a second location. This injury led to foot surgery and a 6-month recovery back to normal function. However, residual and seemingly unexplained pain kept me from running any distance farther than 2 miles and affecting other aspects of my life, such as the shoes I wore and how long I could stay on my feet.
I saw many types of practitioners over the following few years, all of whom shared the idea that there was nothing I could do about the pain, and simply said that there was nothing wrong.
Fast forward to 2012, I was still experiencing foot pain and knew that even without that pain, other overuse injuries that hadn’t been properly addressed would keep me from getting back to the type of running I enjoy most.
After meeting Heidi while in a volleyball class, I was encouraged to hear her talk about modalities and methods of physical therapy that might be able to help me. After a few visits with her, my foot pain had nearly disappeared. I still had a lot of work to do, but it was a refreshing new start.
Heidi’s approach is creative and intuitive, and most importantly, she spends the entire duration of your appointment with you, the patient. Other offices will allow you about 10 minutes with your therapist, then move you to an assistant or a student for your actual care. Heidi is there from start to finish to ensure correct and proper therapy.
Over the last few years, with the help of Heidi’s special one-on-one and unique style of care, I have now run 2 more marathons. My next race is the New York City Marathon, and throughout this training cycle, I have remained pain-free, injury-free, and I don’t see why I can’t maintain high mileage for years to come. I would not be able to do this without Heidi’s help.
Max
Elliana
ELLIANA
Our 13 year old daughter Elliana tore her ACL playing basketball in March of 2017. We were referred to Heidi by her club volleyball coach and it was the best thing that ever happened to us. Heidi has been amazing and we are so lucky to have found her. Elliana was so devastated that she was not able to play her main sport which is volleyball for a long time. However, Heidi was so positive and helped her so much not only physically but mentally all along the way and got her transitioned back and fully prepared and ready to play ahead of schedule. More importantly, our daughter looked forward to her PT sessions with Heidi even the more challenging ones later in the healing process. There were many times I picked her up from her sessions and she had a full-on sweat. Heidi got her strength back and my daughter felt so confident in her knee and had no problems getting right back into volleyball when she was released. She is now back doing what she loves and is truly physically and mentally stronger than ever thanks to Heidi.
Not only has Heidi helped our daughter through this difficult time in her life, but she also helped me – the “paranoid mom”. Any time I had a question or concern Heidi has always taken the time to text me back in a timely manner and has explained everything in great detail. I can go on and on about how wonderful Heidi is, she truly is a special PT and a genuinely kind human being. I’m so grateful to have found her! Thank you Heidi, we love you!
Brian
Alissa
ALISSA, HERMOSA BEACH
I never expected that the outcome of breaking my ankle slack lining would be meeting an amazing physical therapist and life-long friend!
I came to Heidi on crutches and with one enormously swollen ankle that I couldn’t put weight on. I wasn’t able to drive, had limited mobility, and had lost nearly all of my independence. After being serial casted for the previous three months, I had major muscle atrophy and scar tissue that had immobilized my ankle to the point that I couldn’t get my heel onto the ground. It was like I was in a permanent high heeled shoe. I was majorly down in the dumps and was so afraid that I would never be able to do the activities that I LOVE again. Heidi instantly put a smile on my face, telling me she had no doubts that I would be back on my snowboard and back rock climbing one day. She took away my worries and instantly put me at ease.
It was a long process, but Heidi and her amazing skill set gave me the right tools for recovery and my life back. I can freely enjoy whatever adventures come my way – be it rock climbing, riding elephants, moto biking, yoga, surfing or snowboarding – with confidence and joy!
Tammi
Lindsey
LINDSEY
Lindsay is a young competitive dancer who suffered from stress and growth related injuries, keeping her off of the dance floor until she saw Heidi for rehab and prehab therapies. Dr. Heidi attended her first competition when she successfully returned to the stage and Lindsay sent this kind note after her performance:
”Thank you so much for helping me recover from my injury and get back to dancing! I got 9th out of 21 people at my competition today!”
We are always thrilled to get an athlete back to their beloved sport and even happier when they keep themselves healthy and injury free knowing how to prevent new injuries!
Jasmine
Mark
Mark
Mark started physical therapy with Dr. Heidi both to treat his physical ailments as well as to improve his golf game. Over the course of care, his greatest achievements included finding a full deep squat, winning multiple Masters golf championships and becoming a super-grandfather – and we all know how physically demanding that can be!
Jaimi
Tim
Tim
Strength training for younger athletes has become more common and improved rapidly in recent years. However, after working with Heidi for the past 8 years, she has convinced me that getting stronger is only half the battle – an athlete must also focus on mobility training. As a past collegiate golfer and current semi-professional racing driver, I have been fortunate enough to work with many great strength coaches. Heidi is by far the best physical therapist whom I have worked with and is especially beneficial if you are an athlete.
Heidi has an incredible understanding of biomechanics, which allows her to identify the movements that are necessary for an athlete to perform well, regardless of the sport. Working with her has had a tangible impact on my performance in both golf and racing. After doing mobility and strength exercises designed specifically for golf, I found myself better able to make the swing changes I was trying to make because I had strengthened and loosened the right muscles. In racing, working with Heidi has accelerated my recovery process post-race, which is a constant struggle for racing drivers. I am now able to drive more sessions on test days before the pain sets in, providing my engineers with more data to improve the car for the race day.
More important than my performance in these sports, Heidi has made me a healthier person by keeping me mobile AND strong. I firmly believe that working with Heidi would be beneficial for anyone who is serious about living a healthy lifestyle because she helps you understand how to stay strong and mobile on your own. Even though I am now in college and can’t see her on a regular basis, I use what she has taught me on a daily basis. Oh and aside from her physical therapy skills, Heidi is just an enjoyable person to be around and I value my friendship with her greatly!