Athletico Physical Therapy – Gold Coast

Never received a response to my «request an appointment» on their website. After five days I ended up calling via phone to schedule and then I show up for an appointment and I’m not on the schedule. And, I’m made to feel like it’s my fault…

I recently started coming here for a long stint of physical therapy sessions because I tore my ACL training in Brazilian Jiujitsu. My surgeon recommended this location to me, and I couldn’t be happier.
The facility is large and extremely clean. The machines are all top notch and the staff is incredibly kind and helpful. Never a transportation problem due to the plethora of cabs, busses, trains, etc… best of all there is a parking lot which the validate for costing only $ 6.
I have been working with Adam W. and he is absolutely amazing. Extremely motivating, yet patient — certainly an expert in his field. I know that he is one of the top guys there, so his schedule is always busy — I booked him out for several months in advance, but it is well worth it.

Kendra is awesome. Seriously. I’ve worked with her to recover from injuries on three separate occasions. Not only is she a smart, skilled physical therapist she is also an incredibly considerate human being who caters treatment specifically to you and your injury, thinking outside the box until she gets results. Dealing with an injury can be both a physically and emotionally intense experience. It was for me, and Kendra went above and beyond accompanying me to a doctor’s appointment to provide emotional support as well as to confirm our treatment was on track. Working with a physical therapist up to three times a week for an extended period of time you really get to know each other. I can honestly say that Kendra is a great person and made some pretty awful injury experiences as good as they could be. If I ever find myself in need of a physical therapist she is the first person I call and I highly recommend you do the same.

I have thankfully not needed regular services of AthletiCo, so this is a review of the preliminary/​injury screen, which they offer for free.
I even had the option to schedule an appointment the same day I called, though I opted for the following day. The therapist was so friendly, like the rest of the staff, and took the time to answer my questions and make sure I really understood what was going on. While some of my excitement about this place may have to do with the fact that I won’t need guided physical therapy, I was very impressed with the time and care they took with a free injury screen. There was NO pressure or even mention of coming back for more physical therapy. The therapist even showed me exercises I could do on my own to manage my own recovery.
Awesome service. I hope I never need to come here, but I’m glad that that if I do, this would be a silver lining…

This review is way overdue. About a year ago, I worked with Eric in an attempt to both recover from a sprained ankle that had never quite healed and train for an upcoming marathon without experiencing my usual set of injuries.
Not only did I run the marathon (with a PR!), but thanks to Eric, I have spent the last year running injury-​free. I have never in my life gone this long without injury. I attribute my success 100% to Eric and the set of exercises that he advised I continue to do after finishing PT.
As an added bonus, Eric and the entire staff at Athletico are incredibly friendly, making the 2x/​week appointments a lot of fun.
To me the lesson is clear — go to Athletico, do what they tell you to do, and you’ll end up healthier than you ever thought possible!

After shoulder surgery I was told I needed regular physical therapy to regain strength and rotation. Immediately I recalled friends’ stories of physical ‘torture,’ medical bills and hours upon hours wasted in inconvenient gyms. I was not a happy camper.
But I’m here to tell you, Athletico makes physical therapy enjoyable. I spent 1 hour a day, three times a week with Sarah K.– and I looked forward to every session. Sarah is kind and smart, always paying close attention to detail and explaining what she’s doing/​the reasons behind treatment. After my time at Athletico I walked away with not only a totally recuperated shoulder, but with an understanding of how to treat my body in the future.
The space: bright, updated and close to transit
The machines/​equipment: clean, new and available
The staff: friendly, knowledgeable and efficient
The details: scheduling is easy, they take insurance and by god, you need to go!

I’ve been an athlete my whole life and I travel over 100,000 air miles a year. I was on a flight from Moscow to ORD in a lucky last standby seat. (albeit next to the restroom). Well on my long 14 hour journey that I could not sleep (I know a lot of background) I apparently got a pinched nerve behind my left leg which precipitated me not to be able to wear heels (my ankle rolled, non-​stop when I did). BIG ISSUE. It took MRI’s and an EMG to confirm. I started going to Athletico and I must say this place is heaven on earth. My PT is Alexa and she is INCREDIBLE. She not only attempts to un-​pinch my nerve with hardcore massage therapy, but also with very targeted ankle movements to build up my strength around the injured area. She is very knowledgeable and is driven to get my issue resolved quickly and correctly. This location is filled with really kind and fun PT’s of which all work together and don’t mind pitching in on a client if needed. If you have an issue and require a PT, you must come to this Athletico and you MUST request Alexa. If you can’t get her, get someone at this location, you will be back in shape in no time!

Lindsay trained me for back pain and my son for toe walking. She is extremely professional and thorough. The people at the front desk are also very helpful — even more so than the insurance companies. Linda especially was very detailed in her explanation about Cigna coverage and any issues which may arise. I have had back pain most of my adult life, so physical therapy hasn’t completely alleviated the pain, but it definitely has been a step in the right direction. I highly recommend this location and staff.

I’m obsessed with every single person at this place. I have never met a more supportive, encouraging and friendly group of people before. My PT was Lauren and not only is she an awesome PT who obviously knows her stuff but she’s very easy to get along with and makes the whole «being miserable because I’m injured» thing much more enjoyable.
I’m going to PA school right now and I told Lauren I’m sending all of my future injured patients to go see her because I really do think she is the best. All the other PT’s seem awesome too and the assistants there are very friendly and helpful.
If you’re injured– go here! They work well with your schedule to make convenient appointments and I really don’t think the staff could be any better!

Thank you Kendra for getting me back to running!
I had previously been in physical therapy at another Athletico location with another Athletico therapist. To make a long story short, it didn’t go very well. And I resolved to the fact that my knee wouldn’t get better, and I wouldn’t be able to run again…
…and then enter Kendra. She was so knowledgeable, and so patient, and very optimistic that I would be able to get back to running. Her exercises were perfect for my knees, and with all her experience/​knowledge she got me back to a walk/​run program.
And 4 months later, I ran a half marathon!
Thank you Kendra soooooooo much for your patience and your determination to help me get back to a running program.

Found these guys from a post race booth, got a free eval and they referred me to a sports MD. Turned out i had a strained hip muscle of some sort, MD I was referred to not so great, used alot of technical terms and didn’t really seem to care… anyway. The PT i was set up with was Kendra, she did an amazing job of pinpointing the problem right away, and with a little «good pain» as i call it has made my leg back to perfect condition. I went from barely walking to running again. If your looking for an awesome PT team ask for Kendra and Darrel… game changers. Cant rate them high enough.

In December of 2010 I had shoulder and bicep surgery (SLAP Surgery and Bicep tendonesis). I was referred to Athletico here (it has since moved from Clark to Chicago and Dearborn by the Chik-​Fil-​A)… My therapist was Kendra, although I worked a few times with Lauren, Adam, and a couple of others. My care was outstanding… The entire staff was fantastic, and Patrick would do my trigger point release massage, which was 5 stars for sure! If I am ever injuried (hopefully never again) again, I will go back here in an instant!!!

Since it’s amazingly convenient to work and home, I elected to do rehab post knee scope there.
The first clown to see me, Hima, didn’t ask my goals, instead jumped into some whatever. I finally got to inject what I was wanting to do post rehab (Crossfit), and I got the reply, «yes, but what will you do for cardio» (showing her lack of training knowledge and terminology knowledge.)
Oh yeah — she didn’t know that the kettlebell is primarily a conditioning tool…
I jettisoned her as quickly as I could (she also was clearly not paying attention during some of my rehab movements).
The next clown did a good job on basic mobility, but nothing for targeted strength. My vastus medialus was never specifically targeted. The ORTHO and the Sports Med docs were both surprised at that, since it’s pretty much the go-​to move for my type of injury, according to them.
It felt more like general prehab or «get a fat person off his duff and working out for the first time» instead of highly-​active person’s kneehab.
Before embarking on PT, go to a high-​end MD, and see what they recommend, preferably something on their premises. Northwestern, for example, has its own rehab.
oh yeah. I ended up doing my own, targeted strengthening and stretching that the ORTHO and sports med docs approved, and got much stronger and was back to full capacity.
PT is crucial, just do it at a better place. Or that’s more suited to the athletic type’s rehab.

I have been 5 times now for PT and already can feel the difference in my lower back.
The staff works as a team and really takes care if everyone. Hima is my therapist and she really listens to me and seems genuinely concerned. She takes careful notes and documentation.
Very happy I sought treatment here.

Ode to Todd, Patrick and the A-​Team:
After a severe hand injury, surgery and six weeks in a cast, I learned what happens when the cast comes off: painful therapy. My surgeon handed me a piece of paper with a list of Athletico locations. I chose the one closest to me and with great hesitation went to my first appointment with Occupational Therapist, Todd Cobler. As you can imagine, I wasn’t in the best of spirits as I embarked on the road to recovery. Luckily for me, Todd, Patrick and the rest of the Athletico staff are incredibly caring, funny and good at what they do… I never thought I would laugh while people cause me pain (good, healing pain of course).
I’m grateful for Todd’s magical healing powers. He’s the company’s only OT on staff at that location, and he works hard to make his clients both comfortable and fully mobile. If you have an injury on the upper half of your body, I strongly recommend giving Todd a visit. He’s knowledgeable and provides gadgets to ensure proper healing (protractors! silly putty! splints! golf balls!). He also has great stories and a very friendly staff that will coax the soreness out of your muscles and the sadness out of your spirits.
Todd, you and the Athletico family truly rock. Thank you!

I love shortcuts in life. Usually, they garner positive results. However, when it comes to my lifelong avoidance of stretching after a workout, well, it’s now come back to haunt me in the form of a massive strain in my thigh muscle.
My doctor gave me a prescription for physical therapy immediately after it happened, and though loathe to admit, I was planning on throwing it in the trash. I figured it would just heal on its own in a couple of days.
Alas, I was again mistaken. (Insert Athletico here).
I went to my first appointment the other night, and met my fantastic therapist Pam — she was sharp, friendly, and clearly knew what she was doing. She immediately put me at ease, and ran me through a couple of stretches, an awesome massage with a rolling pin-​like device (I’m big on technical terms, obviously), and then iced it down to cap off the hour long session. I left feeling loose, and woke up the next morning with significantly reduced pain.
Athletico’s Gold Coast location is not super big, but it has all the amenities you could possibly ask for in a rehab center. All of the staff I interacted with were super friendly, and professional. If you’re trying to recover from an injury, look no further.