West LA Physical Medicine

This is James G. I am using my wife, Nancy’s Unilocal account.
I first saw Dr. Clark about seven years ago. I was a young middle-​aged man with 30 years of often very physical labor taking what seemed a permanent toll on my body. Despite a dedicated daily ritual stretches an exercises taken from dance, Pilates, physical therapy etc. I was unable to stand up straight and in a constant state of physical and mental discomfort. I feared that I was on the verge of a permanent decline. I thought that my lower back was destroyed.
I was referred to Dr. Dana Clark by a friend of my wife who had been in a similar position and said that she had been restored and transformed.
I scheduled an appointment with the hope for some improvement and a little relief. My expectations were modest at best. What a wonderful surprise I was in for!
From the very first encounter with Dr Clark it was clear that I was in the care of an extremely knowledgeable and proficient technician, passionate about his craft, but also teacher and a healer. The entire staff — including, of course, his wife Jean, was very engaging, insightful and prepared. I was moved through a series of tests and exams (all the while being kept both informed and educated about the purpose of each thing) so they could examine the problem (s) and prepare a course of action for my return to health. It was at once calming and inspiring. I left that day realizing that I had not just the possibility, but a certainty of becoming myself again, moving with joy and confidence rather than the pain and apprehension that plagued me for several years.
I am now 53 years old and in many ways it is evident: receding hairline, a taste for some music now on the «Oldies» stations and a tendency to forget why I went into a room. But my back, my posture and my whole body feel much younger, happier and well. I still do a lot of physical labor and often in places where comfortable positions aren’t possible (in attics, under houses) yet despite the occasional setback because of such activities, I have spent the last 7 years becoming better than ever thanks to healing and liberating care of Dr Clark and his wonderful staff. Need I say more? I’m not here as a salesman, I’m here as a happy healthy man! Go see them and you’ll be on here saying similar things.
Thank You Dr Dana Clark, Jean, Dr Rubino and all of the other people at WLAPM!

Such a warm inviting staff who I always look forward to seeing. They have the best acupuncture in LA. I had never been before but it was so relaxing and got rid of my knee pain immediately. The whole office really cares which is so rare in LA and i just can’t recommend it more.

This place is amazing! I went in in a bad way and after they worked on me for a few weeks I am back in the gym going strong! I’m a huge fan and have sent everybody I know there who asks for a recommendation.

I Love this place the Staff and Doctors are professional friendly personable and care
About the patients.

I am very pleased with WLAPM!
I had neck and upper back pain and I was amazed that just after a few treatments, I noticed a BIG difference! Each session offers multiple therapies and treatments, and each one makes you more and more relaxed! It’s nice and clean and the staff members are extremely nice ! they guided me through everything, answered all my questions, and are always very patient. Im very thankful, I definitely feel the progress. I highly recommend this place!!!

im i «just push thru the pain» kinda active old gal. well, too much piled up on me: bad tennis elbow (tingling in my hand from it just started), pained knee, loss of neck motion, and constant pain in shoulders and back. i finally had enough and decided to seek help. after some serious research i chose west la physical. multiple modalities employed. headed up by a serious athlete. best decision i made. steadily i am returning to better health. the treatments are done by the most attentive, caring, and effective staff.
update: i dropped this two stars. here is why: they upcharged my insurance like crazy.
while i appreciate how much they helped me get better, i can not help but to be bothered by their obvious overcharging of my insurance company. an example: a tens machine that i can buy myself on amazon for about $ 50…they charged my insurance company $ 500. i am not lying. a classic example of why insurance costs go up. i switched to another physical therapist who does not engage in over billing practices.
so, we, as consumers, have the power to make choices not to engage with professionals who milk the system. we have the choice to choose professionals who play fair and don’t cost us all more money in the long run. i’ve made that choice. i hope you take the time to learn what i have and make that choice as well.
pss. i had dropped this to no stars because of the whole insurance thing, but i had to make it three stars because i did get better, i loved my treatments there, and everyone was always so attentive and nice. so, i don’t want anyone to get the idea treatment wasn’t anything but excellent, it is only their billing practices i don’t appreciate. trust me if i was in a lot of pain and needed help badly, i’d go again… i’d just be crushed that i had just contributed to the insurance cost problem. if i had proof that they had changed their billing practices, i’d go back in a heartbeat.

West LA Physical Medicine has been great and everyone is friendly.
The one thing I would change to give it a 5 star rating, would be to allow me to book my appt. and confirm my appt. time with the therapist I prefer. That way you know that the therapist will know your specific needs and can plan his/​her schedule accordingly. Currently you can book at time to come in, but you don’t know which therapist will get to work on your specific needs. It’s based on whoever is available when you are ready for treatment.
I have had Eddie work on me a couple of times and he really knows what he is doing. I have chronic neck and shoulder pain. It may sound like any therapist can work on the neck and shoulder that I am suffering but my case is not that easy. He really knows and understands what muscles are not being used properly in order to work out the kinks. I always feel better after my therapy session with Eddie!

Nothing like prioritizing health at the beginning of a year. Came in with a super painful pinched nerf and felt much better after 2 visits. Everybody is super nice and knowledgeable not just about back and health issues but also about insurance matters. Highly recommend.

Not happy with the services at all and woke up in more pain than i went in with. it was too creepy. and i don’t believe in the circuit they put you through ESPECIALLY if you are there for pain and lack of mobility.
Additionally the woman at the front desk, the clinic directors wife, was very unprofessional, i was a new patient and she invited me to hang out without knowing me. that is a total lack of professionalism.
had i woken up feeling way better than i came in i would be going in. but MORE pain and i never have back pain but now i do? nope. sorry. on to the next chiro.

This review is a long time coming. I ended up at this office due to chronic pain in my neck and shoulder area in roughly April of 2014. After that first consultation I visited this facility about 3 times a week till it slowly tapered down to two visits per months. During that time my pain became less chronic and towards the end I was nearly back to being pain free.
The staff is friendly and accommodating. I can see why some patients might dislike the conveyor belt approach in the open areas with close proximity to other patients. However, in my opinion it seems like their approach is holistic and multi faceted. In my case it clearly worked! So I am a believer.
From a business perspective I am impressed with Dr. Dana. There are about 15 – 20 people including his spouse at this facility and somehow it all seems to gel and flow well. So he does a nice job managing the practice. Granted you won’t see him too often but he does a nice job circulating and pitching in when the office is too busy. Think of him more as a conductor to a symphony making sure all the various parts are working as intended.
On a side note, I noticed some of the negative reviews highlighted the free massage for review issue. I have had the massage without writing a review and it was a a good quality massage. But I understand the perspective of those reviewers and am glad to see Dr. Dana addressing the issue to remove the perception of any conflict of interest.
There are a lot of great people I remember from my time here. Eddie, Dr. Rubino, Dr. Lotto, Dr. Craig, Jean, Dr. Dana and of course Renee who manages the front desk. She just has a great vibe and is the icing on the entire experience.
So to summarize this is definitely worth checking out to see if they might be a good fit for your needs. If they aren’t your cup of tea there appears to be no dearth of choices for treatment in this area. Good luck!

Five stars and definitely as good as it gets. I have been a patient at the clinic for six years and have been very happy with the quality of care. The chiropractors are fantastic and so is the staff, and they provide personalized treatment to address the root cause of pain. Body work is amazing, too, in case your foam roller fails you! The atmosphere is very welcoming and I feel comfortable bringing my small son (who had his first adjustment there at three weeks) while I get treatment.

I am a huge fan of West LA Physical Medicine. I used to go to Arthur Ashe center to get PT for ankle and knee injuries. While the people at Arthur Ashe are certainly nice people, I didn’t see any improvement after going there for about 6 visits. It was also nearly impossible to book appointments there.
Anyway, I decided to branch out, and found WLPM on Unilocal.It’s literally a 3 min drive from UCLA which makes it very convenient for students.
As far as my PT has gone, they have done so much to help improve my knee. I go about 2x per week, and sometimes I am there for up to 1.5 hours getting treatment — from lasers, to this cool TENS pain management thing, orthotics, massage therapy, taping and chiropractic adjustments — they do it all.
Every chiropractor and physical therapist that has worked with me has been both knowledgeable of my injury and really friendly/​cool at the same time. Plus, Jean, the woman who runs the show, is a total mama bear and so accommodating and sweet!
So yes, I am exceptionally happy that I found this place :) If you’re looking for non-​surgical options to relieve pain, you should check out WLPM!

Write a Unilocal review in exchange for a free massage? Sure. Here’s your Unilocal review.
(This is a classic example of how you can’t always trust an average rating on Unilocal.)
They sell services you don’t need for problems you don’t have. They’re like a dishonest mechanic, but for your body.
And you can keep the massage.

Saw Dr Clark working with several patients-​AGAIN. A few visits back, we bumped into each other in the hallway and he asked me about something that had popped up on my chart after my initial consult with him, even though I’d been treated solely by the other doctors since then. The guy apparently knows every patient’s chart, which is good because he’s the clinic director. I have complete faith in every single person who works there. My ability to function without crippling pain without drugs or surgery is proof enough for me.

I found WLA Physical Medicine through flag football teammates who like to go as hard as I do, and frequently suffer the consequences. I’m 26, a prior collegiate athlete, and can’t seem to go a few days without competing in another rec sport. I came to these guys after a local chiropractor was charging me absurd amounts for lackluster treatment, and couldn’t be more relieved and happier.
After my first visit (I went to them for a lower back spasm and a pulled hamstring), I had a full 12-​week recovery plan. 3 weeks into my plan, my pain went from 100% to 20%… I was shocked at how quickly they helped me with pain relief.
But besides results, the whole process is extremely enjoyable. It reminds me very much of my college ATR (athletic training room). The chiropractors and staffers are all extremely friendly. The setting is an open floor with various treatments and services, and you rotate through each. Every person who works on me takes the time and care to make sure I feel great by the time I leave. It’s a community and a pleasure to have appointments. Since healing my immediate injuries, I’m back about once a week to maintain and I truly enjoy every time.
In addition — they offer an all-​in-​one service. Trust me, it’s near impossible to find this type of practice. They can do everything from X-​Rays, to orthotic molds, to trigger point therapy, to lasers, to EMF, to massage, chiropractics, acupuncture, the list goes on! Normally you would have to pay for 5 appointments to accomplish what these guys can achieve in a 1.5 hour session.
This place is not for you if you want to be in a private room with a doctor. They operate openly and encourage relationships between everyone involved! It’s very comforting and a great group to be a part of.
Finally — with a good or standard insurance plan. it’s INSANELY affordable. There is no comparison to how much other local chiropractors have tried to charge me. From Dominique and Jean at the front desk, to Dr. Lotto, Rubino and Clark — all of them take the time to listen to my needs, understand and help me to heal in the best way possible.
I’m so grateful for my time with this team and couldn’t recommend them more if this type of care appeals to you.

I began visiting West LA Physical Medicine in April 2015, and I could not be more satisfied with the clinic’s quality of care and my results.
I’m 28 and I have suffered from back pain for 10 years since herniating discs L2 through S1 as a collegiate athlete. I have seen multiple physicians/​specialists and have undergone multiple procedures. West LA Physical Medicine’s approach has been the most comprehensive.
They realize that the drivers of back pain can be complex and that people respond differently to various treatments (i.e. physical therapy, chiropractic adjustments, decompression, trigger point injections, active release techniques, etc.). They are open and willing to work with you to figure out what works best for YOU.
The staff is always warm, welcoming, and accommodating. As some other reviews cite, the patient load is high; however, the staff does an excellent job at giving everyone the attention they deserve while getting you in/​out in a timely manner.
Hands down… best doctor/​clinic I’ve found for my back pain and I will continue going as long as I live in the Los Angeles area!

I began at WLA Physical medicine in March, 2014. I came there because I was experiencing back pain. After the x-​rays disclosed that my spine was «S» shaped where it was supposed to be straight, I entered into ten weeks of treatment, three times a week. By the end of the treatments, I was in good shape. The doctors and staff that treated me exceeded my expectations in their professional knowledge and their caring approach.
One thing I noticed that l haven’t read in the other reviews is my increase in mental clarity and increased energy; this occurred during the fifth to seventh weeks. Being 76 at that time and experiencing the challenges that come with aging, this was an unexpected gift. I felt mentally refreshed as if I had just awakened from a long nap.
I’ve returned in July, 2015 because I was experiencing back pain. I’m going for 12 visits, four weeks. By the third visit my back pain is completely gone, and I feel mentally sharper and with more energy. They’re still adjusting me to make sure my back is where it’s supposed to be before they release me.
I highly recommend WLA Physical Medicine.

I’ve been thinking too long about writing a review because of mixed feelings. What I kept coming back to however is: I would discourage people from going here to get medical care.
My treatment lasted about 3 – 4 weeks, around 12 visits.
First the good stuff, and reasons for my mixed feelings:
— People working here are like nothing I saw elsewhere. Very polite, friendly, and funny. Just very very nice people. If I was reviewing people working here and the atmosphere they create — it would be easy 5 stars.
— Dr. Dana was very warm, friendly and seemed very knowledgable. His diagnose for my state seemed confident and his announced methods for helping me sounded inspiring (I felt great, I am sure to feel better).
Now for the rest:
Dr Dana saw me once, when diagnosing. After that he left me to physical therapists and other chiropractor doctors. Not even a check up. Nothing. That felt very disappointing.
Since I couldn’t communicate with dr Dana (well, except explicitly asking for him, and more often than not he wasn’t in plain sight) I would talk to my physical therapist and other doctors.
At one point (about half way in my visiting) I felt like my issue wasn’t being addressed so I asked one of the chiro doctors about it, and he honestly didn’t know about it. He read the clipboard associated with my name only then, and said something to the effect ‘oops’.
Another thing that happened was when I expressed a different concern to my physical therapist he gave me a massage to the area that I was being treated. It was a very painful massage (I was crying during massage) but PT went on with it. It ended up with my state getting worse than it was when I arrived there in the first place. I don’t blame the PT but I feel this could have been avoided if there was more contact with the dr Dana.
Every patient here goes through almost identical sessions. I find it hard to believe that everyone has the same issues, and that same methods are effective for every individual person and issue.
Also, I have met a lot of people that were coming here for months (even more than a year!). My guess is that people like to be pampered, and this is a very friendly atmosphere. But this is not a place where I would recommend you should go to actually heal an injury, or solve a medical problem.
After getting closer to using up all my sessions and not feeling better (you can buy sessions in bulk) I explicitly expressed I would like to talk to dr Dana. He is very friendly, but I felt it was unordinary to him that people express concerns like this. After expressing concern that my state isn’t getting better he gave rushed instructions to a doctor to do something more/​different. This didn’t help either.
I have seen a fair amount of doctors, and all good doctors have a problem with how to see many patients (help most people) while staying effective. I have learned to see when a doctor has a genuine desire to help.
In case of west LA medicine, I felt my well being wasn’t the primary goal.
I feel primary goal here is to run a business smoothly. The business does run pretty smoothly, I congratulate dr Dana on that.
Great people, comforting, pampering atmosphere. A doctor with a ‘million dollar smile’ ensuring you that everything will be OK. But you ever hardly see the doctor, and the results are lacking.
Lastly, another reason why I felt compelled to write this review is the fact that this business encourages people to leave reviews in exchange for a ‘free’ 30 minute massage. I am guessing that is one of the reasons why they have so many reviews.

Just go here. I’ve had 12 sessions so far and have always walked out feeling better, both mind and soul. The staff is wonderful, from the front desk to the treatment professionals to the doctors. It becomes like Cheers — you wanna go where everybody knows your name.
The busy times can get hectic but you won’t get shortchanged on treatment. Treatments have been very effective. I don’t even remember the last time I felt this pain-​free.

I’ve been going to West LA Physical Medicine at least once a week for nearly a year now — which says something, don’t you think?
Here’s a random collection of thoughts and observations:
— Dr. Clark may do an initial consultation when you walk in, but don’t expect to receive any treatment from him. His two staff chiropractors (currently Dr. Rubino and Dr. Lotto) generally perform all of the adjustments and reexaminations. They each have different techniques, but are caring men with a sense of humor, and I feel as though I’m in good hands with each of them.
— Everyone here is caring, friendly, and takes the time to learn your name. For example, Dr. Clark’s wife, Jean (who helps run the office) is very sweet and funny, and greets me like a friend every time I come in to the office.
— Dr. Clark and his staff sometimes try to «upsell» you — gently, not obnoxiously — on various adjunct treatments. You may be informed that aha!, acupuncture is for you. Or that you really need a B-​12 shot. But to their credit, once you politely decline, they don’t tend to bother you about it in the future.
— The manual therapists in the «bullpen» area vary widely in their training and skill. I’ve observed that they tend to be hired with little to no bodywork experience. Upon being hired, they start off as floor coordinators and folks who hook you up to various machines, then «graduate» to the bodywork, where they practice on you as they learn. No two therapists do anything the same way, so I tend to stick with the 1 – 2 practitioners who have the most experience and seem to be most confident in their technique.
— There is little privacy anywhere in the clinic. All manipulations and bodywork is/​are performed in the «bullpen» area where people are sometimes stacked six-​deep. However, there is some method to this madness, and the bodywork/​machine circuit is relatively efficient.
— I should cite two other clinic practitioners I really appreciate: Craig, the physician’s assistant, who performs certain procedures (B-​12 shots, trigger point injections, etc.) and Tori, one of the massage therapists. Both are not only consummate professionals, but also truly seem to care about you, and about what they do. I look forward to my treatments with both of them on a regular basis.
Bottom line: I feel at home at West LA Physical Medicine, and that’s mostly because of the awesome staff. They have a huge patient load, but never seem to lose their cool (or their wits) in light of that. I will remain a patient for the foreseeable future!