Good sports PT in Seattle?

[dbb]

A friend is looking for a good sports-oriented physical therapist who would be good with lower back issues, specifically L4/5 disc herniation. anyone have reccomendations?

 

Prefer folks who would be covered by Regence/BlueShield, but I think that is a lot of them.

 

Thanks

Dave

[Stephen_Ramsey]

Hi Dave,

 

Basically all the PTs at U.W. Sports Medicine are really good (Deb Lehtinen, Michele Honeycutt, Lori Sabado, and Sarah Guillen).

 

Also Bruk Ballinger at Real Rehab in Greenwood, though as of a couple of years ago, his practice didn't take Regence BlueShield.

[Jim]

I'd have to disagree about the UW recommendation. I had some severe back issues a few years ago. The UW PTs came up with the usual cookie cutter approaches. Finally I said to one of them "You haven't the slightest idea what's going on here do you (this after 4 visits) and she got flustered and admited she did not.

 

I made the rounds and after 5 "sports PTs" I found the group at Olympic PT on Mercer Island to be excellent. They did a very good diagnostic exam that no other PTs did. After a couple visits there was marked improvement and I keep up with the routine they suggested. Sorry, I don't have the PT names here at work, but they also have an office in the U District I believe and said they have some good back specialists there as well.