Renew Physical Therapy

Extremely professional and knowledgeable.
My achilles went from naggingly sore to no pain in just a few weeks with the stretches and exercises I was given.

As a PCP for over ten years in the Bay Area i get to refer to dozens of PT. Renew PT has skilled therapists, caring and collaborative administration and above all results. I send my patients and family to them. Top marks.

After more than three months of diligent care and magical hands from Renew’s physical therapists, I finally «graduated» from chronic lower back pain and debilitation. Thanks to Steve, Imee, Leigh and the super staff at Renew, I’m cycling more than 100 miles a week again and competing in my 70+ age class. The quality of care here is second to none! Special thanks to Imee for her sensitivity, warmth and professional prowess.

Imee is amazing! If it weren’t for her, there’s absolutely no way my elbow would have recovered by now. Here’s why…
I dislocated and broke my elbow in a sports accident. I had surgery five days later. For therapy, my orthopedic surgeon recommended the PT place that’s affiliated with their office. However, after reading their awful Unilocal reviews, I decided to look elsewhere. That’s when I found Renew and booked an appointment with Imee.
Best decision I could have made. First, I was in A LOT of pain and I was very sensitive about the whole thing and really scared, to be honest. Imee was so patient and understanding with me. She also worked really, really hard to increase my range of motion and she proactively called my doctor many times with updates and to discuss my case.
I continued to see Imee 2 – 3 times per week and we were making progress with therapy. My range of motion was increasing little by little (my elbow was in a bent position and the therapy was to help me be able to straighten my arm all the way out and bend it all the way in).
Sadly, there came a point where progress halted and my elbow just wasn’t budging anymore (and my ulnar nerve was acting up big time). But Imee is very experienced and she had a very good feeling about what was preventing me from getting any more range of motion — she suspected that post surgery, there was too much bone growth and that it was preventing further movement. She could feel it during therapy and could tell that it wasn’t just scar tissue.
This is where it gets interesting…
I went to my surgeon with the information from Imee, but the surgeon didn’t think bone growth was the issue. She wanted to do an MUA (she thought scar tissue was the problem) and another surgery to remove the screws. This was a red flag for me. I had done a lot of my own research and I was NOT going to let the surgeon do an MUA. Elbows are tricky and they are not at all like knees, where MUA is common. Under no circumstance should you do an MUA on an elbow.
I went back to Imee with this update from the surgeon. Imee was very honest with me and recommended that I seek a second opinion. This folks, is why I have now recovered from this injury. If it weren’t for Imee knowing that the issue was bone growth, I would have not known any better and probably have gone back to the original surgeon. (That would have been a disaster and obviously would have resulted in a third surgery.)
Per Imee’s advice, I made an appointment with another orthopedic surgeon. I saw one of the top elbow surgeons in the Bay Area (Dr. Lattanza at UCSF). That was the turning point. I booked my second surgery, which was an elbow reconstruction (she found so many things, such as a missing ligament, that the other doc didn’t find. And she was totally against the MUA).
You know what Dr. Lattanza told me when I woke up? There was so much bone growth from the first surgery, which had been preventing me from getting range of motion. They literally had to shave bone off. I woke up from that surgery with my arm completely straightened out.
So yeah, Imee was right all along. Her knowledge and experienced saved me from what would have been an absolute nightmare with the first doc.
Not only is Imee smart and professional, she is so sweet and genuinely cares about her patients. Even if I was her last patient of the day, she always had energy and made me feel like I was the first.
I’m also a very active person and this injury was such an emotional rollercoaster for me. Being an active person herself, Imee completely understood and was sensitive to what I was going through. I can’t even express how grateful I am for everything she did for me. I get misty-​eyed just thinking about it!
I wholeheartedly recommend Renew. There’s a reason this place has five stars!

Here’s what you get from the talented crew at Renew: 1) welcoming and friendly atmosphere, 2) personal touch, 3) highly qualified and experienced therapists, 4) humor and encouragement, 5) RESULTS! If you need PT, go to Renew. They will have you back out there doing what you love to do in short order. My husband and I have both worked with Imee and she was fantastic. Thanks for everything!!!

I have had 5 total joints replaced throughout my body. One knee has had 2 total replacements1 total hip 1 total shoulder etc. Unfortunately I have been in PT due to arthritic conditions for the majority of the past 15 years.
I was recommended to make a change by my Orthopedic Dr. In Mill Valley. I was hesitant but when my insurance changed it was the the encouragement i needed. I am so glad i made the change!
I have had the pleasure of going to Renew PT for the last 2 months. It is located in the shopping center on Shoreline Hwy. Parking is easy. I have been treated by Emiee. She (as all therapists there) is knowledgeable about the total mechanics of the body. I lived in excruciating pain with limited mobility for the past 6 years needlessly. I wish I would have found Renew earlier as I would have been in better physical shape. I look forward to every appointment. My 45 minute appointments seem like 20 minutes. I am constantly kept moving & if one exercise isn’t working that day it is substituted with another that works. No appointments have had repeated treatments so my total body has benefitted.
I have 2 appointments per week & would go more if I could. My husband is now starting here as well as my 88 year mother!
You may walk there, but soon you may run there!
There are many choices in Marin (and they just opened an office in S.F.) but as far as i am concerned this is now the best choice i have made!

Nice people and a great customer experience and the therapists are great. Imee, one of the therapists, really helped with pain from an arthritic hip that went from being very painful to virtually no pain at all. Lara, the massage therapist, is very experienced and excellent. I highly recommend this facility and the staff.

As a result of a fall, I had enormous back pain that radiated all the way down my leg. I could not stand or walk for more than a couple of minutes. I went through this for a week or so, then got referred to Renew in Mill Valley. Christine quickly evaluated what was wrong, and began a therapy program that began showing results in a week. And gave me printed out gentle, progressive stretch exercises to do at home, which I followed every day. After four weeks of therapy and gradual improvement the pain is gone. Obviously, individual results may vary, but for me, this was perfect!

I worked with Steve for a few months to address knee pain that I had been dealing with for a few years. I had signed up for my first mega walk ever and resolved to finally get my bones and joints in order to make it to the finish line. I had seen other PTs through Kaiser and was never provided with a real cause to my pain and was given some exercises that were supposed to help alleviate it, but it didn’t. A band-​aid fix just wasn’t going to do.
During my initial consult with Steve he was able to pin-​point the exact issue, which was stemming from the muscles in my hips and gluteus of all places! We worked together on a weekly basis and he gave me homework exercises that actually worked. After just a few months I was able to do a 18.5 mile training walk to prep for my big weekend– and there was no pain at all!
I’m pleased to say I was able to reach the finish line for the Avon walk, going the extra distance the first day to walk a complete marathon (26.2 miles) and totaled 42 miles for the entire weekend! Looking back, I couldn’t believe that I had gone from having knee pains from just walking around the block to completing such a venture. I could have never done without Steve and his team! Thank you Renew!!!
P. S. I’m totally coming back when I feel ready to start giving running a shot again.

So fortunate to have come here for my «frozen» shoulder, thanks to all the positive reviews on Unilocal.
My physical therapy sessions were with Ted Ellquist, really an outstanding professional, knowledgeable, patient and kind with hands that seem to «see» the inner workings of my recalcitrant shoulder and make relieving adjustments. The PT intern, Madeleine, was also extremely helpful guiding my stretch exercises so that I focused my efforts more effectively and really incorporated on a body level how to.
I had had physical therapy last year in the city for a similar injury to my other shoulder and I can attest that Ted and everyone at Renew, from the receptionist Lisa to the PT intern Madeleine provide a much superior service, really night and day.
During my 14 sessions at Renew, I saw a lot of other folks come in for help, all ages. I saw a lot of trust and ease between clients and the physical therapy staff. This makes for a relaxed, positive and healing environment, huge as physical therapy always involves balance between pain and gain.
I am very thankful for my experience with Ted and Madeleine at Renew. You are steps ahead coming to this sunny place. I would send family and friends here. Absolutely worth a drive from the city!

Steve is amazing! I broke my back a couple years back, having chipped my L4 and L5. Having started a new desk job, my back was giving me issues. Steve provided me with great workouts and stretches to relieve the shooting pains and soreness in my lower back, specific and sensitive to my particular injury.
ALSO — I was one of the most inflexible people out there before working with Steve. He got me from touching my knees (it was a stretch for me, 6’4″ tight as an oyster), and now I can touch my toes.
Highly recommend — knows sports injuries, recovery, and has an endless arsenal of workouts

Like the other reviewers who have given Renew PT 5 stars, I could go on forever about the quality of their care, professionalism, etc. I have been seeing them intermittently for 2−½ years for treatment of hip issues, post-​surgery upper and lower back disc herniations and, finally, double hip replacement surgeries. Steve, Imee and Ted have been awesome (as have been their special graduate program PT interns who bring new info/​techniques to the overall program). Their individual skills compliment one another and I have appreciated their different – but equally effective – approaches to addressing my PT issues.
I have recommended Renew PT to several of my friends who are now clients. And I can say they are happy campers, too!

My Doctor highly recommended that I see Steve Mongiello from Renew Physical Therapy for my injury rehab. Not only is Steve an expert in body work he is a great guy who brings a deep sense of dedication and authenticity to his profession. I always look forward to my appointments and my body is healing rapidly under his guidance.
His new location on Market Street in SF makes it easy for me to drop by midday without it impacting my work schedule. Thanks Renew!

Renew Physical Therapy center is great. They take workers comp claims with no problem and process the claim without asking for the client’s follow up.
Carly is organized and greets everyone with the same verve. Imee is a kind, caring therapist and gives you 100% attention. She emails my doctor to make sure the therapy is properly coordinated with the doctor’s orders.
I have not once waited for my appointment to begin, the schedule is always on time.

How wonderful to have Renew in Mill Valley. It is clean upbeat environment. The staff is friendly and warm. Without question would I further recommend Renew to anyone seeking P.T.

I live in Tam Valley and am so pleased that Renew is part of my neighborhood. Steve and Imee are intelligent, warm, open-​minded, and extremely skilled. Carly, the administrator, is organized, sweet, engaged and helpful. Both my son and I have been to Renew and had positive experiences and outcomes. I am especially pleased at how friendly and personable everyone was with us, taking the time to know us, our lifestyles and our goals. Renew is also committed to teaching the next generation of PTs. When I was there, I worked with a student intern — under close supervision from Imee. The whole system at Renew works smoothly! Thanks, Steve, Imee and Carly!

My doctor directed me to Renew after a serious injury to my ankle. I had several PT sessions done in the city, prior to Renew, but it seems that they didn’t do a great job…
Steve worked on my ankle for few months and did a great job. After a complete rupture of my ligament I am now able to play soccer, do muay thai without any problem.
The whole team is super nice, very friendly. Driving from the city is definitely worth it.

When Unilocal asked me for this rating, I gave Renew PT 5 stars. Up popped a little bit of text saying «Woohoo! As good as it gets!». That’s pretty fitting for this place… and my experience there was better than I could have hoped for!
A little background. I’m a professional road cyclist for Team Jamis-​Hagens Berman. I’ve been racing for 10 years and a pro for 3 of those. I’ve seen my fair share of injuries. Over the last 6 weeks I’ve been suffering pretty intense knee pain when cycling. This led me to Renew PT. Even though it’s not located the closest to where I live (I live in the East Bay and they’re in Marin) I had received a couple glowing recommendations from other cyclists about the place so I decided to check it out.
I called them up and explained my issue. They got me booked for an appointment the very next day. I drove to their office, an open and inviting space in Tam Junction, walked in the door, and saw Steve and Imee working with a handful of young athletes. They got me in right on time. They knew what they were talking about. They knew what I needed to do to fully recover. They did a great job of explaining everything I needed to do. In short, it was the best experience I could hope for.
These folks truly understand the needs of athletes. I can confidently say «Woohoo! As good as it gets!».

I have never had physical therapy before and I needed it for a frozen shoulder and some hip pain. I worked with Imee Harsuvanakit for three months or so. She is amazing. She explained exactly what she was doing and why, and she gave me useful stretches and exercises to do at home. Physical therapy is not comfortable but Imee is a very interesting, upbeat, responsive, funny person who kept my mind off what she was doing with a great stream of conversation. She goes above and beyond too; one day my stepson came and did an information interview with Imee while she worked on my shoulder. He learned a great deal about her profession. And then he went in for physical therapy with her himself a month later!
Carly in the front office is as friendly and helpful as possible. She takes the irksome job of figuring out the insurance angle on for you. She kept me informed and also troubleshot – for example I didn’t realize that with the new fiscal year my co-​payments would change for awhile. It’s awesome to have someone so proactive contending with the paperwork. I agree with the other reviewers here – once you’re done you feel as if you’re leaving good new friends. I recommend Renew Physical Therapy without reservation.

This was my first and only experience with physical therapy, so I have no basis of comparison. With that being said, I have nothing but praise for the folks and operation at Renew Physical Therapy.
In late June I hurt myself pretty badly when skating down a hill that was apparently too steep; I was going entirely too fast and tried to bail out in a driveway but lost control, spun around and did a belly-​flop on the asphalt. I didn’t break anything but had tremendous pain in my chest and abdomen for weeks, and also bruised two discs in my lower spine. Even after the pain in my chest subsided I had difficulty walking upright or even standing up straight due to the condition of my back. At the recommendation of my doctor I went to Renew for corrective therapy.
After about a month of sessions with Steve (owner) and Ali (one of the therapists) I am freely standing, walking, running and even lifting weights without any pain! I am sure that due to the nature of my injury it was only a matter of time before I would be back to normal, but I am equally certain that my sessions at Renew had dramatically increased my recovery rate.
Not only did Steve and Ali demonstrate expertise within their craft, they are great people as well. Every session felt more like a regular get-​together with friends than a health-​related appointment. We regularly shared great conversation and laughs, and I simply cannot imagine feeling more comfortable anywhere else. My last session in which I was discharged was bittersweet because while I was officially «healed», I wasn’t going to be seeing my friends at Renew as part of my weekly routine any longer.
I must also acknowledge Carly at the front desk, whose professionalism and friendliness was right on par with that of Steve and Ali. Not only was she always smiling and engaging me in conversation while I was waiting, but she went above and beyond one day when she asked how I was doing as I walked in and I explained that I was starving because I had to skip lunch due to madness at work. Without hesitation she handed me a menu for the café next door (Café Del Sol, which turned out to be really, really good) and offered to place an order for me ten minutes prior to the end of my session. She did as promised, and it was very helpful to chow down immediately after my session.
I am grateful for my wonderful experience at Renew Physical Therapy and will make it a point to pop-​in every now and then to see how my new buddies are doing. :-)