Alive Physical Therapy

I received an amazing Mayan Abdominal massage session from Mags Mathews a few months back and have been raving about her healing touch, kind intake, and informative sessions to all my doula clients, friends and family members. I learned a lot about my body and the subtle yet easy ways to help maintain balance within the organization of my reproductive organs and digestive organs. Mags is a great practitioner and has a soothing touch. I am looking forward to working with her more and learning more about my body. It has been an incredibly empowering experience.

I recently passed through Nevada City after a lot of time spent in cars while traveling across the country. I had also hurt myself lifting an awkward object a couple of weeks previously. My back was not happy with me. Not at all. It was pretty painful and not in the mood to cooperate with the rest of me.
Margaret took me through me a series of great, thorough stretches and movements and was careful to ensure I maintained good posture /​positioning and that I did not aggravate my injury any more. She clearly knows what she’s doing and was conscientious and thoughtful with an inexperienced person like me.
I learned a lot about breathing, core use and how to stretch, which is very useful to me. She also explained things in a very calm and clear way, which made me feel very comfortable.
After a session with Margaret I felt very relaxed and my back was very happy with me. In fact I was able to help a friend dig stubborn trees out of his garden that same day.
If you’re in the area and need someone to help you with a back injury I would highly recommend you visit Alive Physical Therapy. Your back will thank you too!

I’m a big fan of sweating, because that means I am doing a lot of work and thus losing weight so before seeing Mags, I didn’t think Pilates was that extraneous and I was wrong.
A weekend ago I lucky enough to get a sweet private lesson from Ms. Mags herself.
What I loved about her was her extensive knowledge of the body and how it works. Her past as a dancer has made her practice well-​rounded. She has incredible expertise and patience, plus she brings in a positive and motivating energy that made me work harder.
Her exercises although not too strenuous made my muscles shake like a maraca in Ricky Ricardo’s (Husband of Lucy Ball) band. I’m serious! I was sore the next day.
Another cool thing about Mags, is that she comes from a family of women involved in pre and post natal care. Being around pregnant and post pregnant women all her life, I can imagine she would know more about birthing than the average person out of college. If I become preggos, I’m definitely making my way back there.
If you are visiting Nevada City like I did, schedule an appointment with Mags, you’ll be happy you did!

I have had the pleasure to know Margaret as both a colleague and a patient.
I have been battling IBS an constipation for a long as I can remember. I had difficulty emptying fully with bowel movement and on top of that coccyx or tailbone pain.
She was attentive and thorough with her evaluation. I won’t divulge too much.
I will remark that she spent considerable time which most practitioners this day age are hasty and careless with the examination. She couples her brilliance with a sweet soothing voice when things may seem uncomfortable.
Her manual technique is excellent. She was able to work on my abdomen which has always been sore and tender. She used indirect methods to ease the tension. She was gentle in her pressure which is exactly what I need.
She left me with a thorough explanation of my self exercise so I can treat myself, that way I don’t have to fully rely on her all the time.
As a colleague I know she has been constantly pursuing excellence and mastery in women’s health and being a great manual therapist. She teaches classes, goes to classes, and has a great understanding of exercise and wellness.
Alive PT is the place to go. If you are looking for great care and attention for even your strangest concerns. Many times concerns stem from the body’s tissues being stuck together and it needs the attention of trained professional. She is the one to help you.

I’ve been working with Mags to heal the occasional twisted ankle and to fine-​tune my yoga practice for at least a decade now. It’s such a joy to work with a true multidisciplinary healer. She brings experience in dance, yoga, sexual health, hooping, bodywork, and now, physical therapy to the table every time we work together, so I leave feeling stronger and with more clarity about what I can do to improve my health and self care routines. Stretches Mags taught me 10 years ago still serve me every day, and I learn more every time I see her. I really believe it takes a village to keep each of us feeling healthy and happy. I consider Mags – along with my MD, my acupuncturist, and my wife – to be an integral part of Team Kristy!

I have been doing pilates with Margaret for the past 6 years. Before I started, I didn’t even know what the core was! Now we have regular sessions, building p the core muscles of the body. Every session with Margaret is unique. I am surprised, after all of these years, how she still comes up with new moves! Margaret is very attentive when it comes to body positioning. She makes sure that I am aligned correctly in each move to avoid injuries. Her guided vocals are slow, clear and equipped with colorful metaphors. She is an excellent communicator, which helps me to visualize all the little muscles and positions she wants me to focus on during the session! She asks her students what area of the body we want to work on each week and customizes the session according to our focus, and also our energy level. For example, one week we may be very motivated and end up sweating a storm. The other week we may have just had a big pie lunch and we have a session more focused on stretching and weights. No matter what, i always feel the adrenaline pumping up my body for a motivated and energized day! Margaret is a very positive, caring and attentive teacher.