Physiotherapy Associates

This is unlike any other medical help that I’ve ever received — Chelsea, Yousef, and the rest of the staff are professional, warm, dedicated, and positive people who constantly work to help put your body back together. Yousef was able to pinpoint precisely what needed focus, and this had been missed by other physical therapists, much to my frustration. He and Chelsea gave me great support throughout the process of healing and regaining my strength. Chelsea especially is very kind, a terrific listener, and knows exactly how hard to push me to get me to perform at my top level. I could not endorse this facility and the people here any stronger.

I am so thankful and appreciative for the entire staff of this place! Everyone from the girls at the front desk– to the assistants who help you through your workouts are AWESOME! I have to give some MAJOR and SERIOUS props to two therapists in particular– TANYA AND KEVIN!
About 8 months ago, I herniated a disc in my back and really screwed it up bad. I thought for sure that surgery was going to be my only option. My surgeon sent me here to receive therapy, but told me that he’s ready to operate whenever I feel that I am ready. When I walked into Physiotherapy & Associates for the first time, I could not even stand up straight– and it was very painful to walk. Thanks to Kevin and Tanya, I am walking, running, swimming, biking, weight-​lifting, hiking, and working on increasing my activity each week… And I didn’t have to have surgery!
Tanya and Kevin are more than just amazing Therapists– they are great people. They become your friends. They really care about you, and get to know you as a person. They are interested in what you hope to be doing in your life– and focus week after week on meeting your personal goals. They give you the encouragement and guidance to keep you going. What could have easily became something that felt like a big chore, going to Physiotherapy & Associates, and working with Tanya and Kevin became something that I looked forward to. They were always fun to be around, and made sure that I always left feeling great. I will miss these guys!
Kevin discharged me today– and I literally could not have jumped over this major hurdle in my life without the team here at Physio. He made sure that I left knowing how to care for myself, and manage my own progress– into the future. He showed me how to handle everyday life situations, and how to keep the therapy going at home. I will miss these guys and I am forever grateful, and encourage anyone considering therapy for any reason to look no further. These guys are the real deal. It’s worth a commute from anywhere in San Diego.

The entire team at Physiotherapy Associates is AMAZING! I fought with persistent Achilles tendonitis for the past several months and with a subsequent back injury from overcompensation. I am an avid distance runner and swimmer. Not being able to exercise nearly drove me insane. My therapists Chelsea and Yousef gave me the tools, the guidance, and the encouragement I needed to recover.
Chelsea and Yousef were always accommodating to my work schedule. They made sure I stayed on track with my recovery, even if that meant opening the clinic at 5:30am for an early morning visit. My therapists expertly guided me forward, helping me to push the envelope when the time was right. I was given homework and a personalized running schedule to ease myself back into my old routine. I should also note here, and I’m sure many athletes can relate, that there were a few occasions when I advanced my exercise routine sooner than advised. I was never reprimanded for doing so. Instead, was given the emotional support when I pushed too far to get back on task. Rex and Eric were enthusiastic assistants. They were always on point with my strengthening exercises. Their upbeat attitudes were contagious. The young ladies at the receptionist desk were equally exceptional.
When you walk into the office and everyone knows you by name. You know that you are being well cared for from every angle. I am not only recovered from my injuries, I am stronger than I was at the start. I highly recommend this exceptional group. I am a healthcare professional myself and I can say, with confidence, that your health is good hands with Physiotherapy Associates.

Superb and caring therapy
Helped me come back from a heavy duty bilateral knee replacement surgery
Ask for Yousef

I was seeing my physical therapist Yousef when injured for approximately 7 years and he has always done wonders to bring me back to health. Unfortunately I was injured in an accident about a year and a half ago and my attorney referred me to a physical therapist he knew and they help a little, but I still had a lot of pain so I decided to see Yousef because I know he will get to the roof of the problem and help me to my road to recover. I really recommend him.
Vonda

Yousef was a wonderful therapist that I learned a lot from on how to heal my shoulder pain. His techniques were very effective in quickly resolving my issue. He seemed very knowledgable and kind. If I had any other issues with pain I would definitely go back to him for therapy. The secretary was very pleasant and accommodating with the scheduling. Eric and Rex were wonderful assistants with my care as well. If you need PT and live in central San Diego, check this place out.

Unfortunately for me, I have had my share of injuries, including chronic back problems that have required medical intervention including PT.
FORTUNATELY for me, during my recent back injury, I found Yousef Ghandour. Yousef has a unique ability to asses, diagnose and treat your ailment. He has improved my back situation beyond where anyone else has been able to. Additionally, he gives you homework (exercises) to take with you so that you can things moving forward. I highly recommend Yousef.
Also, the staff at Physiotherapy Associates is great. Everyone is very friendly and they keep you on track doing your exercises.

What’s worse than having knee replacement surgery? Having a horrible physical therapist. Lucky for me, I had the BEST EXPERIENCE EVER with Yousef Ghandour of Physiotherapy Associates in UTC. 3.5 months of weekly therapy with his expertise and skill is, I believe, the reason my healing went so smoothly during the critical period immediately following surgery. It’s also the reason I believe it will continue to do so.
Yousef put up with my weekly whining and angst — he got me to and through the most difficult parts immediately following my surgery, and gave me great guidance, encouragement and assurances for going forward.
In addition, the entire office staff is friendly, helpful and fun. I often didn’t want to leave after my session was over — it seemed like it would be more fun to hang out with this group than go to my own job!
Don’t short change yourself or your healing — you only get one shot at getting it right. Choosing Physiotherapy Associates ensures you won’t get it wrong.

Yusef it wonderful. Spent a lot of time during my initial appointment to truly understand my needs and then took a lot of time to make sure I understood what was wrong. Each additional appointment has been good and attentive. Even has early, 6 am, appointments which accommodates my schedule.

These guys are fantastic. I dislocated my shoulder several years ago and it has never been the same. I am an avid rock climber and this became a serious issue for me in the last year. My shoulder was weak and instable and there was restricted blood flow to my whole arm due to muscle imbalances.
After a couple months with these guys, my shoulder is stronger than ever and climbing great. Thank you again!

I went go to Physiotherapy Associates for a severe high-​ankle sprain that I got playing indoor volleyball. How severe? I was on the cover of «Cankle Monthly» twice during recovery. I would have been «Cankle of the Year» if it wasn’t for that guy two States over that puts gravy in his cereal. Now, those were cankles!
My therapist was Michelle with help from Jackie. Both are very cool and were a big part of my recovery. They take their time to learn about your injury and talk you through what you can expect during your rehabilitation. I never felt uncomfortable asking questions and I knew they wouldn’t do anything to put me at risk of further injury with my exercises. Michelle, on more than one occasion, adjusted her schedule to accommodate mine which was always appreciated.
When your doctor opens up a conversation with «Your ankle is a mess» while he reads the MRI results, you know you’ve got something pretty special. With Michelle’s help, I’m back to biking, running and jumping in my activities.
The office is very friendly and filled with people who like what they do; which makes going there less stressful. I would loudly brag when I was given a new, and more advanced, exercise and they would reward me with undeserved appreciation. While I recognize sarcasm when I hear it, I choose to accept it as actual heartfelt praise.
I hope I never need their services again, but I would recommend them, and Physiotherapy Associates, to anyone.

I came here after I had torn my ACL and had patellar reconstructive surgery. Michelle was my physical therapist and I honestly cannot say enough good things about her.
She was very knowledgable about what exercises to do in order to get back to my pre-​surgery self. She came up with creative exercises that really tested my limits, but made them fun. The entire staff is amazing and genuinely care (something that is hard to come by these days). Michelle accommodated my schedule, which is something I am very thankful for.
Ask for Michelle! She’s the best!

I am not sure how to rate a «ZERO» for this place so they are getting a single star default.
I went here twice, brand new facility and new equipment… i’ll stop there, as nothing positive following new equipment.
The therapist (Renee) was unqualified, the service was brief, 40 minutes yet I see my insurance company was billed for an hour.
I was put in the hospital by the therapist, emergency room the next morning as the movements she had me do were WAY to aggressive. I received a deep tissue massage in the shoulder which led to severe spasms and discomfort in my chest area (place of original injury).
I could write about this place for days. The billing department called me everyday on my cellular phone asking for $ 60 after they had received over 1500 after only two visits. AND to make matters worse, my emergency room visit Saturday morning at 4:30 am, approximately 12 hours after the last time I stepped foot into their facility.
Overall review: unprofessional, overpriced and aggressively persistent about $ 60 dollar leftover co-​pay after the PT put me in the hospital.
My phone call to her after the injury resulted in a text message from her which stated
«Joe, I apologize for your pain, however I cannot help you, I suggest you go to the hospital»…
Had I more time and had an attorney been willing to take on this as a case to sue this company, I would have gone to court as my emergency room bill was well over $ 1500.
DONT GO HERE!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOUUUUUUU Mr. Yousef for being the BEST at what you do.
I feel on top of the world! It blows me away to know I’ve been to Kaiser Ortho (Physical Therapy) for months about my pain and reoccurring issue and never felt the results I felt after ONE session with you! I want to express how grateful I am having you as my therapist. I also want to recognize your amazing team… WOW~ I walked in the door and felt as if I were family, a returning client, a regular feel great friend.
Dearest Pat… Thank YOU for being so pleasant. sweet and helpful. I will be back for my second session and CAN’T WAIT!
Thank YOU again from the bottom of my heart for listening and helping me feel like myself. You have truly made a difference:).
Sincerely and MUCH APPRECIATION,
Tuni B. Gazale

I am eternally grateful for Yousef at Physiotherapy Associates. When I was referred to him, it was a last resort for my left knee and leg I have had 8 surgeries including 3 knee replacements in the past 6 years and my leg was so painful and nearly useless. I had gone to Dr. McBride and asked him about amputating my left leg. I am now 35 treatments out and am able to walk, bend and go to the gym once again, with my leg. I have had lots of PT in my life, but nothing like this. The attention to details, each muscle and how it works in my leg has been isolated and worked on. I am not done yet, this is going to be a life long healing process. The amount of hope I have today is amazing compared to where I was when I limped in. The other part of this, is I have paid for each session by myself as I no longer am insured and this has been worth each and every penny. To have my leg back working is a complete miracle and Yousef is the man. I adore him. Bless you Yousef.
The entire staff is warm and caring, it is a family environment and encouragement comes from all sides, the staff and the other patients.

Being athletic and due to four shoulder surgeries and numerous other injuries I have been going to physical therapy for many years and have worked with over a dozen physical therapists (PT).
The PT plays an important role in the rehabilitation of injuries and post operation recovery and may be the difference between a lifetime of pain or freedom. Do your research and select the right one. I had to go out of my health insurance net work and pay a much higher deductible, but believe me for a good PT its is worth it. If you like recommendation from a long term rehab expert, here is my recommendation:

Dr. Yousef Ghandour of Physiotherapy Associates in La Jolla is the best therapist I had experienced and here is why:
* He is very professional and extremely knowledgeable and up-​to date with the newest methods and techniques, as he teaches and trains other PT’s.
* He has a terrific personality and puts you at ease immediately upon meeting him and he really cares about his patients and knows how to motivate them to work very hard to get better. He is great with all of his patients young and old.
* During the first visit and assessment he determines the underlying issue causing the pain. He explains the problem and also what he is going to do to remedy your situation, how long it may take and sets goals and assess them periodically.
* He really listens then creates a personalized therapies, modalities and exercises to do at home to complement the work done together in the clinic. He gives you his undivided attention during your session unlike most PT’s I had.
* Yousef has created an atmosphere that heals the body and the spirit. Even after a hard work out, you leave the center with a smile on your face.
* Yousef makes you smile and laugh even when you’re in pain or having a bad day. He gives me the determination to recover and to never give up! I always feel happy to be there from the moment I enter the building, the atmosphere is very relaxed and friendly. The entire staff is top notch. I always receive a warm welcome and from there things just get better.
* Yousef is a truly nice and genuine person and has made his business something absolutely amazing and special. He is simply the best of the best.
I usually don’t write reviews like this, but I felt so appreciative that I wanted everyone to know about this special place and individual. Words can not express how grateful I am for all the help I’ve received.

My orthopedic doctor wrote me a prescription specifically for Dr. Yousef at Physiotherapy Associates when I began having recurring knee pains while running. I have been going twice a week for the past month, and Dr. Yousef, along with the entire staff at Physiotherapy Associates, is excellent. I love that anytime I call their office, I immediately speak with a real person – not a machine.
I explained my running background to Yousef, and he was able to diagnose my knee pains and explain to me what was causing the strain on my joints. He has a very methodical approach to physical therapy: make sure the patient understands what causes the pain, explain the methods and exercises to strengthen the affected muscles back to full strength, and ensure that the patient understands how to continue on without pain in future exercising/​usage of the body. Yousef has given me lots of exercise and stretches to do on my own at home on a daily basis to continue improving my condition.
Typically, my appointments take about 90 minutes: 30 minutes of consultation/​manual therapy on the affected muscles, and about an hour of strengthening exercises on various machines or with specific equipment. The manual therapy does wonders for your muscles. My IT band was incredibly tight and strained, but Yousef did a great job stretching it out. [Also, the foam rollers they sell are fantastic, and not overly priced.] At the end of the appointment, most patients have their pain-​affected area iced while electrical stimulation therapy is applied. [This is one of my favorite parts after a tough workout on my leg muscles.]
Some things I would keep in mind:
–The hour of self-​regulated exercising can vary in length depending on how busy the place is at the time you go. I prefer to go early in the morning and have my choice of machines.
–Dr. Yousef tends to book up really quickly. You can make appointments a few weeks in advance if you know your schedule, and this ensures you get in enough visits every week.
–If you can, park on the street. They validate an hour of parking in the garage below, but like I said, appointments usually take ~90 minutes, and the garage charges $ 1 per every 20 minutes. This is another perk of going very early in the morning; you can park on the street and then use their outdoor entrance.
After a month of going twice a week, my legs are doing better than they ever have, and I’m back to running high mileages multiple times a week without any knee pain. What more could a runner ask for?

Dr. Yousef is the best PT I have ever been to. I have IT band syndrome which caused lot of trouble for my running. After reading some good reviews in Unilocal,I went and met Dr. Yousef. He not only taught me the exercises which will help me with IT band syndrome but also taught me different stretches which I can do before running. Even though I am not completely back to where I was before, I am lot better and able to do couple of good runnings every week. Thanks to him!
He is very kind and spends enough time with the patients. He never tries to sell any products from his office. But if you are looking for a foam roller, the best you can get for very cheap price is from him. He has this very long and very think foam roller for only 28 dollars. The ones I bought in store for the same price are very short and soft and never helped me.
I strongly recommend him for any of your PT needs.

Yousef is the man! for anyone who needs a top notch physical therapist, his office is the one to visit. Yousef is an EXPERT on how the human body gets injured and can be repaired. I would return to his office in a heart beat if I ever needed more physical therapy.
As for parking, they do validate but I recommend parking on the street. It’s always free.

These guys are GREAT. My doc, Karen Anderson, recommended Yusef to rebuild me. We can make him better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster. (credit: Six Million Dollar Man)
Yusef is the main man, he books up fast, over the course of 20+ sessions I met with Yusef, Tanya and Laura. I recommend all three, they know the break (no pun intended) down of the body, bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles.
Everyone is personable and friendly, you share stories over the course of weeks or months. Always professional, mindset on the end goal — maximizing quality of life — successfully rehabilitation.
One visit Yusef pushed so hard into my leg I thought I was going to bite a hole into the pillow, he sarcastically mentioned now his thumb was in pain, and sore. Funny Guy. Glad the pain is two fold ;p This was exactly what I needed that particular visit, my tendons started to fire again and walking was easier although I was still sore days later. Amazing.
Don’t forget, they also validate for underground parking.