-Don is the best physical therapist in Los Angeles. I hurt my low back doing Crossfit. I worked with a physical therapist at Back 2 Health for 4 months. My back condition did not get better and the pain increased as time passed. I worked with Don once and my pain went down to nothing. He really did the work to understand my body and what was out of alignment and where the pain was coming from. I will be forever indebted to Don for his amazing fast work on my back. -ZH 4/6/2017
-I have had the "misfortune" of needing the services of Don Nelson and his amazing staff at PRO PT several times in the last 6 years. As an avid outdoorsman and amateur athlete I regularly find myself twisting this, pulling that or in the worst case tearing something.
He has assisted me with recovering from surgery and restoring full mobility and function to my elbow (torn ligament), shoulder (torn tendon and rotator cuff) and knee (meniscus tear). They've also helped to realign my hips and lower back to relieve debilitating back pain from and Don and his team are currently working with me to rehab a torn calf muscle and strained knee.
What I appreciate most about the care I receive is the attention to detail. Pro PT is not the only physical therapy service I have seen in the last 20 years but there is no better I've found. Each time I come in with a new injury, Don spends significant time assessing my body/injury to determine the best course of action. Then, throughout my treatment, he regularly checks my progress and updates the plan accordingly. I believe it is this level of care that has driven my recovery times to be significantly less than anticipated. Additionally the friendly office culture combined with on-time appointment keeping is impressive.
Highly recommended!! A+++++++++. - CA 3/1/2017
-I came to Don seeking a second opinion for an arm injury that was not getting better under the care of a previous physical therapist. Don spent quality time assessing my symptoms and biomechanics. He did great detective work during the assessment resulting in an opinion that there was much more going on than the primary symptoms indicated. He spent additional time investigating his hunch, ultimately suggesting a treatment plan to address my arm (original complaint) and shoulder. I live too far away to see him as needed, unfortunately. So, he then helped me to find a local PT office near me and coordinated his care plan with them to get me started.
Ultimately, his hunches were validated by an orthopedic surgeon who was able to provide injections that are helping speed recovery while following the original plan be laid out. His professionalism and knowledge at the top of his field. And, his commitment to my health drove him to get to the root cause, instead of stopping with the symptoms of the initial complaint (as other PT's had done). So grateful to have had his care and guidance. I highly recommend him and his staff. - A.T. 6/16/2016
-I'm a tough customer for a physical therapist. I am a personal trainer by trade who has worked with some of the best fitness and athletic minds in NY and LA. I've also had 5 orthopedic surgeries (3 knees, shoulder, wrist). When my doctor prescribed physical therapy for my 4 herniated lumbar discs, I was afraid I was heading for my 6th surgery.
I was referred to Don Nelson by a personal trainer colleague. I told Don I wasn't willing to give up my Crossfit training and Olympic lifting and the baseball I play on weekends. Don told me I'd be able to do all these things again without surgery. He gave me homework - a list of exercises and stretches to do each day. Since I have a background in sports training, our sessions were very interactive. Don did research and reached out to the one of the world's top back doctors and provided me with articles to read pertaining to my condition.
After 6 weeks, I was back to my Crossfit workouts. By 10 weeks, I equalled my personal best in the snatch (165 lbs.) twice. The amazing thing is that I did this without the aid of weight belt to support my lower back. (Don pointed me toward the research of Dr. Stuart McGill who cites evidence that shows training with a weight belt to be detrimental, long term). I am 39 years old. I, for one, am amazed I am able to engage in Olympic lifting and Crossfit after my diagnosis and without surgery. I am very grateful to Don and HIGHLY recommend PRO Physical Therapy to anyone in need of rehab for an injury. -D.D 8/12/2012
-After endless years of chronic back pain from scoliosis and arthritis, and several failed attempts at physical therapy (where it caused me more harm than good), one of my specialists referred me to PRO Physical Therapy. After my first visit, I drove home thinking, "There's hope for me yet!" Don Nelson is caring, relentless, funny, and knows more about how the human body works than most doctors. He thinks like a detective, searching out the source of pain, and finding ways to go at it that result in long term fixes as opposed to temporary band aids. I give full credit to Don and his amazing staff for keeping me up and active, and solving physical challenges I thought overwhelming. (Besides this, going to PRO PT is a blast.) I have, and continue to recommend PRO Physical Therapy to anyone dealing with physical challenges. They really are the best! -K.L. 11/15/2011
-As an endurance athlete, both cycling and running, I've had to consult several physical therapists over the years. I've been most happy with Pro PT. Don Nelson, the owner has extensive experience to address about any issue I've had, from knee to hip pain, mostly resulting from a leg-length discrepancy.
Highly recommended for endurance athletes as well as any rehabilitation from any accident / need. -D.Q 11/10/2011
-I would definitely recommend Don Nelson. I had ACL re-constructive surgery 3 years ago because I tore my ACL snowboarding. I went to physical therapy 3 times a week for almost 12 months and still continued to have problems with my patella tendon and overall knee pain and discomfort. I had expected to be 100% mobile and running within 6 months and I still wasn't close to moving at full speed. I decided to switch physical therapy offices and went for consultation at PRO PT with Don. I spent a few months in regular therapy at PRO PT and was running full speed within a matter of weeks after Don isolated the problem in my tendon. He worked to loosen my tendon and alleviate most of the pain I had that was inhibiting me from getting back to my active lifestyle. The training and support staff is friendly, professional, and a pleasure to work with. I now am able to do all the things I love; I play basketball a few times a week, run, golf, and snowboard. Would definitely return. -R.G. 11/10/2011