This clinic wasn't a good fit for my needs. I felt the therapist inappropriately evaluated me with doing a quick physical that lasted only a few minutes and didn't seem knowledgeable about my medical conditions. I have multiple systemic chronic injuries, and the approach here over focused on isolated issues rather than treating the body as an interconnected system. The layout is also something to be aware of. The front desk, waiting area, and treatment space are all in one compact room, with massage tables placed extremely close together, less than my petite wingspan apart. It was also quite noisy. I could hear everything happening around me. read more

This place is a PT mill. I strongly advise that you look into other clinics if you need actual physical therapy. First off: I was a physical therapy aide for years and I was not qualified to treat patients without a physical therapist present or if they were not within close ear shot. I have worked in and have been treated by many clinics and what they are doing in that place is illegal, and they know it. I recently had a revision hip surgery and since this place was close to my home, I booked an evaluation for 7 days post-op. When I called a week or so before my evaluation, I spoke to the front desk staff to book subsequent appointments as my protocol called for 1-2 times per week. The woman I spoke to told me that my following appointments would be with an aide. I kept asking if I would see the physical therapist before the aide and she kept saying, yes, but only the first appointment, then just with the aide. I honestly thought it was a language barrier issue, and I know how physical therapy is supposed to work, so I just made the appointments. On the day I showed up for my evaluation, the clinic was packed. At least a dozen patients at 7:30am (they opened at 7am), and it seemed very chaotic. Most of the tables had patients on them and they were clearly unsupervised. I just assumed that they had several PTs (or Physical Therapy Assistants; which are very different than aides) on staff, which was NOT the case, as I've come to find out. Twenty minutes into my appointment time, I was taken to a table to wait for the PT. Simon came out of his back office and spent at maximum 1-2 minutes with me. He never checked my incisions, did no physical evaluation of any kind, and after a few unsavory comments, he went back to his office (never saw him again). The aide then attempted to help me get on the bike, but she had no idea what she was doing and I wound up hoisting myself up on the bike, which put me at risk for a fall (fortunately, I did not). She left me there unattended and I had to get someone's attention to get me off after just sitting there for at least 5 minutes after the timer went off. When I got back to the table, the same girl told me she was going to go in back to check out my protocol. She returned and said that she was now going to put me through some exercises. This is when I truly knew that something was REALLY wrong with this place. I asked if she was an aide, assistant, or PT, and she answered she was an aide. I asked her if Simon was going to continue with the evaluation and she said no, and that she was going to do it. She said that this was how they do it and I could feel that even she knew that this was wrong. That's when I told her that this was not okay and I discontinued my session and left. Shortly after I arrived back home, I called them and canceled my appointments. The physical therapists on their website have not worked for them since 2021. Simon has lied on my medical record since the visit and has made a false claim with my insurance company. Luckily, I was able to find another clinic that could see me on short notice and I know that I am getting the real care that I need after surgery. read more

hi i came here to get my back worked on after my surgery and they got me back to normal and i haven't pain since there employees are very helpful and care about your health they are wonderful there if something ever happens again to myself i will go there no doubt read more

Front desk and the PT assistant was nice but the experience was uncomfortable. It was extremely crowded, did not feel clean, and the PT/owner spent just minutes with me. I was sent home with a rubber band. I did not return and found a far superior physical therapy location that I was happy with. read more

Where do I even begin? Whew for the last 6 months I have been coming here for PT.. Simon and his staff put me back together like the story of Humpty Dumpty.. my first day I came in and tears, I was in the worst pain of my life.. As soon as I signed the consent for treatment I was seen right away.. it was so embarrassing I'm crying screaming in pain and the whole room is just staring at me.. Simon just ignored it and got to work asap..Even reached out to my doctor about my treatment plan.. A week later I had pain meds and a referral for acupuncture.. I have felt nothing but genuine love comfort support form every single staff member.. its rare u have a team on the same page but here everyone is on the same page paragraph and sentence.. loading you with knowledge .. extending grace kindness and compassion.. Giving a gentle push but at the same time working with you at your pace.. and with a bomb playlist to work out to. Even on the busiest days the service never changes..mostly importantly it's clean they clean each station after use.. there is a private area with curtains if you need privacy.. water fountain and bathroom to use.. mask have to be worn at all times.. my only advice would be to schedule appointments as soon as you know your availability free parking in the back.. read more

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I can't even get these folks to answer the phone so I can make an appointment. A FIRST appointment. WONDERFUL first impression, eh? I've been calling for days on end, at different times, and I keep getting their voicemail. They shut down their Fruitvale location, even though it was pretty new, it seemed, and their automated message ALSO says Montclair is the ONLY location now... and no one will answer the phone. This is not how you run a business. Wish I could rate negative stars. read more

I had a great experience with the staff. Shannon contacted me to make an appointment and she was friendly and accommodating. They are responsive to my emails and answered when I called. Had to cancel my appointment because my injury resolved itself and they were very understanding about it. I plan to go there if I ever need PT again. read more

The people working here are nice and they seem knowledgeable. If I could divide the review into two ratings - one for administrative and one of treatment the admin one would be zero stars. Montclair PT (aka active method) uses a company called momentum billing to process payments and send invoices. These people totally suck. I paid my bills, showed evidence of cashed checks, spoke to reps on the phone and 2 months later they are still sending me bills that are incorrect and do not reflect my payments. Montclair PT is also sending incorrect bills and they sent me back to momentum to deal with the problem. This is so incredibly frustrating and massively unprofessional. It is a terrible look for an otherwise fine business. read more

The only way to contact them is in person. There phone numbers are fake, you could call 50 times a day and no one would ever answer. If you try and email Simon, it fails, as their mail account is inactive. No way to contact anyone ever. This place is f--ing hell hole. Avoid at all costs! read more

Came in today 1/24/2020 for my last visit. Under Alex and Sabrina's tag team approach, my knee is truly bionic! My range of motion has increased by leaps and bounds. I pushed myself to do more, harder and faster than what was expected and required. Like the rest of the staff, Sabrina and Alex always behave like they enjoy what they do and you can tell by their level of passion and patient deliverables. I work in the HR field and I am always flabbergasted by staff who always appear to be happy being at work and giving 100 percent each and every time. The front end staff are very pleasant as well and always go the extra mile. Most importantly, they clean the tables and machines after each patient use. I'm OCD and that helps to calm my insecurities regarding germs and filth. The bathrooms are also very clean and they wash and dry towels onsite. Thank you!!! I'm hoping to need therapy again just to use them again! read more

Active Method Physical Therapy - I love being the first but don't mind being last either! - Physical Therapy Near Me - Oakland, California

During my initial visit I saw physical therapist Simon Gibson for approx. 3-4 mins. at the beginning of the visit where he took a brief history from me. After speaking to me, he retreated to his private office and that was the only time I saw Mr. Gibson; the balance of my visit I was working with a physical therapy aide. Note that a physical therapy aide is not a licensed or degreed practitioner and they are not legally allowed to work with patients except under the direct supervision of a licensed physical therapist. My second visit was the following week and I worked only with the aide. Not only did I not see or speak to Mr. Gibson, the only time he came out of the office during my time there (07:40 to 08:30) was once to briefly speak to someone at the front desk. He never spoke or attended to any of the several other patients there at the time. At no time during either of my visits was there an aide or other employee observing my exercises to make sure I was doing them correctly. No one ever asked if the exercises were causing me any problems. During my follow-up visit, no one ever asked how I had been doing since my previous visit, or if I had had any issues while doing my exercises. Not only is this type of practice dangerous because patients are not being observed by a licensed practitioner, it is fraudulent to charge for services when the licensed practitioner does not even see the patient. Per the California Dept. of Consumer Affairs, "When services are provided by a physical therapy aide, the supervising physical therapist shall at some point during the treatment day, provide direct service to the patient as treatment for the patient's condition, or to further evaluate and monitor the patient's progress, and shall correspondingly document the patient's record." read more

Enjoyed my time here, knowledgable staff and helped me with some advice on an injury that was not ordered by my insurance. Staff were nice and courteous. Exercises offered for my golfers elbow and support tape seem to help. At least for now and in recovery I know it is my responsibility of what I continue to do outside the office that matters. read more

Don't even try to go here. They refuse to return your calls and they're not open per the hours listed on the door when you try to go in person to get answers. read more

I took my teen son, who is an athlete, because he sprained his ankle (light fracture) during an AAU tournament and was ready for physical therapy after 4-5 weeks on crutches. I was extremely impressed to see the level of time the PTs took w my son. Conversing with him and also thoroughly checking his foot. I saw the same care with all the patients that were there that day, from all backgrounds and ages. The mood was light and was not stuffy at all, definitely a community feeling. read more

They NEVER answer the phone. The outgoing voicemail is generic so you don't even know if you have reached the correct place. They don't return calls. Good Luck. read more

I want to thank this awesome establishment for my PT treatment. My experience at Active Method has been so positive I just have to share. First, I want to thank the wonderful owner/CEO Simon Gibson. Simon is professional, experienced, kind, gentle, optimistic and all around mensch for the way I've been treated. His staff is exactly the same. Excellent people who care and are so helpful. Everyone there is positive, kind and cheerful. It's really great when you aren't feeling well because I always leave feeling better than when I came. If you are looking for treatment, look no further. I highly recommend the skilled staff and owner. I feel very lucky to get to have my treatment here. Thank you everyone at Active Method! You're the best!! read more

I am a "if you can't say anything nice" kind of person- life is too short to invest too much time complaining, but every now and then you have to do what you can to spare someone else the headaches. The receptionist is extremely unpleasant, not overtly rude so there will never be a reason to fire her but just as unhelpful as she can be without giving cause to be dismissed. So I am on crutches with a ruptured Achilles and their website, their Google listing and Yahoo search lists Medau St as their primary location. In three discussions with them the reality that this office was closed was never mentioned- The office still has signage out front but there were tables and chairs blocking the path to the entrance and while trying to get to the front door (to read the small sign telling customers to go to Fruitvale) I feel on one of the chairs and ruptured a suture. I called their Fruitville location to say that I was running late because I went to their Montclair location that was on their website and Google listing. In the same world one might have expected a modest apology and maybe just a sincere one. But of course no apology was offered I was asked "Oh so you're at the Montclair office?" in a voice dripping with hostility, and I informed her that there actually was no Montclair office. "What do you mean by that??". Me: "well what do you think I mean by that it has been shut down?" "Well If you are going to be rude I can hang up now". At this point I'm in a lot of pain and overall I think I'm being extremely patient all things considered but I did let her know that I didn't mean to be rude I was only calling to see if it was OK that I was running late (no blaming etc). I started driving to that location and at that point my leg started to really hurt and so I decided to go to urgent care instead where I got the bad news. 1) would be a good idea to update the website to let clients know that your primary business site is closed 2) advise employees to confirm with clients that they know that the Montclair location is out of business 3) I know it is difficult to find good people but I would urge Business owners to spend a minute listening to how their employees engage with the public. Pretty much every job in America requires some kind of level of customer service whether you're a heart surgeon or barista, I would encourage anyone who is hoping to have a good professional life to remember that. read more

Active Method Physical Therapy - Physical Therapy Near Me - Oakland, California

I am attending their pt and I noticed that clients are standing outside who have appts. At 1 15 or after. The doors should open at one to accommodate the clients during the change of season and #COVID19. Compassion is crucial! read more

I'll say this...my joints were acting up again and my doc recommended PT, I said sure. Went to this place (thought it was new), saw the staff and realized it was the one that I previously went to (had a different name/location back in the late aughts). Went back to my doc and ask for another place to do PT. That was 14 years ago, but my memory is still good. read more

ZERO, ZERO STARS. This place is a joke. A total clown show. No idea why anyone would give any stars for this dump. Took about 2 months to finally get an appointment. After 15 phone calls leaving voicemail every time because no one EVER answered the phone, 2 faxed referrals from my doctor and 2 emails to Isabel (who never returned or confirmed ANY faxes or emails and only returned 2 of the vm.) I finally got a call back from her. She said she never received them - which is a lie. She said I could bring a hardcopy of the referral to them. She didn't flipping' bother to tell me that their Montclair location was permanently closed and has been for a long time. Their website still has the location on it. I gave her my insurance information and she confirmed they were in network. My insurance, Healthnet, has them as a provider, taking my insurance. Finally made an appointment. Got there only to have her tell me I had to pay cash - they were out of network. Just 3 days before she said they were 'In Network'. The place is very dumping looking with really old equipment. Maybe it's best they didn't take my insurance. What a SH*TSHOW!!! Not sure who claim to be the owner of such a crappy business. read more

I was inappropriately touched by Simon Gibson, the owner of Montclair Physical Therapy, during my therapy session. When I objected, he became agitated and rude and told me I had no idea what appropriate touch is.  I can't believe I saw little girls there. read more

It is absolutely impossible to make an appointment. I've left messages, emailed, submitted requests via their website. My doctors office called and faxed the referral. One month has passed and I still don't have an appointment. read more

** I thought the name of this place was Montclair, but it's the same address, so I'm assuming it's the same business with a new name. I don't know how they are legally even calling this physical therapy, REAL physical therapy involves a lot of 1-on-1 time to 1) learn the problem before suggesting exercises (so they know what you need and what might injure you. 2) It's also critical for physical therapists to watch you do the exercises, because doing them incorrectly can cause significant damage. (I'm speaking from experience. I was a competitive athlete and have spent A LOT of my life in physical therapy/sports med.) I talked to the (very friendly) PT for about 30 seconds. They told me to do an exercise I new was not appropriate for my injury (tried it anyway and was sore for days) then walked away. I thought maybe this was an off day, so I called to ask if I'd be getting the attention of the physical therapist and told them that I don't think it's OK to just leave people with injuries to their own devices (I would have been better off researching back exercises and looking in a mirror!) If you like this place, it's because the main guy is super friendly and gives off the impression that what he's doing is fine and normal. IT IS NOT. What happens here in no way even resembles actual physical therapy and their reckless "methods" (if you can even call them that) are going to make some people much, much worse than when they started. It's irresponsible nonsense. There should be a legal definition of what PT is and what providers must give patients. This place would barely qualify as a self-guided gym. I've very literally been to at least 100 PT places and this one is BY FAR the worst. I really don't understand the con they are playing to get insurance to pay for nothing at best and likely serious bodily harm! THIS IS NOT HOW PT WORKS AND I HONESTLY FEEL VERY SORRY FOR THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW BETTER! The staff seemed nice. But nice staff does not equal appropriate care. read more

will NEVER go back! F'vale building was completely packed each time with no fresh air or ventilation. Overbooked so my pt never showed and I ended up walking out. Nobody asked why or bothered to follow up. Not worth the risk of getting corona to be packed into a building like sardines in a can then be ignored . read more

I just had a scary experience at Active Method. I feel it's important to let others know. Simon, the owner, screamed at me with his finger in my face to leave. I left frightened and in tears. I'm honestly floored that just happened. I'd been coming in for several weeks 1-2x/week. I had to cancel one appnt so I tried calling/texting to reschedule. Communication there is awful. Finally someone called me back to reschedule & she said I could come in April 7 which is 9 days away and there are no other appnts. I was in the middle of saying on my regular Monday appnts Simon has been just telling me to come back Wednesdays at 7am so I was asking if I couldn't possibly come in then... she HUNG UP ON ME. I am 48 years old and I know when someone hangs up. Also, if she hadn't wouldn't she have called back considering I was in the middle of a sentence and no appnt was rescheduled? In no way did my question warrant a hang up. Do people still hang up on people anyways?? I headed over (20 min drive no call back) to speak to Simon, explain what happened and hopefully reschedule. His fuse went short QUICKLY telling me sharply to GET OVER THERE TO A TABLE and I'll help you now then!! I said I couldnt bc I had work this morning plus he was agressive and scary. I calmly said I would really appreciate an apology from the girl at the front desk. Then he began yelling that he KNEW she didn't hang up on mean he did NOT CARE if she did and to GET OUT GET OUT!! The entire place heard this it was CRAZY. That place is a mess. Extremely unprofessional. Every time I went in it was clear the PT's are in training or something. I'd ask questions about my pain or therapy as things WEREN'T ADDING UP and it was always... umm let me have Simon answer that. The whole thing was bizarre. I'd stay away from this place. And now mid PT with my injury I need to find another PT. I reported them to my insurance. read more

This place is awesome! The entire staff is A1. They are so kind, down to earth and professional all at the same time. They remembered my name. I always look forward to coming. I ALWAYS feel better when I leave. They work well together. They music is diverse and always a vibe. Olivia, Henry, Luca and the gang are the greatest. Their energy is always consistent. They try a variety of exercises. The wait time is very minimal. They always update me on my appointments via text. Scheduling and rescheduling is always a breeze. Love this place. I leave feeling my best because the WHOLE team give their best. Thank you all a million times. read more

Horrible. Very unhappy with treatment I received by admin. They had my appointment for three weeks and called me a day prior to cancel due to clerical issue. They could have notified me a week or even a few days earlier. Not happy. read more

They never answer their phone. I've also been to several sessions and have only ever met my physical therapist once. The "assistant" just kinda has you do the same things the Physical Therapist assigned you the one time they saw you, indefinitely. There are better places to seek physical therapy. read more

yesterday 9/27/22 @ 9:00 am i arrived for my usual 45 min visits appointment. i had been told that the schedule had changed due to being packed (over crowded) so i wasn't given two days a week. instead i started having one day a week. after my appointment was over i was then told it was my last day..so i asked for my scheduled visits and notes. long story short...big blow up..why would i need to argue about this...why??? first they said i had to wait for the owner or something, but he was in a meeting and they had no time frame for me. why am i waiting for this again??? i say i can wait..i then by the manager jeff then said it would take 24 hours...???? here comes the owner with attitude..mad because i decided to wait..it only had been 10-15 minutes since the(fake) meeting he was in...he gave me the first printed out print out..it only had 15 min visits???? he being so angry shoved the paper to me and told me to leave..i refused..he acted as if he was calling the cops...all this cause i want my schedule and notes..i decided to wait for them too. this is ridiculous...to say the least...the manager jeff comes over to hand me the print out that they said would take 24 hrs to get together...first off on my supposed last day i finally get information/ instructions on how to properly do these exercises for my left arm..to much going on here..this place be packed (all the time) it's more going on here..i just received text messages saying i have two more appointments..9/28/22 & 9/29/22 ????.. then going over my paperwork they said i couldn't walk long distance couldn't carry,etc some were just lies.. i had two different copies some were original and some were just copies. i had a physical therapy referral twice. the first time i was given original copies. this time i was only given copies..i call 15 minutes before closing..they didn't answer. read more

Active Method Physical Therapy - Physical Therapy Near Me - Oakland, California

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I had 5 visits starting in Nov. 2020. I was having excruciating, shooting pain in my right knee. My Primary Care Physican initially thought I had a meniscus injury & sent me to physical therapy. I worked with Joe who did a thorough "intake evaluation" & gave me a set of exercises to do. He then turned me over to Madison, who monitored me doing the exercises . At the fourth session, Joe concluded that I did not have a meniscus injury, but had an "I band" problem instead. At each step of the way, Joe would pull up images on his laptop to show me what a "meniscus" looked like & what an "I band" looked like. This helped me to visual what my problem was. I Googled "I band" when I went home to learn more about my condition. On the fourth visit, Joe used a heavy massager gun on the tissue around my knee. I was surprised how much the massaging helped. Afterwards, I walked more normally that I had in months. I was very impressed that Joe was such a good diagnostician & was able to pinpoint the problem causing my knee pain & to help me improve. I am really grateful. read more