BreakThrough Physical Therapy, Sunnyvale, - one word, FANTASTIC !! I had endured excruciating pain in my arm for 6-7 months to the point where I could not rest my chin on my elbow or even put the weight of my arm on my elbow, tried pain killers for another couple of months which provided temporary relief but caused complications of their own. To put it in perspective the pain was worse than when I had broken my hand in younger days. Then it was recommended that I try physical therapy and fortunately was referred to BreakThrough Physical Therapy in Sunnyvale. I started physical therapy mid-June under the treatment of Irina Stiasny. At my very first visit, it was very apparent that Irina knew exactly what she was doing and why. The high level of confidence she displayed was extremely comforting. She assigned homework exercises to follow up with after each visit. After two weeks, it was as if a modern Moses had come down from Mt. Hamilton or wherever, touched my shoulder, and said "PAIN BE GONE " !! Getting a bit ahead of myself, I eased up on my assignments; which was not wise, and I returned to doing my homework. At each visit, Irina would test my progress and assign appropriately harder assignments to re-build my strength. No pressure, just well measured, progressively strengthening exercises. All through the treatment, Irina as well as the physical therapy aides were very cognizant of any potential interactions with unrelated symptoms and adjusted the treatment accordingly. About ten weeks into this program, I just "graduated" at my last visit today, pain free and able to get my freedom of movement back. Just one example of the before and after, when I started I could barely lift my arms to the ten and two o'clock positions, now I can do snow-angels to noon, apart from vastly improved and full utilization of my shoulder. Since I have just two thumbs, a very enthusiastic both thumbs up for Irina. The aides and the front desk staff were a pleasure to work with too. Seem to know exactly what they are doing, prompt responses to schedule changes and above all, always providing service with a smile no matter how busy with customers both on-site and on the phone. I believe some of the reviewers on Yelp were unsatisfied because they were requested to provide their insurance information and financial responsibility data before being registered and / or could not get an appointment ASAP. There is no medical facility in the United States of America that registers you for treatment before obtaining your insurance and financial responsibility information first. Also all medical facilities recommend that if you need immediate attention call 911. They are very busy with previously scheduled patients but do a great job of fitting us in as soon as possible. To sum it up, BreakThrough Physical Therapy in Sunnyvale, as in my first sentence, FANTASTIC and a BIG THANK YOU !! read more

BreakThough Physical Therapy gave me my life back! They deserve 100 gold stars! I came to BreakThrough after having 13 knee surgeries, having worked with multiple physical therapists and still battling arthrofibrosis (excessive scar tissue). My final surgery was a complex total knee replacement at age 48 in December '09. My doctor prescribed home visits from a physical therapist, but I realized after 1-2 visits that I needed a much more skilled and knowledgeable therapist who could deal with complicated knee cases. I found Breakthrough, and started working with Lee 3 times per week. He jumped right into my complicated case with complete confidence, determined to get my knee motion back to a functional state. After 3 years of surgeries and therapies, I would have been happy to settle for 90 degrees of motion, but Lee told me he believed we could get more than that. With complete dedication, he worked on my knee time after time, knowing exactly how hard to push me, and when to distract me with a funny anecdote. Degree by degree, my knee continued to improve.... We avoided the dreaded manipulation under anesthesia.... My strength increased... my range of motion kept breaking my previous records... and my gait improved until my limp was no longer noticeable! After a lot of hard work, my knee is better than it has been in years, and I never dreamed it would reach this point!! I owe it all to Lee, who was completely dedicated and absolutely determined to make my knee the best it could be, while keeping my spirits up and making me believe in the impossible! The BreakThrough team is incredible! They are like a large, wonderful family who are all focused on helping you get better. From the moment you walk in the door, you feel welcome. Everyone is genuinely interested in seeing you progress. There are several wonderful physical therapists and they spend plenty of "one-on-one" time with you (more time than any other p.t. I've been to). There are also several physical therapy assistants there each day to help you out with your exercise routine. They are always focused and aware of what you are doing, ready to adjust a machine, give you a towel, or apply ice and stim. The office itself is bright and spacious, with a lot of space for exercises and plenty of tables for working with the therapists, as well as more tables for those ready for ice. It's a happy place to be, and your time there will speed by! If I had it to do over again, I would have skipped the home health care physical therapy and gone straight to BreakThrough to start my recovery with a fantastic team that knows its craft! For me, having the right physical therapist was just as important as having the right surgeon and I was lucky to find that combination. I wholeheartedly recommend Breakthough Physical Therapy. They are TOP NOTCH!! read more

I joined Yelp for the sole purpose of writing a review for BreakThrough PT. Shortly after I tore my right knee ACL in a softball game last year, I researched many physical therapy facilities. I have never had PT before and I was pretty skeptical. From the very beginning, the reception desk was extremely friendly and very helpful throughout my sessions. Aside from a great first impression of the staff, what really appealed to me the most was the fact the facility is very clean and still looking very new after opening 6-7 years ago. Large windows line the entire north wall, giving it a natural brightness and open feel. I liked the place very much right off the bat. Everyone there was just so friendly and personable. The reception/scheduling staff greets you with a smile without fail everyday and they don't waste anytime figuring out the perfect schedule that is just right for you. The aides waiting in the back to ice you down are no exception. I have never met a nicer group of people. Always smiling and eager to make you laugh, it's the small things like that that can draw a person in and make you enjoy being there. My physical therapist, Irina S., was wonderful. She is an avid runner and a fitness minded person and she brings her knowledge to work with her. She was very friendly and made me feel at home right away. She designed my exercise routine around my capabilities. I never felt I was in danger of injuring myself even though she pushed me to give 100%. My routine usually started off with a 10min stationary bike ride and a nice 20minute knee massage. I'm gonna miss those! Then we would work on various squat routines and muscle building exercises. Follow that with an icing period and I felt like a new man every time I walked out the door. The whole time Irina is very entertaining while she works, sharing her running stories and experiences so once again you feel very comfortable there. She was also very caring, not pushing you to the breaking point, but pushing you to the point where you make steady progress and she cares how you feel and accommodates your abilities and pushes just enough so that you are always moving forward. After pre- and post-op therapy with Irina, I feel fantastic. I honestly did not think I would recover so quickly and I think in a huge way Irina's inspiration kept me trying harder and harder. I will definitely go back when i tear my left ACL. There is no doubt in my mind that I owe my quick recovery to Irina. I can't possibly thank her enough for everything she has done for me and I would highly recommend her to anyone that has experienced a knee or leg injury from sports or running. Definitely worth giving them a call for any injury before you decide on going anywhere else. read more

I'm deeply disappointed by the unethical practices of BreakThrough Physical Therapy, Sunnyvale, CA, specifically their deceitful pricing strategies for physical therapy services and their misleading assertions about their network affiliations. During my engagement with BreakThrough Physical Therapy, Sunnyvale, CA for physical therapy sessions, I was shocked to discover an undisclosed service charge added to my bill, a fee never mentioned during our initial conversation nor highlighted in the service contract. This lack of transparency in disclosing additional charges is unacceptable and left me feeling misled and dissatisfied as a customer. Moreover, BreakThrough Physical Therapy, Sunnyvale, CA falsely portrays itself as an in-network provider affiliated with my insurance. However, their affiliation is barely in-network, established through a discount program rather than authentic in-network status. This deliberate misrepresentation led me to believe I would benefit as an in-network member, only to realize these benefits were not covered by my insurance. The failure to disclose extra charges and the misleading information about network affiliations at BreakThrough Physical Therapy, Sunnyvale, CA is deeply concerning. Customers deserve honesty and transparency when making decisions about their healthcare services, and BreakThrough Physical Therapy, Sunnyvale, CA's practices completely disregard these expectations. I strongly caution potential customers to diligently inquire about all potential charges and network affiliations before committing to services with BreakThrough Physical Therapy, Sunnyvale, CA. It's disheartening to encounter such deceptive practices in a business that should uphold integrity and transparency with its clientele. I sincerely hope BreakThrough Physical Therapy, Sunnyvale, CA reevaluates its business ethics and adopts transparent policies regarding pricing and network affiliations. Until these misleading practices are rectified, I cannot recommend their services due to the breach of trust caused by these deceptive tactics. read more

Reported to BreakThrough by recommendation of my Orthopedist, for a severe back strain pain. From the very start, I was treated by a courteous and efficient admin staff who set me up immediately with an eight session program for physical therapy on my back. This included a very specific "New Patient Form" that allowed me to pinpoint my areas of pain and a printed schedule for my eight session program. My assigned therapist, Jacqueline, was a very knowledgeable and professionally certified physical therapist who outlined the program for me, including giving me a folder with the specific exercise sets that I should do at home between sessions. She started each session, after my five minute bicycle warm up, with very concise and pain relieving rub down and muscle manipulation techniques, as I explained what and where I was hurting and, on a scale of 1 to 10, how bad that pain was. She introduced specific exercises by demonstration and by manipulation of my limbs and muscles, and had me run through the series, all the while correcting, or approving, how well I was doing. On each sequential session, after questioning me on my progress, I was introduced to more techniques and exercises that would assist in pain alleviation that I had encountered during the break between sessions. The sessions always ended with a very relaxing and pain relieving period attached to an electric stimulator with four electrodes applied to the pain area, that was accompanied by a strategically placed ice pack under my lower back. Overall, the BreakThrough program was extremely successful in reducing and in most areas, completely eliminating my back pain, while furnishing me with the tools and exercises to continue on my own to totally control and completely recover from my strained back injury. I very, very, highly recommend the BreakThrough team for any physical therapy that you may require for your recovery from any muscular/bone injury. read more

I love break through therapy! And it's not because they have a stocked bowl of candy every time I walk through their door! My Dad had a pretty nasty injury breaking his hip and his wrist, which essentially immobilized him. No one in our family had ever been to physical therapy, so we didn't know what to expect on the first visit. From the start, Jackie was amazing; she made sure each session we had with her not only catered to my dad's needs, but also ensured progress. She was always very encouraging with how my dad's condition was progressing and spent the extra time to make certain the exercises were performed correctly. My dad never felt rushed nor hindered from expressing any worries, which greatly eased us in this hardship. For example, my dad had a considerable amount of pain within the first few visits. However, he also has an accent and sometimes his sentences are very vague. Jackie never got frustrated or demeaning to my dad when she was asking where, how and to what degree his pain was. Instead, the way she asked all of the where, what, when, hows, was in a very concerned, caring matter. She truly made it feel like he was taken care of. We still go to Jackie for physical therapy and wished we could see her more often (not due to scheduling issues). Every visit, she challenges my dad to perform more complicated, or higher level exercises without pushing him past his limit. She has a fantastic understanding of what my dad needs to do, what he will do, and what he is capable of doing and blends the three in an extremely helpful combination. I honestly don't think we can be any happier with anybody else! I would HIGHLY recommend Jackie with any of your physical therapy needs! read more

This establishment is a complete scam! The billing counter is extremely aggressive, and my therapist turned our sessions into her own sob story, prioritizing her personal issues over mine. As the top therapist, I felt uncomfortable reporting her. When I canceled my appointments, I discovered a hefty fee. They have a deceitful policy of waiving the first cancellation fee but charging for subsequent cancellations without clear disclosure. My initial case was for knee treatment, involving core, hip, and lower back strengthening. However, when I reported lower back pain, I wasn't informed that it was related to the same bone structure. My therapist didn't educate me and instead opened a new case with similar exercises, charging me double for the same treatment. Patients deserve transparency from the start. We rely on healthcare professionals to educate us, but Front Dear lacks transparency and exploits patients. Be cautious when reporting pain, as they may open new cases and charge exorbitant fees. After I complained, the director offered to 'work it out' but continued scheduling appointments for the new case. I sent an email canceling all appointments, but they created new ones and blamed me for not showing up. They DISCARDED me, saying it 'won't work out' because I called out the front desk n not showing up for fake appointments. This establishment is a big scam, using fake appointments to manipulate clients. They prioritize profits over patient care, taking advantage of vulnerable individuals. Be extremely cautious and aware of their tactics. Rules and regulations seem non-existent, and they will trick you. Be vigilant!" read more

I have been in treatment with Breakthrough physical therapy for a few months now for debilitating lower back pain. The facility is clean and welcoming and the front office team is quite friendly and polite (Nathalie). My main therapist Ruchira, has been simply amazing. She is professional, knowledgeable, patient, empathetic and brings a unique and positive energy to the sessions. She came up with a treatment plan after the initial assessment and as the treatment progressed, she would introduce newer exercises or modify/replace existing depending on the my feedback and endurance level. She is holistic in her approach where needed - for instance, though my lower back was the main problem area, she observed my gait/posture and prescribed stretches/exercises for my upper back, ankle strengthening etc to improve the weak muscles in those areas that could be indirectly contributing to my lower back issue. Every session, she would spend some time massaging and loosening the tight muscles in my lower back before starting with the stretches and exercises. She would patiently explain why she was prescribing a stretch or an exercise and what areas/muscle groups it targets. I always left the session feeling very good (the heat and TENS stimulation after the sessions were also quite effective). I'm now 85% improved and am continuing with a new plan even after getting discharged, since it has been really beneficial for me. Thank you Ruchira! read more

I had a herniated disc at my neck, pinching my nerves going to my arm, causing excruciating pain. Irina helped me to get my life back!!! I was barely able to turn my neck, stopped working, driving, unable to even sleep without narcotic medication... I was consulting on disc replacement options, my surgeon suggested to try PT first and BTPT was the only place where I could go by walk. started last summer... Initial few moths were on massage / traction/cuping therapy to relieve me of pain medication gradually... ufff, finally I was able to sleep peacefully and it was a great freedom from side effects of steroids/narcos! Though I was able to get back to regular routine, I still was getting back the pain while I drive or at work (mostly on laptop)... So I got habituated to traction, without which the pain was not under control. I was shocked when Irina stoped me from traction!!!.. But then, she put me on specific exercise routine to maintain right posture when at work or doing any regular activities. That made a big difference, or else I would be on traction for life!! She continued to add weight training to my routine, that helped big time to engage the appropriate muscles and to strengthen them. Not only, I am completely out of pain, I was back on the mountains skiing early this year... !!! I can't THANK her enough!! I did sign up for sports package with her.... I am taking surfing lessons this summer :) woohoo!!! read more

I had physical therapy at Breakthrough Therapy for a year for my right shoulder (rotator cuff), and I can honestly say it was such a positive experience. From the moment I walked in, the staff was always welcoming and kind. I was usually there early in the mornings before work, which worked out perfectly for me. I was always greeted by Maria Perez, who was so sweet--I'll truly miss our short but meaningful conversations to start the day. This was my very first experience with physical therapy, and I couldn't have asked for a better one. My PT, Nate Morla, was absolutely awesome. He genuinely cares, listens, and is incredibly supportive. Not only did he guide me through the right exercises to build mobility and strength in my shoulder, but he also helped relieve the tightness in my back. I could see and feel the progress week after week. On top of that, I'll miss our fun talks about food and trips--he really made my mornings brighter and gave me the motivation I needed. Breakthrough PT is a wonderful place to go if you need physical therapy. They not only focus on your recovery but also create an environment where you feel comfortable, cared for, and encouraged. Physical therapy truly helps so much if you're having any issues with your body, and I'm so grateful for everything they've done to help me heal. I'll always look back on this experience with appreciation. read more

I recently complete 5 months of PT treatment for my knee pain caused by years of quad tightness and weak core. I was extremely impressed with the overall experience, and I would highly recommend Lopa to anyone in need of physical therapy. Professional, Friendly, and Supportive: Lopa is a highly knowledgeable and experienced physical therapist who is both professional and friendly. She took the time to understand my concerns and explain the treatment plan in detail. She was also very supportive throughout my recovery process, encouraging me and helping me stay motivated. Knowledgeable and Effective: Lopa's expertise in physical therapy was evident in her treatment sessions. She used a variety of techniques to address my knee pain and improve my mobility. Her knowledge of anatomy and physiology helped me understand the cause of my pain and the importance of the exercises she prescribed. Great Atmosphere: The overall atmosphere at BreakThrough was very welcoming and positive. The staff was friendly and helpful, and the facilities were clean and well-maintained. I felt comfortable and well-cared for during my appointments. Highly Recommend: I highly recommend Lopa and BreakThrough to anyone looking for a professional, knowledgeable, and supportive physical therapist. Lopa's expertise and friendly demeanor made my recovery process a positive experience. read more

"I had a great experience at Breakthrough Physical Therapy and with Lopa Chitalia as my physical therapist. I came in with terrible shoulder pain due to tendonitis and arthritis of my right shoulder. I could not move my hand above 45 degrees and could not sleep at all on my right side. I also had foot pain due to arthritis and sciatica on my left foot. She listened patiently while we checked in at the beginning of each session and then came up with what we would do that day based on where my shoulder and pain level was at. She assessed the problem as a whole. Each session was well worth the time and money. I loved the electrical stimulation at the end of each session. After a few months of my in-person visits, we had to do teleconsultation due to Covid, but each session was well worth as she guided me so perfectly. I am following her program at home as I had to move out of U.S. to my home country and her advice on exercises have wonderful relief. Thank you Lopa !! For so patiently and kindly bringing me from where I was... to the happier & stronger place I am now in. My foot pain is also relieved by following the exercise program regularly. I am so grateful to you when I can move my hand above my shoulder level and being able to sleep on my right side. I would recommend Lopa and Breakthrough to anyone in need of physical therapy. read more