A year and a half ago, I fractured my knee, which led to nerve damage and foot drop. I've been working hard to improve my recovery and support nerve regeneration, so I started researching sports massage therapists in the Pasadena area and found Monty. He has been working on my injured left leg, helping break up scar tissue from multiple surgeries. I can definitely feel a difference in my walking, and my leg feels much more mobile than before. Monty is knowledgeable, professional, and attentive to my specific needs. I highly recommend him to anyone recovering from an injury or dealing with scar tissue and mobility issues. read more

Monty is fantastic. He offers the best deep tissue massages I've ever had. I've seen numerous massage and PT professionals as I'm prone to stress related muscle tightness and knots, but no one has been as effective as Monty. Monty's deep tissue work is appropriately targeted, and it provides immediate and lasting relief. Monty has a deep understanding of the human body. As an athlete who has experienced and successfully recovered from injuries, Monty has firsthand experience with the process and commitment required to heal properly, and he brings that experience to the table when he goes to work on your muscle groups. Monty has also given me exercise recommendations that have improved my muscle recovery and strength building. My body feels better now than it did 25 years ago. Monty is the man! read more

I saw Monty for a few sessions. He offers the kind of presence that's hard to find- calm, grounded, and real. No performance, no overexplaining. He listens, not to words, but to the body, then meets it with clarity and steadiness. If you're looking for no-frills bodywork from someone honest and fully present, Monty is the real deal. read more

Monty was amazing. I came in with an injury that resulted from a previous injury. I had been trying to heal but was in a situation where I had to constantly work out - so there were almost no rest days available to me. He seriously worked some miracle because I was able to overcome both injuries a couple of days after the massage. I cannot recommend him enough - the massage was worth it, he was fun to chat with during the massage, and it is clear he knows what he is doing. read more

I highly recommend coming to Monty if you are having pains, especially chronic pain. Upon first visit, he'll ask for details as to why you're going to see him and from there lets you know what areas he will target first. He'll go over those areas by warming you up first and then gets down to the nitty gritty. It is by no means a relaxing massage, this is a massage because you need help. I had a history of horse riding accidents, along with stress from life/work, stress on my body from climbing, and just sheer neglect, I developed a lot of tightness in my body that I felt unbearable pain for years. I went to the typical massage places, I saw two different acupuncturists and none were able to help the pain I felt. After one visit with Monty, and spending a few days feeling sore, I was able to feel relief that I had never felt before. I went in a total of 3 times, and can honestly say that the pains I felt before are gone. Occasionally, they'll come back, but he showed me how to target specific areas with a lacrosse ball and told me to foam roll, which I do now and am able to find relief on my own. I know that whenever I find myself unable to help my own body, that Monty will be the first one I'll reach out to. My fiance also goes to him and has found so much relief from all of his sports injuries. read more

I've been dealing with a right shoulder rotator cuff strain for a few months and have been working through a rehab program with my physical therapist. To supplement my recovery, I scheduled a deep tissue massage with Monty--and it was an incredible decision. The booking process was seamless thanks to their easy-to-use online system. Monty was professional, punctual, and extremely knowledgeable. Without me even needing to point out the exact problem areas, he was able to locate the knots in my shoulder and work on them with precision. After the 60-minute session, I immediately noticed increased mobility and reduced pain in my shoulder. Monty also took the time to explain the nature of my injury and how the massage complements my rehab program, which I really appreciated. Beyond his expertise, Monty is a great conversationalist, which made the entire experience comfortable and enjoyable. This was truly a 10/10 experience, and I highly recommend Monty to anyone in need of a skilled sports massage therapist. I'll definitely be returning for future treatments! read more

I reached out to Monty a few days before my actual appointment. I was in search for someone who could really focus on my pain. I was super tense at my shoulders and always found myself slouching over and trying to sit straight. Sitting straight was really difficult because I just had large knots between my neck and shoulder. I'd get tired of sitting straight, and that's how I knew it was bad, atleast for me. Monty did reply to my Yelp message fairly quickly but took a few days to response after I texted him for an appointment. I was able to be seen nonetheless. During the session, he asked me about my pain and if there were specific parts that I wanted to focus on. I did. Most massages are whole body massages despite asking for specific areas. With Monty, he really focused on my shoulders and arms. He releases a lot of tension in my muscles even further from the area that was tense. So don't be surprised if he's focused somewhere else. There was one point during the session that he was stretching that I felt completely loose and he replied "there it is". He could even feel that I, myself was tense and couldn't really relax. It was in that moment that I knew he could help me. Although it was painful to stretch and massage those knots, it was a good pain, like a relief. After the first session, I felt much better and my posture had improved. When he asked me how I felt compared to when I came in, I said I was at a 4 compared to a 7. So I made a second appointment three weeks later. On the second appointment, we focused on my upper body again. It was not as painful as the first time but there was still some work to do. I have to be honest though, I didn't do any of the recommended stretches that he told me to do soooo... that was my fault. Good thing I didn't feel as tense as I did the first time. I know I'll need more help to help my muscles and body, and I have no doubts in Monty, and am sure he can get me to where I want to be! If you're looking for serious massages, he's your guy! It's not a relax type massage, he will get in there! Office is pretty small, one client at a time which is nice because you get the focused time with him! read more

Finally found a great deep tissue & sports massage therapist in Pasadena area! Monty is skilled and effective, with a calm & grounding demeanor. Nice quiet space, easy to schedule & park. read more

Amazing! I had the best night's sleep after Ryan worked her magic. She was professional, kind, always checking in with me about pressure and my comfort. She is very gentle and calm , it put me at ease. Definitely recommend Ryan! read more

I've been searching for sometime for someone to help me with a wide variety of muscle strains and constant back pain that I've developed and can't get rid of no matter what I try. Fortunately I reached out to Monty who evaluated my different problems and began unraveling my years of neglect with just a few visits. He has an outstanding knowledge of muscle structure and has helped me regain movement in my shoulders, upper back and even jawline. He applies the right amount of pressure and frequently checks to make sure I'm doing okay. If you are considering massage therapy to help relieve pain, this is the place to go, I highly recommend Monty's services. read more

I've gotten countless massages over the years, but Monty really outdoes them all. I had this knot in my back that wouldn't go away for 2 years, and all the massage therapists I went to couldn't help alleviate any of that pain. The only time I really felt relief was after Monty worked on it. read more

I'm a huge fan of Monty. Not only am I a client, I also refer my own clients his way as well. He is always great at listening to the client about areas of concern/pain and knows exactly what area to target to help. Going to Monty should be a part of your regular routine to help keep muscles in great condition. Also, don't be caught off-guard if you tell him you have pain in one area and he works in another! He knows how the muscles all connect together and you'd be shocked how working on one random area impacts where your pain actually is. Also, this is not a relaxing spa massage. This is a sports massage where you will get extraordinary results. I sit a lot due to my job, so I get pain in my shoulders, hips, glutes, and mid-lower back. Going to Monty helps a TON. Life-changing, in fact. He even teaches you how to rehab at home to stay loose. It can be very painful, especially when you're tight! It's important that if it is more than you feel you can tolerate that you communicate that you need him to back off and he will, no problem. Every time I see him I leave feel amazing and standing two inches taller. Go see Monty. read more

Can't say enough about this place. They took care of me and now I'm able to hit the golf balls again line never before

I found Monty online and liked the versatility of modalities he uses in his treatment, including facilitated stretching, active and passive release techniques, myo-facial release, and scraping. Far from being an athlete, I have fibromyalgia, a condition that has been worsening for 3-4 decades, and that I believe is caused, for me, by relentless muscle clenching in hyper-vigilance against threat, due to complex PTSD from trauma. The pain got so bad, I had to stop working. Since Kaiser will only provide a diagnosis of elimination, but no treatment, I sought help from Monty. He and I have been working together for a year and I am experiencing steady progress in lowering pain and increasing activity. In addition to his skilled, intuitive, and flexible approach to addressing what is happening each week in my body, I am supplementing with daily self-therapy using massage tools and techniques (for which Monty also provides instruction) and somatic psychological therapy. This combination, with the aid of a masterful massage therapist like Monty, is giving hope to someone the medical community has allowed to fall through the cracks. I highly recommend Monty's services through Choice Bodyworks in Pasadena. read more

Right off the bat I'll tell you: this is not like those "relaxing" massages. It is serious body work. Monty and you work together to get to the core of your pain and aches. And by the end of the second session, your body feels very different. He's extremely patient and communicative so if something is too much or not enough, you just let him know! He'll ask you about pressure and remember your needs if you become a regular. As someone in my late 30s, I've been seeing Monty every month for almost a half year now because of general maintenance and a nagging lower back pain. I work a lot at a computer, and I've been working from home for many years. When I first went to him, he was extremely helpful in assessing my body mechanics and what might've been exacerbating my back pain. He showed me exercises and stretches and pointed out things I didn't know I was doing! Super knowledgeable with a deep understanding of the entire kinetic chain. If you tell him something is bothering you, he knows where to look and what to work on. Now my back pain is much much better with the exercises he's shown me and the regular work we do together. Monty is has been a regular part of my self care, and I've gotten my boyfriend to see him as well to keep our muscles and body feeling younger, limber and more pain free. It's not worth feeling pain and aches day to day when it can be addressed. read more

Monty hands down is the best. If you are struggling with repetitive movement that causes pain, then he is your guy. I found him through Yelp due to some shoulder pain. He was able to help me with sport massage therpay and guided me to start shoulder strength exercises. Highly recommend him. read more

Hi! The quality of care and quality of massage is very high! The location is easy to get to, comfortable, and calming. My back/neck/legs are very tight, I've had multiple spinal surgeries and a spinal cord injury. Most massages are not deep enough or the pressure isn't at the right spots. But Monty is knowledgeable and talented - he knows the body well and is able to get my muscles to release. I am very happy I found Monty. He has been extremely nice, compassionate, and understanding. I am happy with his services and wouldn't go elsewhere. Thank you Monty! read more

If your body hurts as much as mine did (and it was all the time) I would highly recommend Monty at Choice Bodyworks!!! I had been to numerous others with high hopes but low delivery and so thankful I finally found Monty! No magic potions or anything like that and mine took more than one session ( I still see him just less and less often for maintenance now) but he knows how the body works and really listens to your malady. Thank you for doing what you do and keep up the great work! (Plus he's a super nice and kind human being!!!) read more

Monty is amazing. I have looked for so long for a quality body worker and I finally found one. He really focuses on what you need and finds every single knot. This is not supposed to be a relaxing massage, this is extremely quality body work. Highly recommend. read more

I've had multiple massages with Monty. I'm a medical doctor , and it's clear Monty has very strong anatomy/physiology knowledge when we discuss my areas of tension. It's hard to get true deep tissue/athletic massages in general--but Monty does an amazing job. Also as a woman, despite his massage room being somewhat isolated at the end of a hallway: he is always very professional and I've always felt safe and comfortable. Highly recommend. read more

Great service! Ryan was amazing and knew exactly what I needed when I told her what areas of my body was bothering me the most. I would definitely book more appointments with her in the future. read more

I had been dealing with t band pain for nearly 2 months by the time I met with Monty. Unlike other therapists, he took the time to listen, watch, and take time to try an determine how I was aggravating the injury. 2 sessions later, armed with floor exercises and a lot of deep tissue work, and the pain disappeared. I send this Yelp Page to anyone I know in even minor pain. Monty will fix it. read more

Monty is OUTSTANDING! I was referred to see him because I suffer from repetitive motion injury from working in my profession for 25 years. I have had numerous massages over the years and yet his precision and pressure (he can dig deeper than anyone I know!) have given me the best results. I highly recommend Choice Bodyworks! read more

Monty is wonderful. He gave me my life back. He is so intentional, tuned in, and compassionate. Monty creates a safe space for healing, even when something may feel uncomfortable. If you struggle with any kind of chronic pain or want an athletic massage, I highly recommend Monty. read more

Monty's abilities in myofascial treatment have proven to be nothing short of life changing. He's largely responsible for the breakthroughs in my physical therapy treatment that earlier had appeared to hit a roadblock. Exceedingly capable and a very good teacher. His analyses have been spot on. Highest recommendation. read more

I have to agree with most of the reviewers here who have posted 5 stars. Monty is a remarkable physical therapist. I've been seeing him on and off for about a year and he's helped me greatly in two areas: Shoulder rehabilitation (rotator issues) and physical therapy following a cubital tunnel syndrome surgery procedure. Wow oh wow! My shoulder has completely rehabilitated and the issues following my cubital tunnel surgery have greatly stabilized. But bear in mind this is definitely not a day spa. It's treatment for serious physical issues and Monty approaches treatment carefully and with awareness. I can see why high performing athletes, weight trainers, weekend warriors, etc., utilize his services. Or perhaps you're just like me who needs your body to perform at a certain level with minimal issues. I also like that Monty gives me exercises to do in between sessions. This has greatly sped up the rehabilitation process. And when I look back at where I began with Monty and how I ended up, I'm very satisfied with the results. Oh and one last thing... In response to Jessica's review, while I can appreciate her humor, I happen to looove the location of Monty's office. It's a historically significant building located in the Green Street Village Landmark District. The feel of this place just oozes old world architectural charm, quality, design and history. It's a jewel of a building located amongst other historically significant buildings. Coming here just makes the experience all the nicer, unique and special. Kudos to Monty's selection of business location! read more

I had a massage with JaCoby. It was amazing, healing, and full of deep tissue goodness. JaCoby was super knowledgeable. You will LITERALLY be in good hands! read more

Monty thoroughly impressed me today. I read online that he opened at 6AM. Being an extremely early riser, I called at 6:05AM and boom! He really WAS awake and was very courteous and was able to take me in as a same-day appointment at 10:15AM. I gotta admit, when I walked up the narrow brick staircase off the street into a pink vintage hallway reminiscent of American Horror Story, and into a tiny one-room office, I was a little weirded out. But, Monty was very professional and welcoming! After a short assessment with range of motion exercises, he began the medical massage. I was experiencing pain in my back, but he identified the main problem was actually in my glutes/quads/hip flexors. I wasn't expecting a happy-go-lucky froofroo massage, but HO-LY cow it was painful. AND therapeutic. 8 hours later, my muscles are a little sore from the stretching, but my back magically really does feel better! He's a one-man show--receptionist & massage therapist, but he did great today. He even taught me some stretching and roll-out techniques for me to use independently! If I wasn't moving away next week, I would definitely go back to the creepy building the next time my body rebels. Thanks, Monty! read more

I have tried many massage therapists and chiropractors, andfor my hip and neck pain and nobody has been able to help me, except Monty. He is the best. read more

Monty was awesome! Highly knowledgeable about the human body! If you have pain, go see Monty !!!!!

I had surgery on my hip my years ago and after my initial rehab I neglected to take care of my leg. Fast forward because of the neglect everything caught up with me and for years I suffered from muscle pain in my hip and mobility issues. I've visited multiple massage therapist and I always left in more pain. I tried yoga which helped a little but I still had a lot of pain and discomfort afterwards. A month ago my wife who is dealing with a shoulder issue found Monty and suggested I check him out and thankfully I did! After the first session i could already feel the difference in my leg. And after years of waking up in pain in the middle of the night i was able to finally get a great night is sleep. Monty has helped me to do things I wasn't able to do for years without pain. He's super knowledgeable and takes time to explain things to me. I'm super grateful I found Monty and highly suggest you book an appointment. He's the real deal read more

I'm a former D1 athlete and still playing/competing pretty regularly so I've done it all - sports massage, cupping, acupuncture, scraping, etc. I told Monty where I've been having tightness (mid left back) and he listened and really took care of it. I left feeling way better than I did going in. He's a former water polo player so can apply as much pressure as needed/desired. He warmed up the areas he worked on beforehand and focused really effectively on the areas around my pain too. He regularly asked if the pressure applied was tolerable (which it was) and gave ample opportunity to say otherwise. Highly recommend his work and I'll be back! read more

As an international touring drummer, my job is physically demanding, and my ability to use my body correctly is of the upmost importance. Monty has helped me keep loose and relaxed, and has made me doing my job so much easier. His knowledge of musculature and proper use of the body is essential to his services, and his use of stretching and at-home therapy tools helps me stay healthy in a session with Monty, or out on the road. Best massage therapist I've worked with! read more

I've had ongoing shoulder and neck pain from too much desk time. The massage I had this morning finally provided relief. Magical!

I went to different massage therapist for my right arm, not one was able to tell me how to fix the problem and were overcharging as well. Not only did Monty give me mobility and feeling in my right arm again but he was able to tell me how to fix my form so that I don't restrict my range of motion in my arm again. Thank you Monty! Appreciate you and the service that you provide. read more

That's my to go place in case of emergency. Whenever I get injured or have some muscle pain Monty always helps me to get back to my feet. Before I meet Monty, I used to go to different chiropractors but the healing would always take longer after chiropractic adjustment. After massage therapy performed by Monty I always feel constant relieve from pain. Definitely can recommend his service read more

I just saw Monty again... and I can't believe I waited so long to see him again. It was a Sunday and I was having neck and shoulder pain, unable to sleep well and generally miserable for weeks. After 90 minutes with Monte I was a new man!!! I appreciate that he will use as much pressure as I can stand (I believe in the 'no pain no gain' school of thought) but that he is careful not to overdo it. I could not believe how much better I felt immediately after and all day today. I literally felt like a new man.... and weeks of letting this stuff build up; never again!!! Monte doesn't just massage or adjust... he deals with the muscle or strain issues and works directly on repair. I get a lot of massages, have seen tons of therapists and chiropractors... Monte is the real deal and my go to for when I just need to fell better! Besides... He is an all around great guy and willing to share lots of good info on diet, exercise or just life! read more

I found Monty here on yelp, went to see if he could help me with a shoulder mobility issue and it was the best sports massage I've had - hands down. It was the first time I had ever gone to do bodywork/sports massage and really appreciated that Monty took the time to explain what possibly could be affecting my range of motion, and even gave me super helpful tips to rehab my shoulder. His hands are magic and that's not an exaggeration. The massage was so good that I even booked an appointment for my husband who has an old hip injury and has been suffering from years of limited mobility in his leg. With Monty's help, we both have regained mobility in our affected areas. Highly recommend. It will be the best sports massage you'll ever have. Your body will thank you later! read more

I have been to Monty for two separate injuries. He is always so great. At the first visit he taught me how to foam roll my problem area. Monty applies the right amount of pressure during a message. I also love his music! Would definitely recommend. read more

Made an appointment to see Monty for my left shoulder and my lower back. My left shoulder has been bothering me for a few months. When I raise it up , there's restriction and some pain. Right from the start, he spent time to do an evaluation, ask me about my health history and had me do some tests to determine how my body and balance was. The massage he does is more firm and help work on the tender areas around my shoulder. I also had him work on my knees and lower back. I was very relaxed afterwards and wanted to stay on the table and relax. Overall, I found Monty to be knowledgable and effective. After the massage, my shoulder had better range of motion and less pain. I could lift my arm higher than before. I would recommend him to others. The office has good natural light, plants and has a home-type feel. read more