I came to California Therapy Solutions (CTS) in Fountain Valley twice for treatment of pain in my…read morearms and shoulders. Prior to CTS, I had also received treatment for cervical radiculopathy at another physical therapy company.
My first time at CTS was in March 2023 for arm pain (an MRI showed cervical radiculopathy). The treatment lasted about six weeks, with positive results. My arm pain disappeared. I don't remember the names of the physical therapists who treated me at that time.
The second time was more recent. I started in May 2026 and ended in early October 2026. The treatment was for pain in my shoulders and upper arms on both sides. The therapists who helped me were Sandy, Max, and Brandon Le. This review is about this second round of treatment.
In short, CTS in Fountain Valley provides one of the best physical therapy treatment services. The facilities may be small or average in size, but they are adequate for most purposes. The office is clean, well-lit, and well-ventilated. During the hot summer of 2026, the air-conditioning was a blessing. The office is located in a popular shopping center with CVS, ALDI, donut shops, restaurants, etc. A huge parking lot shared by all the surrounding businesses always has available spaces.
But the businesses and the area were nothing compared to the service and treatment I received at CTS Fountain Valley. The three therapists were wonderful and delightful. Each had a different style, but they were all highly experienced, competent, dedicated, and caring.
The treatment included a set of exercises done by the patient and shoulder work done by the therapist. Sandy was funny. Her jokes helped take my mind off the pain or soreness from doing the exercises. Max was a bit more serious. He was meticulous in his exercise instructions. He didn't just say, "Please do two sets of 10." He would say, "Please do this in two sets, 10 times in each set. Take a short break between the two sets. Otherwise, it will just be one set of 20."
Brandon was watchful. He didn't just let me do the exercises and walk away. He would stand nearby or work on his computer but periodically glance over at me while I was exercising. He would come by and correct any mistakes and remind me, "Make sure to rotate the shoulder when you push it."
The best part of each session was not the exercise. (Who wants to do the exercise?) It was the shoulder work done by the therapist. I would lie down on the table, and the therapist would stretch, massage, pull, and twist my arms on each side. The work often led to some pain. I would signal this by letting out a small scream. They would back down and continue with less force.
The shoulder work lasted about 10-15 minutes. I typically closed my eyes and saw my life playing out during those short periods: anticipation (for the enjoyment and pain), enjoyment (from the stretching and shaking), relaxation (from the massaging of the arm muscles), excruciating pain (from the pressing and twisting), and disappointment (when the work was over).
While Sandy, Max, and Brandon were all excellent, I want to single out Brandon for his near-perfect work. He cares for his patients and does not just try to make them happy by being easy on them. He is highly knowledgeable in his craft and explained to me the what, the how, and the why of each exercise. He is very skillful in his manual therapy. He has strong arms, but he can be gentle and soft when necessary. One thing I appreciated most was his watchfulness in making sure I was doing the movements correctly.
The supporting staff was no less praiseworthy. Brandon Do was friendly. Ryan was especially helpful. They were all courteous, polite, and respectful, making me think of CTS as not just physical therapy, but mental therapy as well.
One disappointment, though: on my last day there, Brandon, the therapist, asked me what song I would like to listen to. I told him the "Digidi Digidi" song. I was disappointed that both Brandon and Ryan didn't seem to know what song I was talking about. But after Brandon turned it on, they both agreed that the vibe was good, though the lyrics were a bit silly.