Dawn Utstein is an AMAZING physical therapist. She has the perfect mix of pushing you while listening to your body. Ever since I have started working her I have noticed improvement. I have learned to incorporate my training in my everyday. She has been excellently wonderful. She has done wonders on my mother as well. After her knee replacements, my mom used to walk like Master Yoda from Star Wars. Now she’s walking much better!
Brooklyn F.
Place rating: 1 New York, NY
I came to Dawn per a rec from an ortho I trust. However this wasn’t the experience I wanted. As a lifelong athlete, I’ve had physical therapy several times over the last decade, and therefore sort of had an idea of what I was looking for in a physical therapist. However, while very pleasant and chatty, Dawn did not give me the sense that we were working hard to get me better. She often seemed unfocused, tapping away at her blackberry during our sessions — which were expensive, yet incredibly short, by the time she actually sat down to begin working on me. Over and over, she talked about how I’d need therapy for a long time to correct my relatively minor back problems, which I found suspicious. Instead of starting a light strengthening regimen right away, as other PTs I’ve worked with have in the past with me, she kept me on an ice/heat/light massage treatment pattern for weeks that, frankly, began to feel useless. Overwhelmingly I felt as if she were preoccupied with money. All of our conversations had to do with her side-ventures into real estate(money) and a partner of hers who was leaving to open another practice(money). Similarly I felt as if she were trying to squeeze me for every dollar. So when my insurance company made an error and didn’t submit my payment checks correctly(they sent them to the wrong address and they bounced back), it didn’t shock me when, without my knowledge, Physio went ahead and charged the debit card I had left on file with them for over $ 1500 — despite my very clear explanation of what had happened with their(albeit late) payments. I was very disappointed with my experience there. Physical therapy can be worth the cash(although take a look at the recent New York Times story on Tara Parker Pope’s blog on pt, which makes some excellent points; unless you have a major injury, in a few good sessions, your therapist should be able to show you some things that you can do at home yourself). But you really ought to find a good therapist before you shell out for it. I wouldn’t recommend Dawn to anyone.