Core Physical Therapy

I strongly recommend Core. This review is for the Columbia Tower location. (Sorry, can’t find separate listing.)
I visited Core weekly for a few months. Charlotte, Darren, and Jenna were my primary therapists, with Paul supervising. They are each superior human beings who helped me very much. I value their expertise, technique, and «coaching» (encouragement). And despite my pain, I enjoyed working with them, making the effort easier.
My primary problem is my spine (S1/​L5/​L4). My doctor wanted me to try PT before resorting to surgery. Core helped me with strengthening, balance (yay!), flexibility. I improved in each way. Unfortunately, I still need surgery. Happily, the work done so far will help with my recovery. And I hope to return to Core afterwards.
Observing their work with other patients, they tailor each program, versus dogmatic one size fits all, which was nice to see. Even though I had been active before, I now wish I had started stuff like PT, pilates, and yoga much earlier. I didn’t realize how much function I had lost. Just having these experts spot and correct my stretches and exercises would have been a boon. So if you may need help, please don’t hesitate. And definitely don’t try to tough it out like I did.

I saw Ashley Clippard at the Belltown office and she was amazing. All of the other staff members I encountered while at this office were also very friendly.
Ashley regularly went the extra mile to help me during my time here. Not only did she adequately address my needs for the original issue I came in for, she also was very careful about tailoring my therapy because of another issue I have (diastasis recti) that prevents certain types of exercises.
This office was also very clean and put together no matter what time of day my appointment was.

This place came highly recommended by a co-​worker. Very convenient if you work in the downtown core. Beyond that, their professional services are really great. I’ve been to a few different PT’s and what I like about core is that you spend almost your entire appointment working 1:1 with your dpt directly rather than being supervised by an assistant or being 1 of 10 patients the dpt is working with.
Malia did a very thorough examination which included figuring out why I’d injured myself and how to prevent reinjury in the future. She continued to do lots of hands-​on manipulation each appointment. She also switched up the exercises and constantly challenged me to get me back to running ASAP.

Got lucky by stumbling on to this organization (located right downtown). I’ve been working with Leshelle, and she’s exactly what I hope for with a phys therapist — knows her stuff, listens, understands that each injury and patient is different, and has the confidence and sensitivity to incorporate your input and then work out a plan of action that was perfectly suited to the injury and my needs. I was relieved that it wasn’t cookie cutter P/​T, but rather a thoughtful, thoroughly evaluated and communicated approach.
And it is a treat to have a few minutes upon copay/​sign in, to say hello to Ina, their front desk staffer, who is a delight. If you can’t find a smile upon signing in with her, it might be time to slow it down…

Jon has been great.

The people who answer the phone aren’t helpful. They don’t know the answers to simple questions, and seem slightly hostile that you even asked. They offer you a 20 minute free appt to meet with a therapist, but they won’t give you have a phone appt, which means you have to schlep all the way there/​fight traffic, and pay for parking, just to ask a few questions about the kinds of treatment they provide.
When I called, the unhelpful person at the other end of the phone started every answer with the word «unfortunately,» and didn’t seem to make any effort to be helpful. Watch out for Kathy in particular. It’s like they don’t need or want your business. I wholeheartedly agree with the person who said the office doesn’t know how to communicate with people.

I went to Core because it was convenient; I stayed because it is the best. I have had good and poor PT providers before, so I know good quality and the people here are great. Malia and Eli are fantastic and they train their staff well so my experience was consistently good. I found them responsive to my set backs, and encouraging when there was progress. They focus on treatment and prevention. I highly recommend this group.

The therapists here are professional and do a decent job; however, their administrative/​business office is the absolute WORST. You would think they would make it easy to pay your bill, but no – why would they do that? Their business office does not understand how to communicate with people.

I have been going to Tony Pollard for over 14 years for massage therapy. I always get a serious, deep massage that works on muscles, tension, joints etc. He has helped me after several bike accidents and other injuries, and is a real health care pro. He advises on stretching, (which I do occasionally), and exercises too. I consider him part of my main team of health advisers, along with my doctors. He knows alot about how your body functions. It is pretty amazing what he can do to put your muscles back where they are supposed to be. There is some active participation on your part and a little momentary pain involved, but it is well worth it, believe me. Especially if you are physically active. and want to stay that way.

Over the last 5 years, Core PT has been my «go to» place to keep me going. Randy Schmidt is the best at identifying the source of problems and then crafting a recovery plan. The other staff I have worked with are all friendly and professional. The facilities are always clean and neat. Tony Pollard is great for deep tissue massage work.

Get Todd Picton if you have neck or back pain! I’ve had severe pain flare up in my neck and upper back for years — partial congenital, partial due to computer usage. Todd does Neuromuscular massage — focusing on trigger points — and knows muscle groups like no other masseuse I’ve been too. He had super strong hands so he can get deep into the muscle even if you’ve got more muscle mass. He’s really helped relieve my pain and helped me recover where I don’t need massage as frequently.

I attended their office at the Columbia Tower (it is new and not on Unilocal yet). They have the most professional staff of any PT office I was at. Both therapists and staff are just excellent!

I tore my ACL learning to ride my dirt bike. Sarah Hudson, DPTwas wonderful; she got me from barely walking to riding my dirt bike and skiing black diamonds again! She always encouraged me, making me want to work on my range of motion and strength between sessions, and ever so gently helped me make the decisions that would best help me heal. Every assistant I have worked with was wonderful, and there will always be a soft spot in my heart for Kimberly at the front desk. She makes each patient at Core Physical Therapy (Columbia Center) feel like family.

The secret gem working at Core Physical Therapy is massage therapist Tony Pollard. He is amazing. I’ve been seeing him for nearly 10 years and have never been able to find a massage therapist better than he is. I highly recommend him!

I am not impressed with Core one bit.
I’ve had a lot of massages in my day due to a partial tear in my shoulder. Usually I just pay out of pocket and go somewhere cheap, but after learning my health insurance would pay for it, I decided to go to Core.
I saw Esther Bannwart, LMP at Core after work a few weeks ago and I was utterly shocked by her lack of professionalism. I arrived ten minutes early for my appointment, and she was ten minutes late. We had a quick chat about why I needed a massage and she left the room for me to get changed. Not even thirty seconds later, she was knocking at the door wondering if I was changed yet. During the massage, she barely worked on my shoulder which was WHY I went, and she was pretty chatty which I consider a no-​no during a massage. The massage ended abruptly and didn’t last an hour which is what I paid for, and she just left. She didn’t offer me water, say goodbye — she was just out of there. When I went to the restroom afterward though, she was in there talking on her phone loudly and did not acknowledge me.
It made me laugh that as I was walking out, there was a huge sign in her room that said «Tipping is welcome!» Tacky.
I’d rather go to Cortiva Massage School than set foot in this unprofessional establishment again. Easily the worst massage I’ve ever had.

I’ve been to Core for two separate ailments, some leg pain and now recovering from rotator cuff surgery. I’ve seen 4 different therapists at Core, but unlike Pablo, I don’t feel «bounced» around. Though each of them has a little different style, they work together as a team, consult the notes in my treatment plan, and provide Excellent care.
My recovery has progressed better than I expected and I credit the therapists at Core. I have no hesitation about seeing any of them. They make what could be an ordeal a pleasant experience. A great team!

After some knee pain lingered long after I expected it to be resolved, I begrudgingly went to Core P.T. at their 1201 Third Ave location for a course of treatment on the recommendation of some work-​mates. I have nothing be great things to say about the facility and the staff, especially Randy, the therapist who treated me. He helped me work through the problem and get some insight as to what might have caused it. It was a relief to be treated by someone who knew what he was doing. The rest of the staff that assisted were great too and Core just generally has a convivial atmosphere. I give them all highest marks and would not hesitate to go back if I had other problems.

I’ve sadly had many reasons to go back to Core Physical Therapy many times to fix various body parts. PT is never usually fun (because you’re typically in pain and/​or recovering from surgery), but I cannot say enough nice things about Randy Schmidt one of the PTs (and co-​owners) at Core.
Randy is very knowledgeable about what he is doing, and how he can help me get back to what is «normal» — and often surpassing what I thought I could do. He is incredibly funny, personable, genuine and has such a wonderful bedside manner. I have recommended him to several coworkers and every one of them has raved about him as well. I have always felt well taken care of by him and the rest of the staff, and even a year or more later when I run into him in the lobby (I work in the same building), he knows who I am and asks how I’m doing.
What I especially loved is feeling that he’s looking out for me as a patient, and not just their bottom line. I had been in for a problem with my knee, and after several visits, it wasn’t responding as he had hoped for. He said that he had a feeling something else was going on, and recommended that I see an orthopedist for another consult before he continued working on me — he wanted to make sure he wasn’t doing more damage than good. Turned out he was right, and the MRI showed that I needed knee surgery, after which I returned to him for more PT. He could’ve easily stringed me along for weeks for more care, but I was glad that he’s in tune with what’s going on with my body medically and fully trust him with my physical therapy care.

… after being bounced from therapist to therapist about 4 times I didn’t ever go back.
It’s too bad cause Paul and the office staff were awesome.