Reviews

Dear Dr. Steve,

“Thank you” doesn’t even begin to cover it. How do you put into words the gratitude I feel for some who has given me my life back? I’ll try to put it into a few sentences.

Dr. Steve, your positive energy, deep knowledge of the human body and mind, and constant drive to keep learning and building are incredible. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for teaching me so much about my body and be so incredibly thoughtful and attentive in my recovery. Before I met you I lived in constant fear of my back pain and felt out of control. I cannot tell you what a relief it is to get to meet with you. I literally will think, “thank God I’m seeing Dr. Steve on Monday, he’ll know what to do”. In many ways its scary for me to leave and not see you as I am still in the recovery process, but I know we will keep in touch. I also just wanted you to know what a truly incredible physical therapist you are. You know everything, your ability build trust with your clients is amazing, and you truly care about people.

Thank you! I will miss you.

Love, Brady

I had to travel 3 1/2 hours for the appointment and I feel like I learned valuable information. I’m hopeful that with continued support and appointments, I may start to feel some relief.

Steve is by far the most professional and astute practitioner I have had the pleasure of working with. His knowledge of the body and what it is needing are top notch. My osteoarthritis pain and the attending nerve pain have both been lessened to a great extent by the work we have done together. He sets goals collaboratively with me and “assigns” exercises for me to do at home which are quite safe and ‘doable’ and have helped me a great deal. He never pushes me too much, and the safe procedures he uses on me always leave me feeling better and hopeful for the future.

I had suffered from chronic Achilles tendonitis for over 20 years before meeting Dr. Politis. In fact, I had been walking with a limp the entire year before my first appointment. I was only 50 years old and becoming more and more depressed about my situation with no relief in sight. Another physical therapist told me I was my own worst enemy and that my condition had persisted for so long, that there was probably no hope for me. After my first meeting with Dr. Politis, my limp and sharp pain with every step had disappeared. He assessed my movement patterns and prescribed exercises designed to heal myself. I would highly recommend Dr. Politis to anyone suffering from chronic pain. He is the best! Thanks again Dr. Politis! Feel free to edit or embellish my testimony in anyway you see fit to serve your needs.

I am a professional Ballet Dancer in Washington D.C. and have had the utmost trust in Steve for many years. As a dancer, we have so may unusual and out of the ordinary aches, pains, and injuries. With Steve I knew that no matter how unusual the injury, he always could find a safe and extremely helpful way to treat me.

After assessing the injury carefully, and explaining to me what was bothering me, he would treat it. Steve is very knowledgeable with many forms of treatment, and was obviously an expert with each form! The excersises he would give me were always exactly what I needed to strengthen the weakened areas and get me back out onstage nice and strong again!

I highly recommend Dr. Steve Politis!

As a group climbers can be very difficult to work with. We know that most doctors do not get what we do. Dr. Steve not only understands climbing injuries, he understands that people who climb want to get back to climbing as soon as possible. Dr. Steve took the time to understand our injuries, help us heal, and most importantly, how to prevent those injuries from popping up again. Thanks Dr. Steve!

Dr. Politis is a kind, caring, and capable practitioner. He listens intently and thoughtfully to the details of your concern and treats using gentle, precise, and effective movements. I went to see Dr. Steve with chronic neck pain that was interfering with my ability to work out and causing me a lot of discomfort. His gentle manipulations eased the pain almost instantly, and the simple exercises he gave me really helped improve the condition. I highly recommend Dr. Steve Politis.

We came to Steve a few years back after my husband tore the labrum in his shoulder. As a climber by profession and passion, my husband depends very much on his shoulders, so the injury was of great concern to him on many levels. Several doctors had already told him that he would need to have surgery, but we made sure to get a handful of opinions and one doctor recommended that he do physical therapy first. His thoughts were that he should see what PT could do and in the event that he ended up requiring surgery, it couldn’t hurt to do PT and strengthen the support around the injured shoulder first.

By great fortune, we found Steve and were right away impressed with Steve’s very personalized, positive, and patient approach to the goal of long-term function and health. He is incredibly knowledgeable, observant, and talented at what he does. With each session, my husband’s repertoire of exercises to support and strengthen his shoulder grew, and by the end of his series of sessions with Steve, he ended up climbing and feeling stronger than he ever had before. These exercises have remained a crucial part of my husband’s training ever since.

A couple of years later, I too worked with Steve over a couple of months on recurring issues I’d been having with my back. I looked forward to every session and came away with a whole array of exercises to keep my back healthy and pain-free.

We can’t thank Steve enough and can honestly give him our highest recommendation!

I feel so “free”. I don’t know how long I’ve lost it.

I felt something very different while taking a walk yesterday evening. I wondered why, what happened? I finally figured it out. It’s my body! I noted that my neck is light, straight without feeling the tug, stiffness. My back, font chest and lower back felt “opened up”. The steps are easy to make without feeling the dull pain from the lower back. It just felt like a bended piece of metal got straighten up. Now, I realize how much it has an impact on me all this time.

Something that simple yet it changed my mood. I feel happy and hopeful. I guest I should never take my body for granted.

I came to Steve via a recommendation from a good friend who knows and respects her body and isn’t interested in a quick, fad fix- that’s a strong, word of mouth recommendation. I’m an avid runner and gym owner who had been battling an old shoulder injury that was literally impairing my ability to push my runs to the level I wanted to.

To sum up Steve’s approach. He doesn’t believe in quick fixes, but he also wants your body to heal to a point where you don’t NEED to see him – he wants you to heal and move on with your life…he knows how the body moves, works, and interplays, therefore when you see him for (insert ailment here) he doesn’t just treat that area. He looks at the whole system to see what other parts of your body may be causing the symptoms you’re experiencing. It’s utterly fascinating to learn about your body in the process.

What I like most about Steve is that you get an entire one-on-one session for him to assess, ask questions, and problem solve with you – unlike many other PTs who just see you for 10 minutes, move things around, and hand you off. He’s incredibly hands on, explain his theory in great detail, and is incredibly dedicated to seeing you through the healing process.

I am a huge fan of Steve and his approach to healing, and highly recommend him.

You were truly fantastic. You gave me the understanding and the tools to help me manage my own body under different situations and difficult conditions. The most important thing was that you listened to me first which allowed you to better understand how to coach me given my knowledge base and personal understand of my body and my unique situation. In doing so you helped me connect the dots on a few issues that I didn’t quite understand. I now feel empowered by this new understanding.

Thanks Steve – you the man.

I am overly satisfied with Dr. Steve Politis’ expertise in the physical therapy realm. Truly a Body & Movement Extraordinaire

Dr. Steve Politis’ understanding of the holistic well-being is impressive. He is a wonderful person who has a level of integrity, understanding, knowledge, and skill that is strongly recognized by people in the Santa Barbara community.

I am very happy to have been introduced to Dr. Politis, who helped fix (in so far as that is a good word) a bad knee and allow me to start running again. Box Jumps, here I come ! Thanks also to my coach Kristiana Almeida for having made the introduction.

My involvement with Steve was after I had colon cancer surgery. With the surgery over and successful, Steve prepared a plan of exercise and conditioning to aid in the healing process and to eliminate scar tissue issues.

He demonstrated each exercise and had me do the routine to be sure that I was doing each correctly.

Steve is the consummate professional PT Doctor as evidenced by his medical degrees and Fellowships.

Steve talks through each session in plain language and does not use long medical terms to impress his patients.

I highly recommend Steve as your go to Physical Therapist.

I went to Steve for chronic intermittent hip pain that had been addressed but never eradicated by other body professionals. Our one session was in three parts: Diagnosis; Treatment; Homework. During the Diagnosis portion he observed my walk in several variations of stride and position, then in Treatment he worked on my body in ways I had never experienced (straps and range of motion) and finally in Homework he taught me exercises and stretches specific to my ailment. I’ve been performing my Homework faithfully and feel much better. The ailment is not completely gone, however, so I am looking forward to additional sessions.

His work is totally unlike any other practitioner I’ve experienced and in addition to his impressive academic resume, he demonstrates extraordinary command of anatomy, motion and exercise, It doesn’t hurt that Steve appears to practice what he preaches and has the physique of a Greek god or that he’s funny, warm, smart and compassionate. I cannot recommend him highly enough.

I’ve had the pleasure to know and work professionally with Dr. Steve for about 5 years. His dual fellowship trained credentials are distinctive, his knowledge and skills are exceptional, and his caring authentic. He’s an attentive listener, capable of finding and fixing complex and stubborn biomechanical problems. He’s earned my trust and confidence. It is a privilege to recommend him.

Thank you for being so tremendously instrumental in ending my years of debilitating back and leg pain. After having about a dozen sessions with you last year, I have been pain free. The Physical Therapy you provided included adding specific new exercises and makingchanges in my existing weight training and aerobic exercise programs.

As I mentioned when we met last September, I began suffering back pain at age 21, and by the time I met you at age 63, I had not enjoyed more than a few days of relief since that time. At 21, I began to search out the best practitioners of yoga, exercise, mind control and eating programs. For over 30 years I have paid for and endured extensive Rolfing, chiropractic and every type of massage. I have stretched, cracked, cleansed, medicated, herbed, balanced, relaxed, punctured, floated, vibrated and hung upside down. Many well-trained and kind healers from all perspectives, including Western Medicine, gave me their time and effort, but to no avail.

About 2 years ago, the pain, along with alarming numbness, began taking over my hips, legs and feet. I had to stop teaching art after 33 years, I also stopped traveling by plane, gardening, throwing parties, biking, sight-seeing, and even was busy trying to figure out how to cook in 10 minute spurts. There was no position I could take to relieve pain so I could read or enjoy a meal, take a nap or sleep comfortably. I own a variety of orthopedic shoes, chairs, pillows, and even a leaning stool by Mojo. I took a combination of Tylenol and ibuprofen an hour before I had dinner guests, business meetings, or to sleep for a few hours.

Astonishingly, I have been without pain for over three months. In early March, I spent 6 hours touring the Getty Museum. Last weekend I spent four hours gardening and yesterday I got down and vacuumed like hell under my antique beds. Then I vacuumed drapes and chandeliers. Next week is grout cleaning!

While I tend to have a positive attitude, it took me a several weeks to accept that I am actually well. I am very thankful to you and I am completely filled with joy. (A thanks also to my MD, Dr. Dennis K. Baker, who talked me out of seeing a neurologist and suggested trying a third Physical Therapist.)

I will be posting this letter on my Facebook Page. Consider having such a page for your business…and post some rugby photos, too!

Please post this letter. And please live long, and prosper.

Steve is literally as good as it gets. If I could give Steve a single golden star, to represent the highest possible recommendation that I could give to a person on Earth — I would have given it to him in a heartbeat.

My story of how I came to work with Steve is long, and you don’t want to hear it. I was in a gnarly motorcycle accident, and had been in and out of hospitals/Orthos/PTs offices for 6 months. I was getting NOWHERE, and not for lack of trying. The worst part was, I was in constant, excruciating pain.

Cue Steve.

First of all — Steve gave me the most thorough evaluation I had had, out of AT LEAST 30 medical professionals. That kind of thing puts you at ease, when your neck and spine and hip are all in constant spasm, you know? You want the people touching you to BE CAREFUL.

The staff with whom he works are professional, the facility is nice and they take extra steps to make communication/scheduling/payments easy and accessible (email reminders/Square pay/etc.).

Then there’s the part where the work that we did together, and the work he assigned for me to do at home….well….it worked.

I saw him once a week, and within 2 months, the constant throbbing headache that I had — went away. Within 4 months, I was jogging. I know you cannot possibly know HOW BIG A DEAL THIS IS — but I had had doctors telling me that I *might* be able to *consider* getting back to working out — at the 1.5 YEAR mark (of working with them).

If I believed in miracles, I’d tell you he was a miracle worker. But I don’t. I believe there are people who are exceptionally talented at what they do — and sometimes you are lucky enough to cross paths with them, when you need them the most. Throughout the course of our working together, Steve not only demonstrated himself to be a careful, thorough evaluator — but an innovative and tireless partner in my road to healing. His professionalism and genius are only underscored by his trustworthiness and empathy.

You would be hard pressed to find a more valuable asset on your road to recovery.

Steve is an incredibly talented physical therapist. I can’t recommend him enough. I saw Steve in the latter part of 2014 for a back injury I suffered from working out a few months prior. I had been seeing some other physical therapists for the injury, but it kept recurring. I was pretty sure it was a strained muscle in my thoracic spine, and I had dull pain most of the time in my mid back that would turn into shooting pain on a regular basis. After almost four months of on-and-off pain wasn’t seeing much progress at all. I had difficulty sleeping, too.

Steve took a very different approach than the previous therapists. Instead of just rushing into familiar movements immediately, he spent a considerable amount of time asking me questions about the injury and other injuries I had sustained in years past, and watching my entire body when I’d walk and twist my back. This gave him a much bigger picture into my physical state than my past therapists cared to see.

After a session or two of observing and doing some basic mobility, he explained in very simple terms how he thought my injury was actually related to my lumbar spine and related to a skiing injury I had sustained a few years ago. The goal became to increase the mobility of the lumbar spine to decrease the strains on my thoracic spine, and to also increase hip mobility. His insight to connect these effects was remarkable to me.

For the remainder of my treatment, Steve worked with me to develop very specific exercises to target mobility and increasing movement. And this was also remarkable since previously I had been focusing on restricting movement.

Steve’s exercise treatments seemed, at first, elaborate and unfamiliar, as they moved in multiple planes of motion. While complex, I stuck with these exercises as best I could, and every week he had new, fresh ideas on how to improve and expand on them. Many of them focus on getting the body to move in completely new ways to energize the areas of concern and develop mental awareness of the body.

After about 2 months of weekly treatment, the pain I had experienced had all but gone, and I was able to return to my regular exercise programs.

Steve is very thorough, easy to understand, and cheerful. I’ve never quite met anybody like him, and can’t thank him enough for his help.

I have been to countless physical therapists for a chronic shoulder injury and FINALLY found Dr. Steve post-surgery. He is by far the best physical therapist I have ever worked with and I would recommend him to anyone seeking physical therapy. I have been seeing Dr. Steve for several months now and can confidently say that my shoulders feel the strongest and most stable they have ever felt. Dr. Steve always comes up with clever exercises that are challenging and incorporate full body/dynamic movements. Dr. Steve is an all-around great guy and incredible physical therapist – go see him if you are in need of PT!

As a competitive CrossFit coach and athlete, I get exposed to a lot of different variants and fads when it comes to sports medicine. Everybody seems to have a seemingly unique way of approaching injury and prevention. The problem is most of them don’t work…especially in the long term.”

“After a few sessions with Steve, he identified the ROOT cause of my shoulder issue and helped with both immediate pain relief and the longterm solution. I recommend him for his services and refer quite a bit of clients to him.

After sustaining a traumatic shoulder injury (not chronic) earlier this year that resulted in a labral tear, I saw a number of surgeons with differing opinions. The first Dr. said surgery, and subsequent opinions included trying PT before surgery or instead of surgery. By recommendation of fellow climbing friends, I met with Steve. He worked with me for 10 sessions over the last 3 months, tailoring very specifically to my needs as a climber, with every session building on the previous. Steve always prepared exercises for each meeting, and I was very grateful for how motivated he was to help me get back to and beyond my former shoulder stability and strength. I am back to climbing at my personal best level and continuing with the exercises he taught me.”

“Steve is always polite, encouraging, and clearly very talented at what he does. I would recommend him highly to anyone.