Physical Therapy
Kelly offers performance-based physical therapy at his gym, San Francisco Crossfit. His progressive therapeutic approach uniquely utilizes Crossfit-based strength and conditioning rehabilitation and cutting-edge Australian-based manual therapy to achieve superior athletic and functional outcomes. His patients and athletes recover more quickly, enjoy greater fitness, and are empowered to manage and avoid future orthopedic injury and dysfunction.
Because Kelly’s practice is performance based, many world-class athletes and coaches utilize his physical therapy services to resolving nagging training limitations like limited joint range of motion and soft tissue dysfunction.
Kelly has an established history of working with national Olympic Lifting champions to improve their shoulder range of motion on the way to setting national records, MMA fighters to improve the effectiveness of their hip position in guard, elite ballet dancers to improve the quality of their pointe, and Olympic champion rowers to improve their mid-line stabilization. Kelly believes that elite athletic performance and sound orthopedic function are one and the same.
» View availability and request an appointment for Physical Therapy
Phone Consultations
Although in-person physical therapy appointments are preferred, phone consultations (including international calls via Skype) with Kelly Starrett are available for those who live out of the area or are otherwise unable to make it to San Francisco CrosSFit. These 50-minute phone consultations can be used to discuss current orthopedic injuries, your current plan of care, your long-term recovery planning, or just for general advice.
» View availability and request an appointment for Phone Consultations
Specialized Coaching
Kelly specializes in world-class coaching for athletes who are recovering from an injury or with unique orthopedic needs. During periods of injury or after surgery, there is no need to stop training. On the contrary, Kelly views these times of athletic transition as genuine opportunities to further develop areas of weakness, to facilitate healing processes, and continue to advance athletic progress. Additionally, Kelly develops comprehensive programs for athletes with chronic orthopedic dysfunction (herniated discs, joint replacement, back pain, shoulder impingment, knee pain, patella dysfunction, etc.). Kelly is able to modify, substitute, and scale our athletic programming to allow for maximal results while maintaining and enhancing pain free function.
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40 Responses to “Physical Therapy”
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Hey Kstar, I really have been enjoyng Mwod.I came aboard in Sep 2010. Recently after a DN certification course I have added dry needling to the mobs after localizing the area of interest with a lacrosse ball. Nothing like a 4 incher in the glutes to make it real. Out of curoisty what is the manual tx from OZ that you use? All the best, Greg
Hello all! Can anyone reccommend a massage therapist in the Chicago area that actually understands myofascial trigger point therapy? I’ve tried a couple that *say* they do on their websites only to get a deep tissue rubdown, skipping over the trigger points. Thanks! - Jim
I think I can help you out! Check out http://www.chicagorecoveryroom.com for more info on my services! I’m a PT, athletic trainer and massage therapist with advanced training in ART and other deep tissue/myofascial releases….I’d love to help you out!
Kelly, I don’t know where to begin… many of the topics you educate us on hit me like a ton of bricks. I’m 32, 6’8, 220lbs and have severe spinal arthritis. Yes I walk and run like a duck that caused me to grow a new calcaneus. Yes I used to slam my heels into the ground thinking i would jump higher. Yes I over exstend when I squat and deadlift probably causing my facets to degenerate after I extruded my L5-S1 disc AND YES my parents always got me the hardest bed for my back because that is what the doctor said would help me. I had the worst range of motion to the point all my coaches would make fun of me for being so stiff. I look at my dad now at 75 and I think how stiff he was even when he was younger that his students thought that he had a stroke…. literally. My only hope is that this knowledge that you have provided will enable me to have a longer more active life with my children, so that I can help them avoid a situation like mine. The worst part for me is that my 8 year old boy, who is already 5’1″, has the same issues I had/have that it scares the crap out of me. I do not want him to endure my mistakes and be left a spine like mine. Thank you so much for sharing with us, and please don’t ever stop.
PS Where can I buy those bands you use. I constantly feel like I can’t get my right hip into position to do anything. I wish I could rip it out and reattach it.
Later,
Alex
Peoria, IL
Have you or especially your son been evaluated by a Chiropractor?
To Alex,
Hello my name is Henry a soft tissue therapist and corrective movement therapist. Reading your post I felt like I had to chime in if its ok with you. If I was you I would invest some money into a foam roller which should probably cost you around 20 bucks for starters. I would probably want to attack mobility to your calves ( gastroc/soleus) , Hip area (rectus femoris, adductor complex, IT Band and glute area) and then create some movement to your mid spine (thoracic spine). Those 3 areas are called torque converters, they allow with proper elasticity efficient movement to occur for most body mechanics that we do for the course of the day. Our body functions most efficiently in rotation, almost every body mechanic that we do has la rotation component to it. example: Walking,squatting, pulling, etc. If you need me to explain I will. But the first thing you need to do is attack your soft tissue structures to allow your body to become elastic, so it can absorb and disperse forces efficiently and create optimal environment for movement. If there are restrictions steming from obstruction of mechanics it will hinder optimal and efficient movement with compensated body mechanics resulting in injury/pain. Hope this helps bud…
Alex, get the bands at Rogue Fitness online. They are awesome. I get the green medium range ones. They are plenty strong if you stretch them further but not so inflexible that they have no give.
My name is Samuel Selay, I am 26, have served in the United States Marine Corps since 2003, have some joint/orthopedic problems and wanted to see if I can get your perspective if you would be willing. I have been crossfitting on my own since July of 2009, but think my current injuries are a major constraint. I stumbled over your mobility wod site and think the work you do with performance based orthopedic sports medicine is amazing.
First off, I have a low back problem which I have not gotten looked at by medical. The problem is I get a throbbing back pain whenever I do any kind of work in fairly large loads. Usually it comes from any kind of core work, kb swings, deadlifts, box hops, sumo deadlift high pulls, running longer distances, and longer wods in duration 25+ min. Also, my deadlift is significantly lower compared to the rest of my lifts. The last time I did the cf total my dl was 355, squat 340, and shoulder press 170. Doing 225 deadlifts in wods takes a lot out of me. I think it might be from a weak core, a possible flexibility issue, or my other muscles are stronger, advanced, and can handle heavier loads. I also have had a long history of my core being weaker than the rest of my body when I played football, and wrestled in high school. Recently after recovering from a patella tendentious I have been doing core, gymnastic, and oh squats & bench press for strength. I am kind of convinced that I really should be focusing on body control, flexibility, core rather than the strength and Olympic lifting side right now. I follow the main site and modify when I need to.
Second, in November before I hurt my knee I was working my split jerks and heavy over head press and I felt a pinching sharp pain when doing any over head press, or even HSPU. Since then I was cautions and even stopped doing any overhead presses, & HSPU. I recently got it looked at got x-rays and was diagnosed with supraspinatus impingement. The therapist told me that my tendon was rubbing against my spur bone. I was prescribed some exercises such as external, internal rotations, the sleeper stretch, close grip row, and shoulder pendulum flexion extension. I was told if these exercises don’t correct my injury I will need surgery to shave down my spur bone. I also can feel my shoulder roll in place if I twist it will grabbing the steering wheel or something similar. There is also popping. I can do bench, dips, pushups and any other shoulder movements fine except if it’s a pressing overhead or hspu’s. I want to get back into overhead pressing and hspu’s.
Aloha Coach K! First of all, I just wanted to say that I enjoy visiting your website whenever time allows whether off duty or on. The reason I write is because I wanted to know what movements I could or should be doing for an injury to my knee. I have patella femorral syndrome of the right knee from overuse after returning from Iraq in 2008. Being in the military police career field, I need my knees to be fully functional, especially when running around over varied terrain during field exercises and real-world situations. This injury has inhibited my progression with heavier lifts when I workout at my local CrossFit box, and it’s been being a pain when it comes to running faster during my pt tests. I’ve seen a military physical therapist, as well as a joint specialist at a local hospital off post. However, none of the recommendations given to me are working to make my knee better. I was prescribed mild pain killers and given a set of exercises which fail to show any improvement, as I now have inflammation in both the right and left knees, hahaha. I feel like my docs are kinda giving me the run around when it comes to my knee problem, and I’d just like to know what you’d suggest I could do mobility-wise to improve my knee myself. Anything would be helpful at this point, as I think I’ve pretty much exhausted any hope in the Air Force military medical system helping me in correcting my knee. Thanks in advance Sir!
Episode 59: Upstream and Downstream (knee-itis). And the Bear, Episode 107/365: A Friend Calls With Knee “itis” Below the Patella, Episode 237/365: Heel Cord Love, Episode 253/365: Knee Pain Case Study, Episode 267/365: MobRx for Lound, Creaky Knees, Episode 281/365: Runner’s Legs and Hip Extension, Episode 305/365: Solving Problems With The Tunnel: The Foot Strike
There are several others that hit aspects of knee pain do a search using knee.
Also go to the CrossFit Journal Kelly has a 3 part series “Solving Knee Problems” and “Ready State and Injury”
Thanks Kaitlin! I feel like a tard for not thinking of doing that in the first place, hehe. I’ll definitely check out the episodes you posted, as well as use the search option this time around.
Kelly,
I just want to thank you for giving all of us this resource, especially seeing as it has convinced me that this is the path I want to take with my career. I will be applying to DPT programs next spring after I finish all the left over prerequisites, going to school part time.
I was just curious where I can get PT training similar to yours in these newer methods of mobility? Once I get the required education I would like to specialize in elite athletes the way you have. Has your specialization taken place just through your experience as a PT or was your DPT graduate school helpful in training to think outside the box in that regard? I’ve never gone to a PT that uses lacrosse balls and bands the way you do, but I would certainly like to learn to think outside the box in this way. Any advice would be helpful!
Also, on a side note, just wondering when your book is coming out?
Thanks!
Jeremy
Kelly worked with me following a patella injury that put me on the couch for eight months. I’ve been a pro or semi-pro athlete for over 10 years in both whitewater kayaking and adventure racing. Mobility and movement is key in both my sports and I can’t afford any time away from training. Within one month, using Kelly’s revolutionary flossing and lacrosse ball techniques, I put myself back on the starting line and learned new paradigms, ideas, and techniques to keep myself injury free. One hour with this guy and you will be a believer. Become a supple leopard……
I’m from Long Island, New York and the crossfit I go to posted one of your videos on their site, so I stumbled across your site. I am 18 years old and have a mild retrolisthesis in L5-S1 and the pain has taken me away from crossfit for a few months. I went to a couple doctors and got similar information from all of them. “Just be careful, avoid this lift and that lift.” Nobody gave me any advice as to how to relieve the pain, strengthen the area and get back into crossfit. I was hoping you had some advice about relieving back pain and helping me get back into one of the best things that’s ever happened to me, crossfit.
hey k-star
wondering if there is any good stretches or mobility workouts to help my lower back ! im getting a real tight soreness and the roller doesnt seem to hit the spot or help out atall
thanks
levi
hey kelly, love your web site, and have gotten very interested in human movement. I keep getting confused on when you want internal or external rotation. I am looking for a suggestion for a resource on movemnet, book text book anything. any suggestions would be much appreciated. thanks zak
Kstar MWOD is awesome. Do you every do programs or classes in SoCal? You could do a whole months worth of vids on my mobility issues.
This is an amazing site and Kelly has a ton of knowledge. Any chance Kelly or anyone else knows of someone in Seattle with this knowledge of mobility? I am 6’9″ and still trying to resolve stiff ankles and hips to help alleviate my patellar tendonosis from volleybal. Thanks.
Jay- You aren’t going to find another person with Kelly’s knowledge base and ability to apply that knowledge across such a wide base of situations. Or have the lasting results that his athletes experience. Kelly is one of a kind.
Just pulled my lower back upper gluteal region. Would like some suggestions on how to stretch and strength train once the initial healing has passed.
Anyone with experience regaining knee flexion - after a total knee replacement? Is ‘voodoo’ banding appropriate? I just can’t bend if much past 90 degrees, after one year out - scar tissue?
Monty,
I have one new athlete who just joined that had a complete knee replacement in his lift knee (he’s actually the dad of one of the girls I train.) Anyway, I have done a bunch of voodoo flossing with him and have seen great results. His knee flexion has greatly improved and also feels “looser”
However, the other we were doing some joint capsule mobilizing of the hip, and that one had the best results, according to him. Basically the same one K Starr was doing in his “Joint Mobility” video on the CrossFit Journal.
So yeah, both have been working very well and he is squatting with full range of motion with very minimal soreness. I’m not a PT by any means, but the voodoo band and hip approximation seem to be working for that athlete…
I was looking at the rehab from surgery issue and was just curious of what the appropriate load exercises you would suggest for a torn biceps tendon. Pronation is seemingly at 100%, though supination is considerably less, not pain really, just lack of original range of motion. I am 7 weeks out and feeling great, just don’t want to push it too fast. I was thinking, ring rows/band pull-ups for the first 3*5 but I was stumped by the second. Should I go to another loading exercise like a light deadlift for a iso-hold or should I go to the apposing muscle group and incorporate a push exercise. Thanks for your time.
First of all-GREAT WEBSITE! Thanks for putting all of this great information in one place.
I have had a recent knee surgery (about a month) to repair several meniscus tears in one of my knees. I am trying to get back to CrossFitting and being myself again, but I am having a hard time getting back to basics with no pain. Can you suggest any resources for me to investigate?
I appreciate any help!!
Thank you SOOOOOOOO much for what you are doing on this site. I’m totally addicted.
Question: Do you ever work with riders/equestrians? We are a totally fouled up group when it comes to body mechanics and most of what we are taught by trainers and instructors is so awfully bad. I’m able to adapt so much of what you offer to what I need but I’m just curious if the horse world has tapped into you (yet!!!).
Please don’t stop K-Star!!!!!
I have especially weak hip flexors and am struggling with Crossfit as a result. Any suggestions on how to increase strength and flexibility there?
Kelly,
I watched you yesterday on Creative Live and you talked a lot about injuries. I searched your site for scar tissue advice, but didn’t see anything. I had my knee replaced 2 yrs ago and the range of motion wasn’t quite what I wanted to be able to be active in different sports, so my doctor put me under and manipulated my knee, and a long story short, it’s been 2 yrs and I can only bend my knee about 30%. I had another operation to burn off scar tissue, but got a blood clot which caused more problems.
I would like to know if it is possible to work thru this massive scar tissue problem without trying another operation? I saw you using a rolling pin on the show, I’ll try that. Any other ideas or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. This problem is starting to cause other problems in my other leg.
thanks
Michael Regnier
Michael- Yes, it is possible to work through a considerable amount of scar tissue. I say this because I have done it using Kelly’s resources and his help. Yes, it takes time and continuous work, but I was seeing improvements the entire time.
Mine was in my calf so there are some differences. Kelly has a series on the CrossFit Journal Solving Knee Problems Parts 1-3, Healing Tissue, and Tissue Healing Phases that can help with your situation. Do a search here on a specific issue you are experiencing. For example knee range of motion and episodes will pull that address the issue.
I worked with restoring proper movement patterns, and proper positioning in all areas of my life. As you are more organized and moving properly things start to change, and things that don’t belong have a way of working themselves out.
Once it tears you have a new set of things to go to work on.
Thanks for the response Kaitlin. I did as you suggested, but I think I have a bigger problem since I can only bend my knee about 20 to 30 degrees and then it won’t go any further and the pain can be quite severe if I try and force it. It’s been two years since my surgery. I guess I’ll keep trying the deep tissue massage, but it just doesn’t seem to help.
I’ll dig deeper on the CrossFit Journal.
thanks
Michael
Michael- Yes you may have something more which would require seeing a doctor. If it is something beyond your knowledge get help.
Working with mobility can be one part of the solution and can help by freeing up things above and below of what you are seeing. Thing up/down stream of what you are seeing maybe where the actual cause of the problem lies. Look at the amount of rom that is restored on some of Kelly’s videos with doing a mob once. Some require consistent attendion as the muscles/tissue adjust to the changed positioning and can hold the new position. Your issue may be something that will take time to work through, but starting is a key.
Kelly,
What are your thoughts on aching pain in hip flexor area after squatting deep? I’m talking about a 10 minute squat test where I must hold on to a band like your wife does in Episode 120: 10 Min Squat Test #4. Wondering if it’s me trying to stabilize my torso/not fall backwards. Thanks in advance, huge fan.
~ Tim
Had back surgery April 1995, lamenctomy L5S1. Since that time certain movements will cause my lower back to swell 3-4x the normal size.
Wondering if its scar tissue that’s causing the problem. The swelling usually takes 5+ days to go away(sometimes more).
New to MWOD, but after watching a few of your videos, I am pretty sure you will have the answer. I am in Afghanistan right now so I can’t do an “in person” appt but I plan on a doing phone consult here shortly.
For about 3 years now when I do anything that requires some serious hip movement, which is about everything and anything worth a damn my right hip joint seems to too tight, almost like the ball is slipping out. After a little bit it somehow drops or slips back in. The other day I was doing knees to elbows and again my right hip was uncomfortable when trying to get my leg to stretch out on the way down. After the workout I had my medic friend pull my leg into a little traction and as soon as I went to sit back up, bending forward, it seems like it slipped back in and felt much better. Not sure if this is muscle, joint, tendon…. but it does not feel normal. This happens whenever I do extreme hip movements and generally in the beginning of the warmup or workout. Not any serious pain just not comfortable. Any insight is appreciated.
Cheers,
Justin
Hi Kelly,
What are your thoughts on a 45 year old woman returning to CrossFit after a total hip replacement?
Thanks,
Tammy
I had a full hip replacement also, on my left side. I would love any info on the thoughts of crossfit also being limited in range of motion.
Thanks
Terry
Terry- Do you have restrictions on what you are able to do? If you have limited range of motion this is something that will need attention. Have you watched the episodes that hit on post surgery/post injury and returning to training? I would speak with a coach your CrossFit affiliate about setting up time to start back. Wouldn’t be a bad idea to do the elements/on ramp program again so you can spend some time going through the mechanics/technique of each skills.
I just had an idea the other day, as i was sitting around mobilizing and wondering if i was doing some of the mobs correctly. It may be a pretty bad idea, but just bear with me here. I was curious if you have ever considered hosting a free (or paid) webinar? One where you could stream it at your time, but in a chat we could ask personalized questions on how to properly perform the mobs 100% correctly. You could do a follow along one for a head to toe mob to do every once in a whikle if you have more time to spend mobbing. It could be something similar to justin.tv layout or a webinar system like this http://www.gotomeeting.com/fec/webinar . Anyways it might not be a good idea i was just curious.
Michael- Kelly has a free 2 day course Jan 30/31 on Creative Live titled “Maintaining Your Body” http://tinyurl.com/apalfjf
Kelly,
I’ve used a bunch of your MWOD videos to help correct some of my flexibility issues, Thanks they real made a big improvement. Is there one or do you any advice for keeping your feet from getting to wide apart in the snatch squat. On the landing of my feet they tend to get out beyond shoulder with. I think its a flexibility issue I just don’t know where
Frank- Do a search for snatch and it will pull the episodes that hit different elements to improve your snatch. It may be something up stream or down stream of where you are seeing the problem.