expertise

Patient Reviews

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5/5

114 Reviews

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5/5

50 Reviews

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13 Reviews

5/5
Ryan is the best physical therapist I have had the pleasure of working with. The care he provides is top-notch. He is professional in every manner of his work. The hard work he puts in to figuring out the best plan to getting someone back to full heath is top level. Best therapist around!
Matt Polster
Professional soccer player for Chicago Fire SC
5/5
Maral is the real deal. As an 11 year NFL veteran running back, I have worked with many therapist and trainers. I appreciate Maral’s ability to assess movement deficiencies, identify where the restrictions in my body are and come up with a detailed plan during treatment as well as for me to do on my own. From the first day I worked with Maral she set out to understand my goals and do everything she could to help me accomplish them. We went through countless test and retest session after session to ensure maximum results. She is attentive to detail, she listens and really tries to understand what I’m feeling and what I want to accomplish. I appreciate her passion and energy that she brings to every session. Maral loves her work and I’ve watched how she cares about every patient . I appreciate her willingness to think outside of the box, her desire and appetite to learn and her determination to find a solution at all cost.
Tim Hightower
NFL Running Back
5/5
I was referred to Avant last autumn after my back and shoulder were injured during a move to Seattle. The pain I was experiencing left me unable to sit at work and travel obligations left me exhausted. I worked with Kate who quickly helped me strengthen and heal. After 3 months I was seriously running again and at 7 months I completed a marathon. I now know how to protect my vulnerable spots and, at a minimum, have a trusted place to go if I relapse. Thanks to Kate (and Casey at the front desk) for making the experience so positive.
Nicholas L
5/5
Ryan Perry has dedicated his life to physical therapy, completing an advanced doctoral degree, post-doctoral fellowship, and countless hours of post-graduate coursework to establish himself as one of the leaders in our profession. He cares deeply for his patients and will bring a high level of expertise to his new home in the Seattle area.
Kris Cooper
PT, DPT, MTC, OCS, FAAOMPT
5/5
After playing eighteen years of competition soccer, seven years of professional soccer & five major surgeries, I was blessed with the best medical personal I’ve ever had. I would trust Maral with any piece of my training/therapy, shoot MY LIFE! I have worked with numerous medical professionals in my college career and my international career. Maral is the most educated & dedicated medical support staff member I’ve worked with. Not only do I appreciate her professionalism with me I also appreciate her professionalism with EVERY single client. It doesn’t matter if you are an athlete returning from an ACL or a non athlete, she treats everyone the BEST and with the most respect. She cares about each clients path and their well being. I could literally go on and on about what Maral brings to the table.
Lauryn Hutchinson
Trinidad & Tobago Womens National Football Team
5/5
I had the immense honor to meet and work with Ryan Perry while working with the Chicago Fire prior to moving to Atlanta to work with my current club, Atlanta United F.C. We were responsible for the evaluation and treatment of our team’s players. Ryan was able to establish a great relationship with our players, creating a very comfortable and respectful environment for them to allow us to care for their injuries and needs in general. Ryan was always effective, compassionate, and flexible in delivery og evidenced-based strategies and interventions. He has an unbelievable understanding of human movement and biomechanics, along with impeccable knowledge of manual therapy skills and therapeutic exercise; he is without a doubt an outstanding clinician and an even better individual. To this day, I still consult with Ryan regularly to get his clinical expertise and opinion with complicated cases that I am dealing with.
Mario Cruz
DPT, SCS, ATC -Director of Sports Medicine: Atlanta United F.C.
5/5
Seriously so grateful for Ronni. She knows our patients’ needs and schedules like the back of her hand and works incredibly hard to make sure every single patient gets in when they need to. She’s also a wizard helping people understand and communicate with their insurance companies. Ronni makes everyone’s day easier and more fun.
Kate
5/5
Ronni makes a seamless transition for each patient from their first phone call to graduation ceremony in PT. She leads our Front Office and team with a calm demeanor, can-do attitude, and willingness to tackle any issue that comes her way. Our patients and staff are so lucky to have her as the first touch point at Avant PT.
Laura
5/5

Bianca is skilled at understanding the body’s complex interactions, and what the patient wants to achieve. She was able to relieve my chronic back condition and keep it pain-free.

Paul M.
5/5

Bianca helped me with SI pain I’d had for some time, and I can’t be happier with the results since seeing her. She has both the knowledge and the art. I have been able to manage my pain-free state since.

Cathleen S.
5/5

Bianca saw me for sciatic pain during my pregnancy. Due to her efforts and knowledge, she was able to eliminate my pain. She had faith I would get better when I was ready to quit.

Marielle M.
5/5

I started PT with Bianca before my rotator cuff surgery and continued with her after it. People regularly tell me they can’t believe I ever had the surgery. Bianca was instrumental in my recovery.

Lisa M.
5/5

I walked into Avant Physical Therapy nearly immobilized by pain just days before I was scheduled to go on stage and perform. From my very first appointment, Laura kept me on the long-term healing path, while managing my immediate needs as a performer. Laura’s knowledge of the dancing body and her awareness of movement from a dancer’s perspective make her one of the most exceptional physical therapists in Seattle.

Justin R.
5/5

Laura with Avant PT is the best physical therapist I know! My back was in bad shape after my first daughter was born, and I had tried everything and everyone. When I met Laura she gave me a plan, was a great problem-solver (my situation was a bit of a puzzle) and I saw immediate, positive results after working with her for only a short time.

Abbey L.
5/5
Ronni is a superstar. She definitely keeps the clinic running smoothly and helps with much of the ‘behind the scenes work’. She is always willing to help and does so with a smile! She is definitely a tremendous asset to the clinic, and we are so grateful to have her here!
Ryan
5/5

Katie was fantastic throughout the entire process. I had a grade 3 sprain in which I snapped a ligament and now am trail running again. They were always prepared and professional. Really know what they are doing and wonderful people!

Erica Y.
5/5

Hands down, the best PT I’ve ever been to. Laura is a wonderful, upbeat person and and amazing therapist, and unlike many PT’s she spends the entire hour with you. She’s also very good with difficult cases. I’ve had an ongoing back issue for several years and have tried everything. I’d pretty much given up on ever really getting better. In one month Laura helped me more than anyone else had been able to.

Tanya J.
5/5

I have tremendous respect for Laura Bannister. She is incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. She understands the demands of being a professional dancer and takes into account the goals and desires of each unique patient. She not only comes up with a plan for a speedy recovery but makes sure you always leave the office feeling better than when you came in.

Mia M.
5/5

Brenna Murray is amazing! I had been having lateral knee pain whenever I ran and needed to get better for an upcoming half-marathon. Brenna took the time to listen and understand my experience, pain, and needs. She was thorough, patient, and insightful during each stage of my evaluation and treatment. Her sunny personality and good humor set me at ease while her determination and resolve challenged me to try new exercises and get stronger. My knee is better and I’m an improved runner because of her expertise, diligence, and encouragement. If you are looking for a physical therapist, I strongly recommend Brenna.

Jenna H.
5/5

It was clear from the get-go that each exam and treatment is thorough, which I appreciated. Katie’s demeanor and encouragement also made recovery much less burdensome than I anticipated, as back pain can be no fun. I also really appreciated her attention to detail (beyond just vague don’t-slouch-advice) and easy explanations, as it really helped me to better understand some pitfalls for my back in everyday movement (and couch-potato-non-movement) and ways I can proactively strengthen muscles for my back. I just hope I can retain it all going into the future.

Roger H.
5/5

I started my PT a few months ago at Avant. Kate helped me with two separate issues related to knee pain, and neck & shoulder pain. Kate analyzed my history related to these issues, listening to what I had to say, answering my questions, creating tailored exercise programs, and tuning them based on my progress & feedback. Besides being skilled at PT, she is a wonderful person. She genuinely took an interest in my well-being, making me feel comfortable and confident – I feel much better now, thanks to Kate! And Casey made it easy to schedule the sessions with my busy work schedule. I would highly recommend Avant PT, and especially Kate, for physical therapy needs.

P. Sangal
5/5

Last summer I had plantar fasciitis and I started doing stretches at home with minor improvement. After almost two months of suffering on my own I decided to go to get some help. I would highly recommend Avant. The treatment I received was very personalized and attentive. Kate Amsden very quickly understood my body’s weaknesses and created an evolving plan to strengthen each one. After a few sessions with Kate I was seeing and feeling improvement. Now that I have finished my treatment, not only am I recovered but I am stronger in all daily activities.

Angie T.
5/5
Ronni glues this team together and makes sure that there is never so much as a glitch, hiccup, or yawn in communication. A person’s interaction with front office administration sets the tone for the rest of their experience with the clinic, and I feel so fortunate to have a solid member of our team. She is also a killer horseback rider!
Bianca
5/5

Experts in working with dancers and other high level athletes. Laura Bannister and her staff take great care of all dance medicine patients I send for an evaluation. I appreciate their careful eye and detailed approach to developing a treatment plan that helps my patients achieve their functional goals in as short a time frame as possible.

Dr. Matthew Grierson
5/5
I was recently dealing with a vestibular issue, commonly known as BPPV, and I was absolutely miserable. For those that don’t know, this is where you experience sudden onsets of vertigo, and it can be absolutely debilitating. Not knowing anything about it, I went to my primary care doctor for this, and he suggested I see a physical therapist. I haven’t had much prior experience with physical therapy, so I wasn’t sure where to go. A friend of mine referred me to Avant Physical Therapy, and I can’t stress enough how good of a referral that was. They are knowledgeable, caring and really go out of their way to make sure you are getting the right attention. With the help of one of their knowledgeable therapists, Dr. Kate Amsden, I was back to my normal self in no time! Obviously, the hope is that one never has to see a doctor of any kind, but I gotta say, I’m gonna miss the staff at Avant! They are the best. Hands down.
Bryce H.
5/5
I would highly recommend Avant Physical Therapy to my friends, family, and coworkers… to everyone! Here’s why: I had back surgery in July 2016. After I finally got the okay to go back to dancing and working out, I would go to stretch to my right side and found the same pain I had before surgery was still there. It felt like my leg needed to be torn apart and put back together in order for the pain to go away. I began seeing Kate Amsden at Avant PT for pelvic floor rehab. On my 1st visit, she did an evaluation and immediately knew what was wrong with me. I started doing kegels and other pelvic floor exercises with weights everyday to strengthen a weakness in my pelvic floor, and self massage. After 2 months of physical therapy, I was able to stretch with no pain and I’m 100% back dancing again. I was in shock on how all of this worked! If it wasn’t for this amazing team I would probably still be in pain to this day. I would highly recommend Avant to anyone. They really do care about your well being.
J
5/5
Ryan Perry is simply the best. I first came to him with pain in my back that no one else could figure out and he ultimately helped discover that I had an issue with my hip. After having surgery, Ryan helped me rehab and then additionally addressed additional long-standing issues I had with degenerative discs in my neck. He helped me to resume athletic activities such as hiking and biking and gave me the long term maintenance tools to stay pain free. Ryan is deeply knowledgeable in all areas of anatomy and dedicated to keeping current with new PT options and treatments. I would highly recommend him to treat any issue, no matter how complicated.
Keith L.
5/5
I completed pre and post surgery physical therapy treatment for a torn ACL with Brenna at Avant – amounting to nearly six months of treatment, often several days a week. Brenna prepared me for surgery, both physically, and mentally – answering my questions and putting me at ease. She creatively found ways to motivate me to do my exercises, creating custom, personalized programs to match my goals and preferences. I was especially impressed with the amount of research she did between our sessions, she always made me feel like she was on top of the current ACL recovery trends. I came to look forward to our sessions, because I could feel I was making progress, but also because Brenna is pretty fun, too.
Brittany S
5/5
I worked with Brenna intermittently over almost 9 months, recovering from a complicated knee injury (tibial plateau fracture that required surgery). Through it all, she was very knowledgeable, inquisitive, and creative, pushing me just the right amount during our sessions and compiling a home exercise program that was easily ramped up or down depending on where I was at that week. I’d seen another PT at a different clinic before finding Avant and was impressed by Brenna’s professionalism and responsiveness. She understood that I wanted to get back to running, climbing, biking, backpacking, and all my other favorite activities as soon as possible, and worked with me to get there. I also appreciated that she understood the patient’s perspective–sometimes she’d recommend decreasing the frequency of my in-clinic appointments and focusing on the home program and email check-ins, or picking up the frequency when I was experiencing issues or making big progress. Though I worked mostly with Brenna, the rest of the staff are equally upbeat and easy to work with, and I’d recommend Avant in a heartbeat.
Claire M
5/5
I dislocated my shoulder May’18. My sports doc gave me a small list of PT’s to choose from. I originally chose Avant for convenience of location (close to work/downtown bus routes), but it was the luckiest choice I could have made. Laura has put together a superb team that excels at every level. Brenna and Bianca brought their extensive knowledge and fellow-athlete attitude to run my therapy twice a week while Casey kept my scheduling and insurance tidy. I did nearly all my sessions with Brenna. We began each session with a numerical progress check for range of motion and strength, then moved into multiple forms of manipulation and a variety of exercises. She was always personable, positive and encouraging, continually pushing me to the next level. Everything was tailored to what my shoulder was ready for and kept me moving towards my goal of running and swimming again. Avant’s exercise area is open and spacious with lots of natural light and well-equipped. When not engaged with other patients, all of Laura’s team chips in to keep you motivated. If I need PT again, Avant is where I’ll go.
Jason A.
5/5
As an orthopedic spine surgeon, I practiced in Knoxville, Tennessee for over thirty years. Since 2008, I have practiced and taught non-operative spine care at Midwest Orthopedics at Rush. Shortly after I came to Chicago, I began to refer spine patients to Ryan Perry and have continued to do so. Ryan Perry is the best physical therapist I have ever had the pleasure of working with. That opinion is derived from frequent shared evaluations and, especially, from what my patients come back and tell me. Ryan has a very sophisticated understanding of spinal disorders and how best to remedy them. Ryan is also a “healer” – his patients want to get well for him and they do.
David Fardon, MD
5/5
I’ve always had a goal of totaling 1000 lbs between my squat, bench, and deadlift, but a lower back injury made it almost impossible to squat or deadlift. I avoided both exercises for six months hoping the pain would go away–instead it seemed to get worse. When even just sitting for 30 minutes became painful, I decided to contact Avant. Within a month, Kate had me starting to squat and deadlift again, and six months later, I was back to hitting personal bests. I put off seeking treatment for so long to avoid hearing that I shouldn’t squat or deadlift, but rather than discouragement, Kate taught me invaluable warm up and mobilization exercises for these lifts that remain staples in my routine. Now that I’m back on track to my goal, my only regret is not contacting Kate and Avant sooner.
Andrew M
5/5

I have struggled finding a physical therapist in Seattle who would be able to take on the multi-dimensional challenge of treating a professional ballet dancer coming back from injury. When I sprained my midfoot during a rehearsal onstage, I scoured Yelp until I came across Avant Physical Therapy, which caught my attention due to its prime location and nearly perfect reviews. Once I found out Laura was previously a dancer herself, I was sold. Right away she was able to evaluate the source of my problem and was ready to come at it from every approach possible. She would start each appointment with manual therapy and we’d spend the second half working my problem areas to the point of exhaustion – in the best way possible! I got noticeably stronger each week I worked with Laura. Other PTs I’ve worked with either relied too heavily on manual therapy OR exercises, but Laura is the only I’ve found to strike a perfect balance of both. I have recommended Laura to every dancer I know who is dealing with an injury. She is a positive, encouraging and intuitive person who will get you back onstage quickly, and in better shape than before. I owe the ongoing health of my ballerina feet to Laura!

Madison S.
5/5
When I damaged my knee during my Ironman training in the summer of 2017, I was devastated. Upon finding out surgery was necessary, I was sent to VCU for physical therapy. During this time, Maral was assigned to me as the best PT fit for my needs. As an athlete herself, the perspective she brought to my therapy was absolutely invaluable. Not only did she put me through the most advanced ACL PT regimen, but something happened that I could not have foreseen. She became a life coach, as it were. She watched me curse, tear up, give up, but stayed beside me the whole time. She pushed me at every session, using my competitive nature to help fuel me. There were times when I was frustrated with my progress, even walking out of a PT session one day. The next time I came in, she became a coach and a friend, giving me some tough “love”. That moment was a turning point in my recovery. I was motivated and invigorated to push myself, to be patient, to follow each exercise to the tee, and my recovery time quickly accelerated. I can honestly say I am stronger, both physically and mentally, thanks to Maral’s expertise and motivation. I actually had a personal best on the run of a triathlon I did less than a year after my surgery. I hope, as does every athlete, to never have to face this type of injury again. But, if I do, I hope Maral can be there for me.
Lance H.
Ironman Triathlete
5/5
Avant PT has significantly improved my health multiple times over many years. I have always gotten five star treatment and great results from Laura and her very expert and caring staff of therapists and front desk personnel. I am currently seeing Ashlie for back and foot problems. Ashlie is an absolute pleasure to work with and I am making much better progress than I expected. Her positive attitude and enthusiasm is inspiring and makes working with her fun. Early in my treatment Ashlie’s hands-on manipulations were very helpful and accelerated my ability to perform the strengthening and flexibility exercises I need. Home access to detailed notes, pictures and videos about my exercises via the MedBridge app made learning and following the exercises much easier. When clinic visits became impossible due to the spread of the Coronavirus, Telehealth proved to be much more effective than I expected. I had not done video conferencing before, but with Ashlie’s help I was able to quickly get set up. Her thorough expertise is very evident in the way she is able to spot, clearly describe and demonstrate very subtle changes for me to make while performing my exercises to get the maximum benefit, even via Telehealth. She continues to evolve the exercises as my capabilities improve, keeping things fun, interesting and challenging. I am now able to comfortably do some things that have been uncomfortable or even painful to me for years and never thought I would be able to do again. I enthusiastically recommend Ashlie and Avant to anyone needing physical therapy. Thanks Ashlie! Also thanks to everyone at Avant, particularly given the challenges of providing care during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Tim S.

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