*** I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE ***
***My sciatic nerve pain was WORSENED after being "treated" at this business, and then the front desk staff did not offer me a proper receipt so that I could get reimbursed by my insurance company, even after I asked them for a receipt more than once***
In July of 2015, I began physical therapy sessions with a physical therapist here, Gary, and he told me that the single most important exercise for me would be to lift my left leg up in a straight position while laying down. I began doing the exercises he told me at home, and I noticed that for the first time, I began developing numbness in my left leg. One month later I developed intense pain in my buttock region and hamstring, and half of my left leg was numb to the point where I could not feel my outer part of my shin or the top portion of my foot. This was not due to any other exercise that I was preforming on my own, or a new injury, or an accident, or any new medication I was taking. This was a direct result of the exercises that I was told to perform at SouthBay Sports Medicine.
It got to a point where I couldn't sit down on a chair for more than 5-10 minutes without suffering intense pain. I had a MRI done afterwards, and it was revealed that I have a herniated disc in my L4-L5 region. Because of the intense pain in my left leg, I was not able to attend the majority of my classes since I was not able to sit down on a chair for the duration of my classes. I spent the majority of my time in my dorm room sleeping with a pillow under my left leg. I was forced to spend money on pain medicine, and because of the NSAIDS that I took, I developed stomach upset, in which I was forced to spend additional money on Aloe Vera juice from Whole Foods. I recently had to have an epidural steroid injection because of the intense pain. All of this could have been avoided had I never began the exercises that were recommended by Southbay Sports Medicine.
Up until I was "treated" at Southbay Sports Medicine, I could walk without difficulty, and I could sit without difficulty, I only had stiffness and tolerable pain LOCALIZED in my lower back, but once I began the exercises that SouthBay Sports Medicine recommended, the severe pain spread to my left leg and I developed numbness. I NEVER HAD NUMBNESS BEFORE, NOT EVEN A BIT.
I am furious that the "treatment" I received at this facility resulted in me having intense pain for the past 5 months. My grades suffered because I was unable to attend numerous classes, I have not been able to exercise for nearly 4 months because if I do, I will develop intense inflammation in my lower back and will develop a flare up. I was able to exercise before I began Gary's recommended exercises. Because of this, I have gained weight and my quality of life has suffered greatly.
I would never recommend this place to any of my friends or family, and in my opinion, the front desk staff is unprofessional.
I am going to file complaints against SouthBay Sports Medicine with the appropriate regulatory agencies.