Hidden Gems: Meet Heidi Gastler of Mountain to Sea Physical Therapy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Heidi Gastler.

Hi Heidi, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
No one wants to be in physical therapy. Ever. Because of that, I opened Mountain to Sea Physical Therapy in 2016 with the idea that we can make physical therapy better. To accomplish that, I created a clinic that delivers a uniquely personal physical therapy experience with intensive one-on-one treatment. We incorporate the whole health of our patients and specialize in orthopedic and pelvic floor care. We also have a therapy dog on staff. It’s all part of our motto: “Pain sucks. But rehab doesn’t have to.”

We believe in a team approach and work with other health care professionals to help move patients towards their best function in the most efficient way. We’re based in Manhattan Beach but also provide virtual consultation and treatment sessions. (See more about our clinic here: mountaintoseapt.com)

After I graduated as a Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2005, I initially began practicing orthopedics and sports medicine in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. There, I saw a lot of patients suffering from chronic pain who had been treated with opioids for years on end. When I relocated to California, the use of medical cannabis was starting to gain some momentum. I began seeing patients move off prescription pain medication and have more success with conservative pain management strategies. I love the idea of a more natural way for patients to manage symptoms and increase their quality of life. After years of my own sports injuries and health setbacks, I’ve turned toward medical cannabis as well. I’m currently working with a team of medical and cannabis professionals to turn this interest into a new line of products – stay tuned!

Over the course of my career, I’ve also developed an interest in the area of pelvic health. While in PT school, I wasn’t taught much about the consideration of pelvic health issues, but experience has taught me to always take the pelvic floor muscle group into consideration while assessing a patient. Repeatedly, I was seeing patients for orthopedic concerns that ended up requiring pelvic floor assessment and treatment, so I eventually became certified to practice pelvic floor physical therapy. Now it is a core part of my practice and I feel as though it makes me a much more holistic orthopedic and sports medicine practitioner as well.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Starting my own practice was harder than I thought it would be, but that hasn’t been my biggest obstacle. In August 2020, everything changed when I was diagnosed with brain cancer. One week I was hiking the Backbone Trail and the next I was flying to San Francisco to have emergency surgery. Fortunately, I had a fabulous surgeon at UCSF, Dr. Mitchell Berger, who was able to completely remove the baseball-sized tumor and gave me the best possible chance of survival.

I am still healing and just now getting back to some of my favorite pre-surgery activities like hiking, backpacking and powerlifting. I have some residual visual processing issues and deal with seizures, so I’m still trying to find my new limits. It’s given me an even greater understanding of how important holistic health is in the recovery process for every patient. This has only served to amplify my interest in medical cannabis use. Nothing like a personal need to amplify your work-related interests!

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love the access to outdoor activities. I live in Malibu and work in Manhattan Beach and love the access to both the mountains and beach from both cities. Prone paddleboarding, hiking, backpacking and downhill skiing are among my favorite pastimes and I love being able to take my dog on long weekend hikes so close to home. I also love that the people in our community tend to put such value on their health. I love nothing more than seeing a life-long surfer dripping with salt water or a group of little kids carrying surfboards walk past my clinic window after a morning session. That’s part of why I moved out here and I hope that part of the beach cities never changes.

Hate: Traffic. Who doesn’t? Thank goodness for audiobooks and true crime podcasts.

Contact Info:

• Email: info@mountaintoseapt.com
• Website: www.mountaintoseapt.com
• Instagram: @mtn2seapt
• Facebook: @mtn2seapt
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzAHpjWvclgZRjKcVtMbBdw
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mountain-to-sea-physical-therapy-manhattan-beach