Gale McIntosh, PT DC

Gale is the Sherlock of physical therapy and healing — so gifted, driven, clever, and insightful that she should be in her own category on Unilocal.
When I found her, I had been to two other physical therapists, and had been told by three surgeons at two of the world’s top medical schools (one local one you might be familiar with) that my next step was surgery. None of the surgeons agreed on where exactly I should be cut, but they sure were all eager to do it.
Gale spent a few sessions getting familiar with my body and situation, and had new ideas every time I arrived for a therapy /​investigative session. We would troubleshoot the issue together. One day, she tried something that sounded totally odd to me (pushing on a rib to clear some space for a nerve to move more freely), and which I was a lot less excited about than maybe some massage therapy or new stretches to try. But a day or two after that, my «carpal tunnel» symptoms, which for almost two years had been threatening to end my career in software, were gone for good.
I continued seeing her after that for ongoing correction of 27 years of bad body habits. When I injured my lower back a couple years later, she got me back in business again.
In line with her holistic approach, Gale isn’t just a therapist, she’s also an educator. What she taught me enabled me to address issues that have come up since then on my own, and laid a foundation for a healthy future.

Gale brings a well-​balanced, deep understanding of western medicine and other philosophies to her work. When I first came to her 12 years ago, it was for a pain in my shoulderblade. It turned out that, besides my awful habits at the computer, I had a minor curviture in my mid-​spine that was the source of many of my troubles. Her patience and dedciation to my long-​term health has been a major boon to my lifestyle.

I visited Gale a year ago for help with a bulging disk that was causing pain and numbing in my arm and hand. I thought I was in for a long treatment of physical therapy to correct the issue since she was listed as a physical therapist and that is who my doctor suggested I visit. But she’s also trained as a chiropractor and after asking questions and feeling her way around, she said that my body was out of alignment after carrying on with the pain for so long (more than 6 months). She re-​aligned me, which turned out to be much less scary than I thought, and within days I was back to normal. She helped me again 6 months later when, after some physical activity, I was suffering from the same issue. I literally walked out of her office with no pain (and it has stayed that way ever since). She also gave me some stretches to strengthen my muscles and keep them limber.
I’m now back with Gale to learn how to strengthen and stretch my leg muscles to ward off knee pain that I’ve been feeling after taking up trail running. There’s no realignment here, it will be all traditional physical therapy.
I really recommend Gale. I find that her being both a physical therapist and a chiropractor results in you getting the best treatment for your issue. She’s also really personable. It’s clear that she’s really interested in helping you and that she loves what she does.

Gale helped me tremendously with my neck pain. I was suffering with it for many months and tried different approaches, but it did not get better until Gale worked with me.
Gale is very diligent, knowledgeable, and experienced. I am impressed with how hard she works to pinpoint the cause of pain and how hard she works to alleviate it.
The fact that she is both a physical therapist and a chiropractor is a significant benefit. Gale has another office in Palo Alto, which offers flexibility when I am «over the hill.»
I am extremely happy and relieved that I was referred to Gale!

Gale is an amazing healer. She spends time to get to the source of your discomfort and then takes the time to teach you how to overcome.
Stop by for an adjustment, or trust her wise hands and energy to your chronic pain and know that her tool box is full of methods to bring relief. Just being in her office was a healing experience, it is full of healthy energy and items.
See her long list of training and qualifications at

She worked on my migraines with craniosacral therapy with much success until I moved away. I miss her dearly.