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ABOUT ignite

Ignite Physical Therapy and Sports Performance has three locations:

West Loop: 1101 W Monroe St, Chicago
Inside On Your Mark Studios On Your Mark website

Ravenswood: 4510 N Ravenswood ave Chicago
Inside Feast Fitness Feast Fitness website

Old Irving Park: 3800 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago
Inside Chicago Elite Volleyball TrainingCenter Chicago VB website

River North: 750 N Orleans St #1, Chicago
Inside Leblon Fitness Club Leblon Fitness Club website

Sarah and her coaches collaborate for physical therapy, return to sport rehabilitation/strength and conditioning, body composition/nutrition counseling, personal training, small group fitness training, and youth and elite athletic development programming.

Ignite Physical Therapy and Sports Performance accepts Blue Cross Blue shield, cash based packages which an HSA can be used for purchase as well as cash, check, or credit card. If you do not have BCBS Sarah will work with you to come up with a comparable in network rate for physical therapy.

Meet Sarah

OWNER AND PRESIDENT

Dr. Sarah Plumley PT, DPT, ATC, COMT, CAFS is a dual credentialed physical therapist and certified athletic trainer earning her doctorate degree from Midwestern University. Sarah comes from a strong orthopaedic and sports medicine background as she was the United States Women's National Soccer Team's Physical Therapist and worked in Division I athletics at DePaul University. She was also the physical therapist for the Broadway Show "Riverdance" and worked with the independent professional baseball team the Windy City Thunderbolts. Post operative care, injury prevention, return to workouts/sports, corrective exercise, dry needling, and manual therapy are Sarah's strongest skill set.

MEET MASON

Physical therapist

Dr. Mason West PT, DPT received his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of St. Augustine in St. Augustine, FL in December of 2017. Previously, he received his Bachelor’s of Science in Neuroscience from Trinity College and Masters in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.  While at Trinity College he participated in wrestling and lacrosse however, during his Junior year, he suffered an ACL tear which changed his career trajectory emphasizing the marriage between science and sport when he underwent physical therapy. Mason has taken extensive advanced coursework which allows him to blend manual therapy, dry needling, manipulations, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, and cranial mobilizations to create an environment for the body to maximize its potential. He employs research-driven technology such as blood flow restriction training, Senaptec Vision trainers, and Blazepods to narrow the gap between performance in the clinic and performance on the field. Some of his passions include rehabilitation and performance training for those suffering from ACL tears, concussions, and overall maximizing performance across the full spectrum of athletes.

MEET Ryan

physical therapist

Ryan Berkey DPT, SCS, FAAOMPT is a Texas native who completed his B.S. at the University of Houston before obtaining his Doctorate of Physical Therapy at the University of Texas. After graduating from PT school, he moved to Chicago to complete residency at the University of Chicago at Illinois. Ryan then went on to complete a fellowship in orthopedic manual therapy at Northwestern, a distinction that only about 2% of physical therapists obtain. He combines advanced skills in manual therapy with his board-certification in sports to provide high-level hands-on care for athletes and active adults. Ryan has a history playing basketball and football, but devotes most his active time to marathon training, weight lifting, and occasional volleyball. With his free time, he loves exploring the local food scene and traveling to new cities. Ryan is open to new patients and would love to get to know you and help you reach your health and fitness goals!

MEET August

PHYSICAL THERAPIST

August Winter PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT received his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign in 2013 and his Doctorate of Physical Therapy in 2016 from the University of Illinois in Chicago. He then completed his Orthopedic Residency at the University of Virginia in 2017 before most recently completing his Manual Therapy Fellowship at Northwestern University in 2021.

August has treated professional, D1 NCAA, club, and high school level athletes as well as patients dealing with chronic joint pain looking to regain their every-day mobility and function. He is passionate about patient education and believes that helping patients better understand their bodies and healthy motion is the most important aspect of physical therapy. August's clinical interests include joint manipulation, spine and radiating pain, and injury risk reduction. August is a mentor for the Northwestern University Manual Therapy Fellowship as well as an adjunct instructor for Malcolm X College. Outside of the clinic August enjoys cycling, weightlifting, and spending time with his wife Amelia in the Lincoln Square area.

Meet Kristen

Physical Therapist

Kristen Neisler Med, PT, ATC joins Ignite with over 20 years of experience in division I athletics at DePaul University in the sports medicine department.  During this time she developed return to play protocols and testing for athletes, as well as injury prevention programs for basketball, softball, and soccer. Kristen enjoys pushing her athletes to return to their highest potential, returning them to their sport better than when they left. In the past 5 years, her focus has shifted to Postural Restoration (PRI) theory and practice, which has provided a large impact and guidance in her treatment.  Kristen is certified in PRI®, Trigger point dry needling, cupping, IASTM, therapeutic taping, and has taken multiple courses in high level sports performance and return to play.  

Meet Amanda

Physical Therapist

Amanda Montbriand PT, DPT, SCS, FAAOMPT received her Doctor of Physical Therapy at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2019. She went on to complete a Sports Physical Therapy Residency program at the University of Illinois at Chicago in Division I athletics. She is a Sports Certified Specialist and Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists.

Amanda’s professional experience is in care of the complex orthopaedic patient, Division I athletes, high school athletes. She has advanced training in manual therapy, dry needling, dry cupping, and blood flow restriction. As a runner and fitness athlete herself, Amanda believes in an active approach to physical therapy that gets you back to doing what you love faster.

Meet nathan

Physical Therapist

Nathan Wisbey PT, DPT, Cert. DN received his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Marquette University and his Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Health Science from Bradley University, where he was an NCAA Division I soccer player. His passion for rehabilitation stems from his own journey fully recovering and returning from season-ending injuries, which inspired his commitment to blending physical therapy, performance training, nutrition, and psychology.

Nathan’s professional experience includes working with/training alongside professional athletes, Division I and youth athletes, and the general population. He is passionate about return-to-sport, movement analysis, and dry needling. Nathan strives to integrate performance and strength and conditioning principles with physical therapy to optimize patient outcomes and bridge the gap between rehabilitation and peak performance to help patients achieve their goals.

As a Physical Therapist, performance coach, and former collegiate athlete, Nathan brings a unique, empathetic understanding to his practice of the athletic and mental demands necessary to achieve one's goals. Outside of the clinic, he enjoys playing recreational sports, coaching soccer, and exploring his enthusiasm for sneakers, fashion, and the arts as a reflection of individuality.

Meet Kyle

Physical Therapist

Kyle Winiger PT, DPT, SCS, ATC is a dual credentialed physical therapist and athletic trainer earning his bachelors in athletic training from the Ohio State University and his doctorate degree from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. Kyle has a strong sports medicine background working as an athletic trainer/physical therapist for the University of Arkansas athletics department. He is also a board-certified sports physical therapist who is residency trained by Johns Hopkins Hospital. 

Throughout his experience, he has developed and implemented a passion for sport science and utilizing objective measures throughout his rehab planning. His professional expertise is caring for professional athletes, division 1 athletes, and post-operative patients. He has advanced training in dry needling, manual therapy, blood flow restriction, force plates, and handheld dynamometry. 

Meet Danielle

Physical Therapist

Danielle Schur, PT, DPT, CSCS earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Northwestern University in 2023 and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA. Danielle is passionate about helping people move better, feel stronger, and return to the activities that matter most to them. As a dedicated marathon runner, she has a special interest in working with runners and athletes of all levels, focusing on performance, injury prevention, and safe return to sport. Danielle has advanced training in manual therapy techniques and integrates strength and conditioning principles into her treatment approach to create individualized, evidence-based care plans. She is committed to continually expanding her clinical skill set to help her patients achieve their goals and reach their full potential.

Meet NICOLE

Physical Therapist

Nicole Herrera, PT, DPT, CSCS earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Midwestern University in 2021 and her Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology from DePauw University in 2017, where she also competed in NCAA Division III Women’s Volleyball. In 2024, she became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) to further enhance her ability to treat athletes across all levels.

Nicole has experience working with a wide range of orthopedic conditions, as well as youth, collegiate, and recreational athletes. She has pursued advanced training in dry needling, blood flow restriction therapy, force plate testing, and manual therapy techniques. Driven by a passion for performance and measurable progress, Nicole prioritizes data-informed treatment and patient education—empowering individuals to understand their recovery process and take an active role in achieving their goals. Her clinical interests include post-operative rehabilitation, return-to-sport testing, and injury prevention. 

Outside the clinic, Nicole lives in Ravenswood with her husband, daughter, and dog. She enjoys exploring new restaurants around Chicago, taking new group fitness classes, and playing recreational sand volleyball.

reviews

 

Sarah is hands down one of the best in this field! I could not believe how much effort she puts in for my recovery. She always bring something new every session and its never boring. In just a couple of months after my shoulder surgery I was back to lifting weights that I never thought I could. She challenges and motivates me to push myself in and out of therapy. Ignite has a really nice facility! If anybody that I know needs therapy I will definitely send them to Sarah!

Von

I’ve tried many physical therapies for different injuries and Ignite by far has been the best experience. August was my PT and worked on my elbow injury for several weeks which included exercises, dry needling and strengthening which got me to a full recovery. The facilities and equipment are top notch as is the flexibility for scheduling appointments and my home exercise program. I will definitely keep coming back for any physical therapy needs.

TOMAS

I've been to many different physical therapist in the area before and Ignite is my favorite place. Amanda is an expert & I trust her with all of my issues. I was dealing with a really bad ankle injury, no ability to run on road. My marathon is 4 months away from the time I started pt at Ignite and one month later, I'm able to start running again. I highly recco Amanda! I will always return to Ignite. They help me recover but get stronger at the same time and this is something I can't get from other pt.

Hien

After seeing three different physical therapists for what appeared to be a lumbar disc injury—with little success—I found Ignite Physical Therapy through online recommendations. After nearly a year of being essentially non-functional, working with August Winter at Ignite has been life-changing. After about six months of therapy, I’m back to normal day-to-day activities, playing with my kids, working out, and getting stronger every day. I would recommend August without hesitation to friends and family.

matthew

I have been working with Kyle for a few months now on typical lower back issues. He was fantastic at diagnosing the root cause and giving me exercises to help strengthen muscles that I had long forgotten about and stopped using.

I realize now that I wasn't using my core properly, but until I strengthened it, I wasn't even aware of the core muscles I was supposed to be using.

I went from not being able to sit down at my desk for 2 days after a set of squats to being able to do multiple sets/types in a session and waking up the next morning with pleasantly sore glutes and no back pain. Thanks, Kyle! You've made all the difference in my workouts.

Amber

I finally started going to PT after 12+ years of intense calf and arch pain, within a few weeks of working with Mason I was seeing improvements. Six months later I am feeling and seeing improvements I didn’t even think were possible for me. Overall a really nice, knowledgeable staff. I’d recommend them.

Mallory

Sarah is the most insightful PT I've ever seen. She gets to the root cause rather than just addressing the symptoms of an issue. I got injured at the beginning of marathon training and with her help, after not running at all for 9 weeks, I was able to safely increase my training and qualify for Boston!

Christina

In the lead up to a marathon, I started to feel hip pain. I went to see Amanda at Ignite PT, and I'm so glad I did! She's a phenomenal physical therapist who was incredibly thoughtful and thorough in her entire evaluation of my running form and pain points. From there, she put together a plan to get me over the finish line without any pain. Her plan worked perfectly, and I was back to 100% for the race. She's an expert runner herself, and it's clear I was in great hands. I recommend her wholeheartedly and am super grateful for her help.

Benjamin

I can say with full confidence that this is the best physical therapy spot I've ever been to. I've been an athlete all my life - grew up playing all sorts of sports with rugby being my primary sport now (11 years going strong). Last June I tore my ACL, was at a different PT for prehab and the first 3.5 months post-surgery. It sucked. Didn't meet any of the markers I was supposed to for 1 week, 1 month, or 3 month post-op. So 3.5 months in, I switched to Ignite and could tell from the very first session that the quality of care and rehab was 100x better than what I was getting elsewhere. This was a place that was truly going to cater to me and was meant for athletes that are not just trying to get back into "regular human performance" mode, but "better-than-before" athletic performance mode.

My recovery has been nothing short of a rollercoaster, but I can truly say that I am so grateful for my PT, Mason West, for helping me through this. His depth of knowledgable is incredibly impressive and he's always got an answer to my questions and concerns. He's caring, responsive, and really easy to get along with. The only shortcoming he has is he thinks he's funny (shh, don't tell him I laugh at his jokes just to be nice).

If my testimonial isn't good enough though, at one point earlier in the year, there were about 10 of my rugby teammates going to Ignite as well. Highly recommend anyone, especially athletes, to come here for specialized rehab.

Sania

August has given me back my quality of life. I've had chronic pain for 7+ years and I am grateful to be under his care and observation. I originally arrived with one ailment and due to being an over achiever we're working on my 3rd, lol. He has taken time to give me the absolute best care, real expectations honest feedback and faith that I will get better.

Emonie

Ignite physical therapy is the place to go if you want to get back to your sport or fitness routine. Working with August in the Ravenswood location has been critical to my injury recovery. August really listened to what I was experiencing with my knee injury, developed a treatment plan, set periodic goals, and was encouraging along my journey. He was also flexible with my treatment if more or less hands-on (dry needling or massage) was needed vs. exercise/strengthening work. If a chosen treatment wasn’t effective, August would work to find a new path that was. Being in the fitness industry, I appreciated his knowledgeable & measured approach to treatment, flexibility, and results-driven mindset.

Terri

Sarah is the best!!! After a 2 year ACL injury, I trained with Sarah and with her help I was able to avoid surgery completely!! Feeling better than ever now!

Jada

Sarah has been my physical therapist for many years. I've completed rehab after hip and knee surgeries with Sarah. Prior to the diagnosis I had seen other PTs for my hip pain. When I went to Sarah for a consult she identified the issue within a visit and set me on the course for surgery and recovery! I am always impressed at how Sarah treats patients holistically - looking at individual goals and piecing together all other injuries, etc... to create a plan to get back to desired exercise and activity.

Jannie

I would strongly recommend coming here! The physical therapists are all welcoming, knowledgeable, and professional. I have been seeing Mason for several months and he is exceptional. He took the time to learn about my injury history and tailor my therapy to my goals of returning to rugby. It is clear that Mason is extremely knowledgeable, and is also just a pleasant person to be around. My previous experience with physical therapy is with large corporations, which felt more scripted with the same boring exercises and jam packed schedules where you only see the PT for 20 minutes. At Ignite, I feel like I have unique care that’s specific to my ability, sport, and level of intensity. This is a great option for athletes who wish to return to high level sport, but also for anyone seeking physical therapy.

The gym space is easily accessible, has all the equipment you could ever dream of, and is an accepting environment.

Colleen

I can’t recommend Ignite enough! It’s a seamless operation with great facilities, an excellent staff, and a high-performance sports focus that you don’t get with many other PTs!

I worked with Kyle who was knowledgeable, encouraging, and personalized every session to my skill level and needs. He quickly diagnosed my back issues, designed a plan tailor-made to fix them, and patiently answered all my questions about trade offs, form, and function through every session. He was also super responsive and flexible on scheduling when I needed to skip or move a session. Thanks to him I’m fully recovered and able to lift stronger than ever!

Duncan

Nathan at Ignite solved my strained quadricep in record time. During my first session with Nathan, he took the time to properly diagnose the issue which allowed us to come up with a multi-week plan to get me back in the gym. During our sessions, he was attentive to how I was moving and adjusted course when an exercise was too much. 10/10 would recommend.

Brock

I spent two years trying to figure out my lower back pain during squats, believing it was a mobility issue based on most online tips. Despite a thoughtful mobility routine, I had a particularly painful set, and I realized I needed professional help as something else was amiss. That's when I turned to Ignite Physical Therapy and Sports Performance and met Amanda. Right off the bat, Amanda figured out that my issue wasn’t mobility at all but a weak core.

Amanda is not just incredibly knowledgeable; she’s a pleasure to work with. She's been a great motivator, especially for our 6am sessions. She’s really helped me strengthen my core and transform my training routine, as well opening my mind up to incorporating excercises I never really considered previously. Now, not only am I stronger at the gym, but I also sit straighter, enjoy pain-free bike rides, and can actually feel my core be engaged in lifts/normal life.

If you’re considering physical therapy to help with your fitness goals, I highly recommend Ignite. And ask for Amanda—her friendly approach and expertise will make a huge difference in your life/training, just like they did for me.

Kacper

After my running season came to an abrupt stop with a tear to my plantar fascia, I was convinced I would never run again. A friend recommended Sarah and from my first appointment on I was blown away. She's extremely knowledgeable in her field and explains things so you understand what she's doing and why she's doing it. She challenges you to push your body safely. She's extremely hands on and spends your entire appointment focused on you. She's professional yet personable. Four months after my first appointment, I was back on my feet running pain free! I recommend Sarah for any and all physical therapy needs!

Abigail

Ignite Physical Therapy came at the recommendation of one of the top orthopedic surgeons in Chicago, and for good reason. After trying a chain physical therapy provider with no luck, Ignite made all the difference! I've seen significant improvement in strength and agility, and I'm pain free! 10/10 recommend!

Alexandra

Best Physical Therapy i have ever received! Mason and Kyle helped me recover from multiple old and new injuries in the most effective way. They are very knowledgeable and attentive. I have a better quality of life now because my pain is gone. 100 out of 100 recommend!

Violetta