About Us
Meet the Pasadena PT team.
Why Choose Us? Because we ARE different.
As a physical therapist-owned physical therapy clinic, our ability to deliver the care we want to the patient comes first. No triple-booking, no cookie-cutter approaches, and no servitude to the insurance companies.
If you have had disappointing or even mediocre results with outdated, insurance-driven physical therapy treatments (i.e., 10-minutes with the PT, a handout of generic exercises, then ultrasound, hot packs and electrical stimulation) at other clinics, or value your time and want to rehab it right the first time, our caring and highly-skilled PTs will get you back to the life you want.
We will work with you to find out the WHYs of your complaints so that you can get back to the WHYs (work, play, leisure) of your life.
Make an appointment
Pasadena Physical Therapy
117 W Bellevue Dr.
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 344-8571 (Text Only)

Dr. Locatelli Rao, PT, DPT, OCS, MLS, FRAs, FRCms
Founder and President
- Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist
- Certified Movement Links Specialists
- Functional Range Assessment Specialist
- Functional Range Conditioning Mobility Specialist
- Functional Range Release Practitioner
Dr. Rao’s educational and career paths were driven by 2 simple questions:
- What did he want to study, which led to an Exercise Science degree from USC in 1999.
- What did he want to do for the rest of his life, which was to help and care for others, and found Physical Therapy to be the medium in which allowed him to do that. In 2002 he received his Doctor of Physical Therapy from USC.
On January 4, 2004, he opened Pasadena Physical Therapy as a destination where patients could experience the true power of manual medicine and the body’s own ability to heal itself when properly guided. The clinic was also designed to be a learning environment for everyone who walks through its doors: patients, fellow PTs, students, aides, volunteers and all others involved.
Today, he is proud of what Pasadena Physical Therapy, PC, has become:
- A professional clinic that puts the needs of the patient (and not the insurance companies) first and foremost
- a professional clinic that is a key member in Pasadena’s healthcare community
- a professional clinic that promises to provide its patients with the highest standards of care in specific manual therapy, exercise prescription, and most importantly, RESULTS
Dr. Rao is one of the few orthopedic clinical specialists (OCS) in the country (about 7% of all PTs earn that distinction), and he and his staff provide the most skilled, most comprehensive physical therapy services in the area.
A San Gabriel Valley native who attended local schools, and has strong ties to this wonderful community, Dr. Rao is committed to hiring and maintaining only the most qualified staff available so that Pasadena will continue to be taken care by these professionals.
Dr. Rao’s Clinical Approach
“I do not chase symptoms (WHATs) but rather treat the person (WHO) and the underlying cause(s) (WHYs) of their symptoms. In my 17 years of practice I have found that a comprehensive approach will lead to the best results of healing the person, and not just curing the ailment.
As a lifelong student, I do not follow one particular approach as dogma, and will happily admit that my toolbox is an amalgamation of the Functional Range Systems (FRS), Postural Restoration Institute (PRI), and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) approaches.
I am very grateful for all the difficult, complex, or rare conditions that have presented in our clinic, for the difficult questions that patients, students, and fellow PTs have asked, for they have all made me both a better clinician and a better person.”
In his free time, Dr. Rao enjoys the game of golf and spending time with his wife Onelia and their sons Benjamin and Jonathan.–
Let's talk!
Find Us
117 W Bellevue Dr., Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 344-8571 (Text Only)
Our Hours
Clinic:
We are open from Monday through Friday. Our hours vary depending on our staff's availability. Please email jaime@pasadenapt.com for further details or to schedule an appointment.