Physical Therapy Practitioners
Rachna LaLonde, MPT
With 20 years of Physical Therapy experience, Rachna LaLonde has worked with hundreds of patients with various diagnoses ranging from severe burns, brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke, cardiovascular disease, post surgical orthopedic conditions, pain management issues, sports injury, and children with neurological and orthopedic conditions. She also has 14 years of personal training experience as she combined both practices into one when she founded Wellness by Design Physical Therapy in 1998.
Rachna has created a physical therapy practice where patients needing skilled rehabilitative care from highly educated and trained therapy staff can receive such treatment while other health minded, proactive, prevention minded, non-medical clients can receive fitness and wellness guidance from the same highly trained health care providers all in one gym. Rachna and her team are dedicated to evaluating and treating the “whole” patient rather than just the one ailing body part that may bring the patient into the therapy gym. Rachna believes, “the shoulder is never just the shoulder and the knee is never just the knee………we are a whole person and when we move, it all has to move together and correctly for that matter”. “This is our area of expertise, Physical Therapists are the MOVEMENT SPECIALISTS of the medical world and therefore, we make the best exercise prescribers as well”.
Rachna has created a client-centered, friendly, inviting, nurturing, as well as professional environment for physical therapy patients and personal training clients alike to meet their individual medical and wellness goals.
Rachna graduated from the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific in 1996 with a Master’s degree in Physical Therapy. She is also the creator of the LongSpine Method which is helping patients and clients “transform their lives”.
Rachna is the mother of two sons and is sure to drop them off and pick them up from school and keep those afternoons off to do what she feels is best for her family. For her enjoyment outside of work, Rachna loves to take spin classes, entertain friends at home, create healthy recipes for her family, and spend as much time in the sun as possible.
Kerry Tortarolo, PT, DPT
Kerry joined the team at Wellness by Design in July 2011, after completing her doctoral education. She was born and raised in Orange County.
Kerry has an extensive background in dance and movement which includes competing nationally and internationally in Scottish Highland Dance and performing throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn with various modern and dance-theater companies. She also worked in New York City as a physical therapy aide and became inspired by all the aspects of physical therapy before she decided to return to school to pursue a career in the field. Kerry finds working as a physical therapist extremely rewarding, and loves being able to individualize treatment in order to heal, restore function, and give hope to patients. She enjoys working with a wide variety of orthopedic and neurological conditions and looks forward to coming to work every single day.
In her free time, Kerry likes cooking, concerts, and weekend getaways. She also loves spending quality time with family and friends. Kerry stays active with teaching cardio dance classes at 24 hour fitness and rounds out her fit lifestyle with weight lifting and spinning classes.
Sarah Gilliland, PT, DPT, CSCS
Sarah joined Wellness by Design Physical Therapy in 2008. She completed her BA at Rice University and DPT at Chapman University. Sarah is currently pursuing her PhD in Education at UC Irvine. Her clinical interests encompass orthopedic and neurological rehabilitation for all ages from children to older adults. She places an emphasis on educating and enabling clients to take control of their own health. In addition to physical therapy, Sarah also enjoys helping clients reach their potential in fitness and sports.
Sarah holds the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist credential from the National Strength and Conditioning Association and is a certified coach with USA Triathlon. Sarah is an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Physical Therapy at Chapman University and is a Credentialed Clinical Instructor through the American Physical Therapy Association. Outside of the clinic, Sarah enjoys training and racing in triathlon, swimming in the ocean, and hiking local trails.
