Spine & Sport Physical Therapy Clinic
Irvine

Regional director:

Melissa Walls, PT, DPT, Pilates Certified

Melissa knew from a young age that she wanted to become a Physical Therapist after her own sports injury took her out of soccer for more than a year. She graduated with Honors from the University of California Davis with a BS in Exercise Science and went on to Chapman University to earn her Doctorate in Physical Therapy.

Melissa began her career as a Physical Therapist at Envision Sport in 2005 (then South County Physical therapy & Pilates). It was here that she fell in love with the practice & results of Pilates leading her to become Pilates certified in 2009. Through her certification through Studio Du Corps, Melissa learned how to utilize Pilates as both a tool for healing and performance. In 2013, she became a Co-Owner of South County PT with her long-time business partner, Darrin Yee.

When she is not treating, Melissa enjoys being active with her husband and two kids. She has coached soccer, been a team parent. and sponsored many local leagues. Due to their active lifestyle, Melissa has taken a keen interest in sports injury prevention to protect the youth from overuse injuries.

Her philosophy about PT is simple – her goals are driven by your goals and she feels passionate that Pilates can help you get there!

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Clinic director:

Physical Therapist – Tanner Smith, PT, DPT

Dr. Tanner Smith was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. He attended the University of San Francisco where he received a B.S. in exercise and sport science and was a member of the NCAA Division I men’s soccer team, receiving All-Academic honors all four years of his undergraduate student-athlete career. He attended graduate school at Chapman University in Orange, CA, where he received his Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), graduating at the top of his class with awards in Academic Excellence and Excellence in Research.

While completing his doctorate, Tanner trained in a multitude of orthopedic clinical settings while treating professional and recreational athletes. He was a member of the Chapman DPT Graduate Student Association and sole physical therapy representative in the Chapman University Graduate Student Council, where he worked with other graduate students to improve student culture, community outreach and clinical learning. He is a certified Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) provider and is working toward obtaining his Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS) certification. He combines his athletic, academic and clinical experience in physical therapy with his passion for helping athletes of all levels overcome their injuries by providing knowledgeable and patient-centered care.

When he is not treating, Tanner enjoys working on his golf swing, mentoring student-athletes and watching his favorite soccer team, Arsenal.

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Our history

In 2004 Envision Sport Physical Therapy & Pilates opened its doors and began offering physical therapy and orthopedic rehabilitation in Orange County. With programs focused on Pilates-based exercises and manual therapy,  Envision ensured that every patient received one-on-one physical therapy care using the latest modalities.

The Rancho Santa Margarita location even offers Pilates classes that are open to the general public, with classes designed for all fitness levels. Envision proudly joined the Spine & Sport Physical Therapy family in 2021.

Spine & Sport welcomes Envision Sport Physical Therapy & Pilates to the Spine & Sport Physical Therapy family!

• Spine & Sport Rancho Santa Margarita
• Spine & Sport Irvine