Frequently Asked Questions
Does my health insurance plan cover sessions with you?
I am considered an "out-of-network" provider for all commercial insurance plans and do not do any direct billing to insurance. This model enables me to work directly for you and what you need, not the insurance company. You pay a flat fee directly to me for the care and services I provide, and there is no need to worry about co-pays, deductibles, or surprise bills. If you choose to submit for reimbursement from your insurance company, I can provide you with a receipt with all of the information and codes that you would need. I can also help you understand your plan for out-of-network benefits.
Physical therapy payments DO qualify for Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA).
While this may not initially seem cost-effective, if you add up the costs you spend with an "in-network" provider, such as co-pays, coinsurance, deductible payments, and the need for more visits per week due to less one-on-one time with your PT, seeing a private-pay provider often works out to be a savings to you.
Do I need a physician referral?
No! North Carolina law allows for direct access to an examination and treatment by a licensed physical therapist without a physician referral. Occasionally, some private insurance companies still require one to reimburse for payments so if you are going to choose to submit receipts, you need to know the details of your plan (I can help with this and provide you with a comprehensive list of questions to ask)
Where do physical therapy treatments take place?
I have a full private treatment room set up in my home in South Charlotte
What can I expect at my physical therapy visits?
During your initial visit, a thorough evaluation, movement assessment, and hands-on treatment will be performed to assess your unique needs. You will be educated about my findings and how they relate to what you are experiencing, you will learn strategies that you can perform on your own, and we will create a plan going forward. At follow-up visits, you can expect treatments that address your pain or impairments that we found during the initial evaluation and that lead us towards your personalized goals. This will include some form of restorative exercise, manual therapy (hands-on treatment), corrective movements, and strategies for self-treatment.
How long is each session and how many sessions will I need?
The initial evaluation is 75-90 minutes and follow-up sessions are 60 minutes. Treatment frequency is scheduled based on your goals, your progress, consistency at home, and how much hands-on intervention is needed. It often changes throughout the course of treatment, with once/week being the most frequent and then spacing out from there. Each session builds upon the information from the last, so consistency of implementing the principles and following through is key. The amount of sessions varies depending on goals and starting place. For true healing and lasting results, we need to get through 4 different phases of treatment to really affect your habits, movement patterns, and strength:
Re-connection/Re-patterning --> Control/Coordination --> Stability/Grounding --> Power/Fire
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Can I bring my baby?
Of course! Not only do I always love to see a beautiful munchkin, but the purpose of my business is to eliminate some of the barriers women and moms face to prioritizing their own health. It is a private space so no concerns if baby does not cooperate. We can work around any obstacles. I will say that it is nice to consider coming solo to have the time to focus on you for a full hour and concentrate on the program, but it is understandably not always possible.
Is it normal to have pain while your pregnant?
During pregnancy, your body goes through incredible adaptations, growth, and changes, and while it is normal to have some sensations with that, it is NOT NORMAL to have pain during pregnancy. Pain during pregnancy is common so sometimes we normalize it, our concerns are written off as “just because of pregnancy”, or we are encouraged to just “get through it” and delay treatment. If you are experiencing pain that is consistent or interrupting your life, I would encourage you to seek the help of a perinatal professional because there are so many things we can do to help your body support your growing baby without pain. For some examples, as baby grows there is a change in your center of gravity which creates altered muscle patterns, or there is a shift in your pelvis which is causing pain or pulling through the muscles and joints around it, or your spine is being pulled forward by your growing belly. A physical therapist will do a thorough evaluation to find the root cause of the pain and will improve the stability in your body. Also, minimizing any pain will also help your body not fall into compensation patterns which can lead to further problems. Keeping you comfortable and mobile in your body is important as birth approaches as well because you need your energy, stamina, and strength in order to give birth. Persistent pain will decrease your endurance.
Can you help me build strength for birth?
Absolutely! I love seeing women during pregnancy because understanding your core and pelvis, and keeping strength, connection, and stability in your body will improve your birth experience. Physical, and mental, strength is needed, and feeling confident in your body’s abilities is a big part of that. But strengthening does not necessarily look like what you are thinking with weights and HIIT style workouts. The birth prep strength work comes from your center, your core, and the connection with your pelvic floor. As well as your breath and your stability from the ground up. This may surprise you because I get this question a lot, but you do not need a “strong” pelvic floor to give birth - your pelvic floor’s job is to get out of the way. But you DO need connection, control, and awareness of your pelvic floor to minimize the risks of tearing, and that is where the work comes in.
Can you help me not pee my pants after birth?
Of course! This is one of the most common postpartum symptoms I see. While it is common, it is NOT NORMAL to leak pee when you jump, sneeze, cough, laugh, or run. Or any other time when you are not actually sitting on the toilet ready to urinate! This is the sign of a dysfunction and it CAN be addressed, so do not settle for leaking pee, even if your mom told you she has crossed her legs to sneeze ever since she gave birth to you and its “fine”. Your pelvic floor is a part of inner core system, which creates stability in your spine and pelvis and controls pressure in your body. Addressing adaptations that occur during pregnancy, prepping well for birth, and learning how to properly heal in the postpartum months will help you not have to deal with peeing your pants in the future. Bonus - since your pelvic floor is a part of your core, learning these concepts will give you more strength and power in your body.