Apex Wellness Providers - Services

Physical Therapy

2022-10-08T20:35:57-04:00

Why Choose Apex Wellness Providers?

People come to Apex Wellness Providers for a variety of reasons. We frequently hear patients’ stories recounting the number of other providers that they have been to without any improvement in their symptoms; sometimes their symptoms have even gotten worse! They are frustrated with their outcomes or they are frustrated with insurance and the medical system. Often they are frustrated with both. Most often patients come to Apex Wellness Providers because they were referred to us by a friend, loved one, or other trusted provider who knows we can help.

We believe that patients get better faster when they have focused treatment that’s tailored exactly to what they need. Physical therapy is a profession nearly everyone has heard of, but very few people understand the specializations and variability that can exist within the field. At Apex Wellness Providers, all of our physical therapists are doctors who specialize in orthopedics. Each provider has gone on to post doctoral specialization in a multitude of areas including fellowship, residency, pelvic health, functional medicine, nutrition, dry needling, joint manipulation, psychology, and strength and conditioning. These sub-specializations help us to partner you with the provider that will best help you reach your individual health and wellness goals.

At Apex Wellness Providers you will receive comprehensive, one-on-one expert care. We will be ready to see you on time and we will really listen to you, treating you as a whole person, not just a body part. We coordinate and communicate among our team and other providers. If we are not the right providers for you, we will help connect you with the ones who are. We will advocate for you like no other healthcare team you have ever worked with. Our number one mission is to help you achieve, maintain, and enjoy wellness.

People always say that they are “different”. We really are! But don’t let us tell you that. Let our patients. 90% of our patients are referred to us by other patients. That speaks for itself.

What is Physical Therapy?

Physical Therapy is a dynamic, evidence-based medical profession that aims to preserve, enhance or restore movement and physical function. Treatment plans can be corrective, such as when rehabilitating after an injury, or they can be preventative such as improving balance to prevent a fall. Physical therapists are movement experts who understand how different body systems integrate to affect motion. Some reasons you might seek the help of a physical therapist may be to:

relieve pain

improve mobility

prevent or recover from an injury

prevent or recovery from surgery

improve balance

manage chronic illness (e.g., diabetes, heart disease, arthritis)

recover after pregnancy and birth

improve pelvic health

adapt to an assistive device or prosthetic

What are some of the treatments?

There is an extensive assortment of techniques that physical therapists might employ to help achieve their desired outcome. This list highlights some of the more common used, but is certainly not comprehensive:

Manual Therapy

Dry Needling

Cupping

Joint Manipulation

Fascial Work

Soft Tissue Treatments

Exercise Prescription

Lifestyle Education

Stress Management

Kinesiology Taping

Psychologically Informed Care

Nutrition Education

Sport Specific Treatments

Modalities

Personal Training

2022-10-09T10:17:58-04:00

Why Choose Apex Wellness Providers?

The team-centered approach at Apex Wellness Providers fosters a collaborative environment where our providers can easily communicate with each other. This means that your personal trainer can easily consult with or refer to another provider as needed. Sometimes your trainer and therapist may even co-manage your care to ensure that progress is being made as safely and effectively as possible.

The clinical experience of the personal trainers at Apex Wellness Providers can not be compared to that of trainers who have been employed in gym-only environments. Our trainers understand tissue healing, how to safely work with injuries and rehabilitation, and how to accommodate injury, chronic health conditions and auto-immune disorders such as arthritis, diabetes, heart disease and hypermobility.

The degrees and credentials held by the personal trainers at Apex Wellness Providers are earned from accredited institutions and recognized around the world as the highest in the field.

What is Personal Training?

Personal training provides an individualized experience that will help you set and achieve your fitness goals.

Whether you are new to exercise or you are an accomplished athlete, we will collaborate with you to set reasonable and realistic milestones, provide appropriate feedback and be a source of accountability as we guide you toward realizing those achievements.

Beginning with an initial assessment, we’ll establish a baseline from which to work from. We’ll explore your initial motivations, your ultimate goals, your exercise and medical history, your health habits (both good and bad) and of course, your current level of physical fitness. From this, we can begin to create a safe and effective exercise program tailored specifically for you. For some, we’ll start with teaching the foundations of safety and the basics of how to use exercise equipment. Others may need general health and nutrition education, motivation and encouragement. Still others may need help with advanced training principles to break through plateaus, avoid injury, or improve sports performance. Some may require all of these.

No matter your age, experience or fitness level, we welcome the opportunity to help you in the pursuit of your best self.

Common Training Goals

Research suggests that working with a personal trainer results in higher strength, higher workout intensities, and higher perceived exertion. In one study (McClaran, 2003), it was found that weekly sessions with a personal trainer significantly increased clients’ ability to move upward through the stages of change in regard to physical activity. Overall, 60% of study participants moved up one stage, while 13% moved up two stages, demonstrating evidence of a health-behavior change over a 10-week period.

From beginner to advanced, youth to senior, or from general health to advanced performance, there are many training goals that are common across all ages and fitness levels:

body recomposition

build strength

muscular / cardiovascular endurance

speed / agility

weight loss / gain

balance training

sports performance

injury prevention

range of motion / flexibility

injury rehabilitation

surgical rehabilitation

surgical (avoidance)

exercise program adherence

neutralize a recently diagnosed or perceived health threat

Even those whose lifestyle already includes regular exercise at some level can benefit from the help of a personal trainer. Some of the common areas we can help you with include:

helping you break through plateaus if you are no longer continuing to see results on your own

helping you set realistic and achievable goals, then helping with program design and execution as well as measurement and tracking to ensure progress

helping you stay motivated and working hard

introducing exercise alternatives and variations to help keep you from getting bored

helping you dissect why you might be working hard, but not making progress or worse, seeing diminishing returns

helping you learn more advanced exercise techniques and program design

helping you maintain fitness with an injury, pain or a chronic health condition (e.g., arthritis, diabetes, heart disease)

helping you design a more time effective workout that fits in your busy lifestyle

helping you design a home or travel exercise program where equipment may be limited or even completely unavailable

help keep you informed of the latest research

Whether you are looking for motivation, accountability, or higher intensity, Apex Wellness Providers can help you make working with a trainer a part of your regular exercise routine. You might decide that working with a trainer weekly is perfect for you, or maybe you just need someone to check in with on a monthly basis to ensure that you are still on track and help make any necessary adjustments. Perhaps you need someone that can get you started with the basics or maybe you need help with something more advanced. Either way, Apex Wellness Providers can help you reach your goals.

Nutrition Counseling

2022-10-09T10:19:12-04:00

Why Choose Apex Wellness Providers?

Apex Wellness Providers adopts a holistic approach to healthcare. Your health is a combination of body, mind, and spirit and is influenced by your habits, sleep, nutrition, and physical activity. These aspects of your overall wellbeing work together and affect each other very closely. The team-centered approach at Apex Wellness Providers fosters a collaborative environment where providers can easily communicate and work with each other. Imagine having a doctor, therapist, nutritionist and trainer all on the same team!

What is Nutrition Counseling?

Many of today’s major health issues are related to poor nutrition. It is something that nearly everyone is, or should be mindful of. However, nutrition may also be one of the more confusing and challenging areas of health and wellness. Many people without proper education or experience weigh in on the subject. Their opinions are easily found online, in social media, at the gym or even in casual conversation. Adding to the confusion, credible and unbiased research in the area of nutrition can prove challenging to find.

There are countless fads and products available aimed at people who are looking for a quick fix to address their health challenges. However, Apex Wellness Providers embraces the hard work required to help patients navigate this medical quicksand. We will begin with an interview that includes a thorough evaluation of your medical history. The process will be an ongoing and gradual effort aimed at boosting your confidence in your own ability to make healthy food choices, form healthy eating habits, and ultimately achieve, maintain and enjoy wellness.

Apex Wellness Providers will help you navigate the process of evaluating your food habits to determine where change may be needed. This could include identifying potential gaps in nutrient intake or even discovering foods that may be causing underlying symptoms. Sustainable lifestyle changes that honor you as a whole person and are integrated with all factors of your health are the only way to make lasting and meaningful change. We will work with you to set realistic goals and recognize potential barriers. We will be a resource for information and support, help you develop strategies for better habits, and be a partner with you in pursuing your health goals.

Pelvic Health

2022-10-09T10:19:40-04:00

Why Choose Apex Wellness Providers?

Apex Wellness Providers adopts a holistic approach to healthcare. You are not just reduced to your injured body part – your health is a combination of body, mind, and spirit and is influenced by your habits, sleep, nutrition, and physical activity. These aspects of your overall wellbeing work together and affect each other very closely. When you see a pelvic health physical therapist at Apex, they will explain how these factors relate to your specific symptoms.

Just think about a new first time mother, a woman experiencing a wide range of menopausal symptoms, or a man undergoing a radical prostatectomy in his cancer journey. Their body is one that they do not recognize. Hormonal shifts, physical changes, emotional stress, and at times, pain. This is where pelvic physical therapy can help these patients navigate through these seasons of life. We can help them to understand the pathophysiology of their condition, how their body is responding to this stress, and start to outline the steps that need to be taken to return to wellness. Pelvic physical therapy is appropriate across the lifespan for men and women. Pelvic PT combines the tools utilized in general outpatient physical therapy, including manual therapy and exercise, with an in depth understanding of pelvic anatomy and its effects on every aspect of your health.

We feel there is a gap in service delivery and expertise in this space in our community and we want to be in the forefront of championing this bespoke service.

What is Women’s Health?

Women and men have very different physical bodies and hormonal make up, that when faced with specific demands or shifts, such as child birth or menopause, reacts in a way that is specific to women. This requires a tailored approach to rehabilitation that takes into account these differences in order to return the woman to full health and function.

Women’s health originally was aimed at post-natal and post-menopausal seasons of life. However, now the scope of practice has expanded to include all health issues that affect women in a unique way to men. This includes incontinence, pelvic pain, prenatal and postpartum dysfunction or pain, osteoporosis (brittle bones), rehabilitation following breast cancer, gynecologic cancers, reconstructive surgeries(including pelvic organ prolapse surgeries), education and prevention of these issues, as well as overall wellness and exercise. This section of healthcare and physical therapy now serves all females across their lifespan - from the young woman who wants to engage in sport, to the childbearing woman, all the way to the menopausal and elderly woman. All of these women can benefit from physical therapy that is targeted to their specific anatomy.

What is Men’s Health?

Men are not immune from pelvic floor dysfunction.

Men are also susceptible to issues such as incontinence, constipation, urinary urgency and frequency, pelvic pain, and sexual dysfunction/ pain with intercourse. Many men experience these issues due to prostate cancer and a resulting prostatectomy (up to 40% of men report this symptom post surgery).

The young athletic man can also experience pelvic pain and urinary dysfunction when they start to increase their training – and this can be due to tightness or overactivity of the pelvic floor.

These problems respond very well to conservative treatment (physical therapy) and there is no need for surgery or medical intervention.

If you think you might benefit from this type of physical therapy, call today to speak to a PT about your specific case.

What are common symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction?

What are common symptoms?

When the pelvic floor is not functioning properly, you can experience some of the following issues:

Urinary/fecal incontinence

Constipation

Pelvic pain

Pelvic organ prolapse

Post-partum issues / birth injuries

Urinary frequency

Sexual dysfunction

Urinary retention

Pain and urinary dysfunction from conditions such as Interstitial Cystitis or Endometriosis

Ask yourself these questions!

Do you avoid jumping on the trampoline with your kids because of fear you will leak or you feel like your pelvic area is vulnerable to this type of impact?

Do you always know where the toilet is because you think you have a “small bladder” and go to the toilet more often than other people?

Do you always make it to the toilet in time?

Do you have to wear a pad when you go for a run or take an exercise class?

Do you get poor sleep because you are getting up several times a night to go to the toilet?

Are you avoiding sexual intimacy or even postponing regular smears because of pelvic pain?

If you suffer from any of these issues or feel like you might benefit from this service, call or click to book an initial assessment.

Pelvic Health FAQs

What is the pelvic floor?

What diagnoses does a pelvic PT treat?

What does an initial evaluation for pelvic floor involve?

Do I have to do the internal pelvic exam?

What equipment do you use in pelvic floor PT?

Can I bring my child to my appointment?

Can I bring my partner to my appointment?

How often do I have to come to pelvic PT?

Is pelvic floor PT coded the same as other types of physical therapy? (Will I be able to submit this to my insurance?)

Answers:

What is the pelvic floor?

The pelvic floor is made up of a group of 3 muscles called Levator Ani. The muscles connect from tailbone to the pubic bone (back to front) and from the two sit bones (side to side).

These muscles contract and relax, just as all the other muscles in the body. When the muscles contract/tighten, the pelvic floor shortens and pulls up inside the pelvis.

The pelvic floor muscles have a very important job. The pelvic floor does the following:

Stabilizes the pelvis and hips

Helps to distribute abdominal pressure as part of the “core”

Supports the pelvic organs (bowel, bladder, uterus, vaginal vault)

Creates closure pressure around urethra to keep us continent (able to hold urine)

Supports sexual function for pain free and satisfying intercourse

What diagnoses does a pelvic PT treat?

When the pelvic floor is not functioning properly, you can experience some of the following issues:

Urinary/fecal incontinence

Constipation

Pelvic pain

Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Post-partum issues/birth injuries

Urinary Frequency

Sexual dysfunction

Urinary retention

Pain and urinary dysfunction from conditions such as Interstitial Cystitis or Endometriosis

What does an initial evaluation for pelvic floor involve?

An initial appointment with a pelvic floor PT at Apex Wellness involves the following:

A detailed history taking, review of symptoms and other ongoing health conditions.

In depth education on pelvic anatomy as it relates to your specific symptoms.

Comprehensive assessment of your posture, breathing patterns, core strength, hip and lumbar mechanics.

If it is appropriate and you are comfortable moving forward, a pelvic exam. This may involve any combination of the following: perineal observation (no touching), External pelvic/perineal palpation, Internal pelvic floor exam, external and/or internal anorectal exam. *Please note, the clinical relevance to these procedures is thoroughly explained to you in advance and consent is offered or denied by the patient. We will never ask you to do something you are uncomfortable with.*

Treatment during the exam, if appropriate. This may involve manual release of musculoskeletal structures, guided breath work, demonstration of proper mechanics or posture, etc.

Prescription of a tailored home exercise program to get you started on your pelvic rehab journey!

Do I have to do the internal pelvic exam?

At Apex Wellness, you will never be told that you must engage in anything in the clinic that you are not comfortable with.

If the therapist deems it appropriate and helpful to perform a pelvic exam (internal or otherwise), this process will be thoroughly explained to you. You will understand how this exam gives the therapist information specific to your case and how it will help them tailor your treatment plan to your individual needs. However, if you are not comfortable with the type of exam that the therapist is suggesting, it is completely within your right to withhold consent. In this scenario, the therapist will offer alternatives to the type of exam they have initially proposed so that you are, at all times, feeling comfortable and safe.

Even if you do consent to the exam, it is important to note that you are welcomed and encouraged to end the exam at any time throughout the process if you begin to feel uncomfortable or change your mind.

What equipment do you use in pelvic floor PT?

At Apex Wellness, we do not rely on any fancy equipment to assess or treat our pelvic patients. Usually treatment involves the patient, the therapist, and the treatment table. We do not use stirrups or a speculum for our internal pelvic exams.

We may suggest using equipment such as massage balls, theraband, kinesiotape, braces, etc. This is not much different than what is used in our other orthopedic physical therapy practice.

Can I bring my child to my appointment?

We understand it can be difficult to find childcare and there may be times that you need to bring your child to your appointment. This is completely acceptable to us. As pelvic PTs, we are used to children in tow.

Can I bring my partner to my appointment?

You are welcome to bring your partner to any or all of the appointments. In fact, this can be very helpful!

Your partner can lend a hand to taking care of your child, if accompanying you, while you are being assessed. They can also serve as an extra pair of ears, as the first appointment can be quite education heavy.

For treatment of pelvic pain conditions, we often get the partner involved so that they can better understand your symptoms, triggers, and how to help perform home exercises or self care techniques.

How often do I have to come to pelvic PT?

This is on a case by case basis. On average, pelvic patients are not seen as frequently as orthopedic PT patients. For example, we may see you every 2-4 weeks, as opposed to 1-2x per week. Pelvic physical therapy can often go in episodes of care. We may see you for 4-6 treatments and then see you again months or years later when you are increasing your training demands or have another major life change such as additional pregnancies.

Is pelvic floor PT coded the same as other types of physical therapy? (Will I be able to submit this to my insurance?)

Physical therapy evaluations and various treatments are the same across specialities. The codes are processed by insurance in the same way it would be as if you were seeking PT for knee or ankle pain.

Mental Health

2022-10-09T10:17:58-04:00

What is Mental Health counseling?

In individual mental health counseling, you will work one-on-one with a highly trained professional to address various goals and manage emotional, physiological, and behavioral challenges. In a confidential and safe environment, a therapist will help you gain insight, explore relational patterns, and discuss distress. Counseling provides emotional support, validation, and a personalized approach to each person’s specific needs and goals.

What is trauma focused counseling?

Trauma focused counseling is a specific kind of counseling designed to help individuals who have experienced trauma. Trauma can be defined as an experience that overwhelms a person’s nervous system and has lasting effects that disrupt their daily life.

How can counseling fit into my other treatments at Apex Wellness Providers?

Counseling and other forms of body work can complement each other to address a person’s overall health, especially in cases where physical health concerns are interweaved with emotional causes. Physical injuries and chronic pain can lead to a variety of complex issues such as anxiety and depression. Counseling can help people cope with the emotional aspects of their condition and providing strategies to manage anxiety and depression. Additionally, counseling can address one aspect of pain management. Individuals can learn skills such as relaxation, mindfulness, and cognitive-behavioral strategies for pain relief. Lastly, counseling can uncover any underlying psychological factors or trauma that may be impacting a person’s healing.