—OUR SERVICES
Beyond Physical Therapy
Beyond Basics is a place to heal. Patients come to us for skilled physical therapy and so much more. Our PTs have additional specialties and training on top of the training they all receive in pelvic health. This includes, yoga, Pilates, athletic training, orthopedics and manual therapy. We also work with physicians, mental health specialists, and other providers to coordinate your treatment. We make sure you get the complete, integrated care you need.
Pelvic Floor
Physical Therapy
The muscles in your pelvic floor control bladder, bowel, and sexual function. And they do much more than that: Because they connect to other muscles in your hips, core, and back, they have a direct impact on how your body performs, overall. Pelvic floor muscles can get tight, weak, injured, or overused and when they do, this can create problems throughout your body.
When the muscles in your pelvic floor aren’t operating like they should, you can have issues with digestion, incontinence, or sexual dysfunction. You might be in pain in your pelvis or in your hips, abdomen, low back, or legs.
The good news is that pelvic floor muscles respond really well to stretching, strengthening, soft tissue mobilization, and rehabilitation. That’s where PT comes in. Pelvic floor PT restores the length-tension relationship of your pelvic floor muscles, relieving pain, improving function, and restoring optimal whole-body performance.
At Beyond Basics, we are committed to treating pelvic floor issues with sensitivity to each individual’s needs, regardless of sex, race, identity, age, or orientation – we treat the whole person with a comprehensive, caring biopsychosocial approach.
Pregnancy and
Postpartum
We are here to support you throughout all the remarkable stages of pregnancy and the changes they bring – from pre-natal through delivery and beyond. Pelvic floor PT helps prepare you for birth by keeping you in proper alignment and in good health.
We help relieve pregnancy-related discomfort, and even teach you the most efficient way to push during labor (because nobody wants to push for longer than they have to).
Every challenge a new parent faces is individual and unique – we think post-partum recovery treatment should be too. Whichever souvenirs of pregnancy and delivery you suffer from – incontinence, painful c-section, episiotomy or tearing scars, abdominal muscle separation (diastasis recti) or back and hip pain – we will customize an individualized treatment plan designed to jumpstart your recovery and get you feeling better.
Reproductive
Health Services
At Beyond Basics, we take a holistic approach to reproductive health and sexual function, and offer support to everyone dealing with changes from puberty onwards. We specialize in the treatment of fertility issues and conditions like endometriosis and osteoporosis.
We strive to restore our patients’ optimal sexual function, whether it’s through pain relief, education on sexual positions based on orthopedic conditions, or aiding in surgical recovery.
Many troubling conditions like decreased erections, premature ejaculation, and difficulty or pain with orgasm can be the result of pelvic floor muscle dysfunction.
Pelvic floor PT can train uncoordinated muscles to work optimally to enhance function.
Many of our patients are surprised to learn that PT can even serve as an alternative to Controlled substance.
Pediatric Pelvic Floor
and Orthopedic
Physical Therapy
In children, when pelvic floor muscles are too weak, too tight, or too active, they can cause accidents, constipation, tummy troubles, bed-wetting, and potty-training issues. If your child is having a hard time, they’re not alone – millions of kids have pelvic floor issues. You might be surprised to learn how much pelvic floor PT can help without medication or surgery.
Treatment is always done with a physical therapist trained in pediatric pelvic floor issues, and always with your pediatrician’s knowledge. Children are dressed and parents and guardians are present. The room is private and comfortable.
Orthopedic Physical
Therapy
In addition to specialized training in pelvic floor disorders, all Beyond Basics physical therapists are trained as orthopedic PTs.
We treat sports or chronic overuse injuries. We help with post-surgical recovery. We also treat arthritis and osteoporosis, chronic pain, and jaw pain related to clenching, grinding, or TMJ. From your neck and jaw to your ankles and feet, we’re trained to treat pain wherever it shows up in the body.
Gender Affirmation
Support
Physical therapy can relieve a number of the common complications that accompany gender affirmation practices. Procedures like mastectomy or breast augmentation impact chest muscles and the lymphatic system. A PT can help ensure your body is able to function properly after these changes.
Practices such as binding or tucking come with their own set of complications. We understand how important these activities are. A skilled PT will help encourage good habits and minimize any negative side effects you may experience as a result.
Drastic anatomical changes made during bottom surgeries can impact the ability of the pelvic floor muscles to work properly. There are also many other post-operative considerations such as dilation (for neo-vaginoplasties), wound care/scar tissue management and relearning toileting behavior with new anatomy. Pelvic floor PT can address and treat all of these concerns.
Complementary Care
Beyond Basics offers specialized rehabilitative Pilates. And we can guide you to other types of care, such as yoga, acupuncture, nutrition, mental health, and other services to help you heal.
COVID-19 Side Effect Relief
1. Fatigue. Patients with COVID-19 often require prolonged bed rest during the illness and find themselves fatigued when trying to return to daily activity. Solution: PTs can educate patients to treat fatigue with appropriate energy conservation strategies which allow patients to “make it through the day” as they accomplish tasks. Consistent progressive exercise will be the long-term plan for eliminating fatigue in patients post COVID-19.
2. Shortness of Breath. Individuals recovering from COVID-19 may present with inspiratory muscle weakness leading to decreased ventilation of the lungs, decreased ribcage expansion, and over time progressive deconditioning.
Solution: Patients may benefit from inspiratory muscle training (IMT), such as utilizing diaphragmatic breaths, to not only strengthen the muscles of respiration, but also improve autonomic nervous system activity and provide a cardiorespiratory training effect.
3. Musculoskeletal Weakness and Pain. Global pronounced muscle weakness and pain is a common finding for patients post COVID-19. This global muscle weakness is environmentally induced (bedrest during healing, confinement during quarantine period) and is a result from the body’s reaction to COVID-19 viral infection (fever, muscle wasting, etc.)
Solution: Individuals who present with global muscle weakness may benefit from a strengthening routine which optimizes current performance and increases physical muscle mass back to previous levels. PTs can educate patients in good postural alignment to reduce stress/pain through areas of the body.
4. Pelvic Floor Dysfunction. Patients recovering from COVID-19 may experience problems in many major body systems, including the pelvic floor. Did you know the pelvic floor relies on the diaphragm to help regulate the abdominal pressures of the trunk? The respiratory system and the pelvic floor work in conjunction with one another, to manage abdominal pressure.
Solution: Through pelvic floor PT, patients are able to improve respiratory and pelvic floor strength, coordination, and motor control. These groups of muscles also assist patients with breathing, posture, and movement, making daily activities easier.