Functional Physical Therapy LLC

Thank you to everyone to voted for us in the nomination round, we made it to the elimination round! Voting is open September 1-30! We would love your support again. We truly have the best community and are constantly honored to help our members live their best life.

We have the amazing opportunity to be in the running for best physical therapy practice in Bethesda Magazine’s Best of Bethesda Readers’ Poll! It is our honor to continue to support our community’s rehab needs, improving quality of life and developing lasting relationships.
Please help us win this nomination by voting here https://bestofbethesda.moco360.media.
Per poll rules, you must vote in at least five categories, so please help support your favorite local businesses. Some of our favorites are
Favorite chiropractor: Healing Hands Chiropractic
Favorite pediatric dentist: All Star Pediatric Dentistry
Favorite glasses shop: Moda Optic
Favorite vet practice: Brookeville Animal Hospital
Favorite Pilates studio: Pilates for Life
Favorite Barre: Pure Barre Rockville
*We have no financial interests in these companies, nor do we receive any compensation.

A successful open house . Amazing sponsors and great networking. So cool seeing so many smart, passionate, successful women (and some men) changing lives. If you haven’t check out , do so immediately! Wonderful seeing , .s*xplains.it.all and

It’s never too late to start physical therapy! Whether it’s been a few weeks or a few decades, we can still help make positive changes. Don’t settle for living with symptoms, everyone has the potential to improve!

Most people who have symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction have muscles that are too tight so doing kegels can actually make things worse. Treatment should focus on releasing and relaxing the pelvic floor and surrounding tissues then progress to strengthening. See a provider that specializes in evaluating and treating the pelvic floor.

Happy international menstrual hygiene day. Good menstrual health and hygiene can prevent infections and help you stay more comfortable during your period. There are a lot of options today like sanitary pads, tampons, menstrual cups, and discs and period underwear. Read our blog to find out more about international menstrual hygiene day!

Having a fully mobile tailbone can increase space of the pelvic outlet by 1 cm! This would make a huge difference when delivering a baby! This can help baby move through the pelvis during labor and can help reduce trauma since everything is moving efficiently

Up to 50% of men experience urinary incontinence 1 year post prostatectomy. Pelvic PT should be prescribed before and after prostatectomies to prepare the pelvic floor pre-surgery and reduce post-op symptoms. It’s not just about kegels, find a pelvic PT near you!

New blog post! If you’ve been wondering what all the letters after our names mean, this one is for you. Comment below if you have any questions for us.

https://funcphystherapy.com/blog/What-do-our-Certifications-Mean

Join us for an interactive workshop about pregnancy and postpartum! Learn how to modify appropriately with Lead Teacher Emily. Then talk with Dr. Gaby about pregnancy/postpartum, what to expect, common pelvic health issues and how to prevent them. Sign up in the Pure Barre app!

Today we got to tour the NEW Pilates for Life studio ( ). Thank you to Kelly for showing us around! They are having their grand opening this weekend, May 4, from 10-2. Check them out: https://www.pilatesforlife.co

Dr. Caroline graduated from University of Maryland Eastern Shore with her Doctor of Physical Therapy and started working at Functional Physical Therapy in January 2023. She completed a year long mentorship program with Dr. Gaby and Dr. Matt focusing on pelvic health and Functional Manual Therapy. Dr. Caroline passed the Herman and Wallace pelvic specialization exam and is one of few Certified Pelvic Rehabilitation specialists. In her free time, she enjoys walking, knitting and relaxing with her cat, Tuna. Dr. Caroline is currently accepting new patients!

Yes, keep the research coming! There are treatment options to help improve your quality of life, you do not have to suffer. living in the DMV, there are so many specialists you have access to that can help. We have so much more to learn about women’s health, let’s go!

Pelvic pain is often misdiagnosed, misunderstood and dismissed despite how common it is. Pelvic pain affects people of all genders and all ages. There are healthcare providers who specialize in pelvic pain conditions and physical therapy can help improve these symptoms. You are not broken, you are far from alone and you do not have to live with this pain.
✨https://www.pelvicpain.org/
✨https://www.pelvicpain.org/
✨https://pelvicrehab.com/

Today Dr. Caroline had the opportunity to shadow Dr. Rachel Rubin. Dr. Rubin is a board-certified urologist & s*xual medicine specialist. During her visit, Caroline got to see patients with a variety of conditions such as endometriosis, decreased libido, and pain with s*x.

Dr. Rubin’s exams include a comprehensive patient history. Dr. Rubin also empowers patients to take their care into their own hands, and provides education on how to move forward in a way the patient is comfortable with. Dr. Rubin emphasizes the importance of hormones and the impact they have on the pelvic floor and the whole body. Dr. Rubin’s office offers a variety of services such as shockwave therapy, Botox injections, vestibulectomies, and male pelvic health exams.

If you have pelvic floor dysfunction, you are 95% more likely to have TMJ dysfunction than those who do not have pelvic floor dysfunction. Why?! There are many reasons, and more research is needed but here are a few.
1. There is a fascial connection from your tongue to your big toe so any tension along this line can cause dysfunction. Tightness in the pelvis can lead to jaw tightness.
2. Pain. It is normal to clench your jaw when you have pain. If you have pelvic floor pain/dysfunction, you are more likely to be clenching your jaw in response and over time this irritates the jaw muscles.

This afternoon Dr. Caroline got to see Pelvic Rehab Medicine’s () new office in Falls Church, VA. PRM also has an office in Bethesda, MD. They see a variety of conditions, but most commonly pain with periods, pain with s*x, and endometriosis in females, and pain with urination, pain with bowel movements, and pain with ej*******on in males.
PRM offers lidocaine injections guided by ultrasound to turn off nerves and then turn them back on (like a reset button) to reduce inflammation and pelvic pain. Injections are 1x/week for 6-7 weeks and only take 10-15 minutes to complete. Pelvic floor physical therapy is recommended and can be done concurrently with injections to maximize patient outcomes. PRM examinations focus on the nerves of the pelvis and surrounding regions, whereas our pelvic floor physical therapy examinations focus on the muscles of the pelvis and surrounding regions.
Long-term relief from pain may feel slower than patients want it to, but remember they are trying to resolve weeks, months, or even years of pain and inflammation. The team at PRM is also willing to treat patients using more conservative approaches, such as pelvic floor physical therapy and nerve pain medications.
PRM takes Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance, however they are out of network with all other insurance providers.

April is C-Section Awareness Month! Curious about how you can benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy after a C-section? Click the link below to find out!

https://funcphystherapy.com/blog/C-Section-Awareness-Month

Navigating fertility can be isolating, devastating, and seemingly never ending. We hold space for those who are struggling. A reminder not to ask when someone is going to have kids - you never know what someone is going through 🍍

April is c-section awareness month. Whether your c-section was planned or not, cesarean birth is still birth! It is major abdominal surgery and women are not supported enough afterwards. Unlike any other major surgery, rehab is not discussed let alone prescribed. Since the 1970s, rates have gone from 1 in 20 to 1 in 3. In Maryland in 2021, 34.4% of births were c-sections.

It is never too late to get physical therapy after a c-section. C-section scars can contribute to back and hip pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, diastasis recti, and more.

This is a question we get asked often - why don’t we accept insurance?
1. Allows fast access to quality care. Especially with pain conditions, you don’t want to have to wait weeks or months to start physical therapy. The faster you start treatment, the faster you can recover.
2. Most often, PTs that are out of network have advanced training and certifications allowing us to diagnose and treat you faster getting you better in less visits than an in-network provider.
3. Insurance dictates what diagnoses can be seen, when you can start treatment, and what techniques can be used. Being out of network allows us to see you sooner, for as long as necessary and not have restrictions on how we can treat you. We can also provide treatments for wellness and preventative care, which most insurances do not want to cover.
4. Fast and easy communication with your PT. We have more time to respond to emails, phone calls and texts! What’s easier than texting your PT?!

Endometriosis is a total body condition. It has been found on all organs of the body which is why there can be so many symptoms that at first do not appear related.
🎗️Can take up to 11 years to correctly diagnose
🎗️Affects at least 1 in 10 women
🎗️Symptoms include, but are not limited to, painful periods, heavy bleeding, abdominal pain, nausea, constipation, painful bowel movements, painful s3x
🎗️Can affect fertility
Endometriosis affects the entire system so it takes a whole medical team to effectively control symptoms and maintain a good quality of life. Pelvic floor PT should be a part of your team.

A great article discussing signs and symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction, when to seek a pelvic floor physical therapist and how to find one. So many men and women suffer for years with symptoms that drastically affect their quality of life; don't wait, find a specialist today!

https://lifehacker.com/do-you-need-pelvic-floor-physical-therapy-1836393037?utm_medium

Do You Need Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy? You’ve probably never heard of pelvic floor physical therapy before, and that’s a shame: It’s an extremely helpful treatment option for a variety of difficult medical conditions. Your pelvic floor drapes across your pelvic area like a hammock, and supports the pelvic organs (the uterus, bladde...

Matt and Gabriela will be taking a class this week so we will be closed Wednesday through Monday. We can’t wait to bring back new techniques to help our patients! Normal hours will resume Tuesday, August 20.

“Can PT help me even though I’ve had this for years?” We hear this all the time and many people have had symptoms for decades! Every person has the potential to improve! Our physical therapists take 100s of hours of continuing education a year so we can offer more advanced, effective techniques to our patients. We identify the root cause of your symptoms so you can feel better, get back to enjoying your life, and keep it that way! You do not have to settle with your current function, see a highly trained PT! @ Rockville, Maryland

Up to two-thirds of women have urinary incontinence after childbirth. This is common since the pelvic floor muscles and ligaments stretch and endure trauma during pregnancy and labor. Pelvic floor PTs are trained to help with this and can dramatically reduce and often eliminate these symptoms completely! Common does not mean normal!

We are so excited to support amazing, local clubs! Thank you for the share Iron Bridge!

A huge thank you to Gabriela Van Sickle, owner of Functional Physical Therapy for donation and sponsorship of a jump at tomorrow’s show! Gabriela grew up riding and has attended many events at Iron Bridge!

It’s not too late to sponsor a jump! Message us today. Thanks again Functional PT!

Functional Physical Therapy, LLC
103 North Adams St
Ste 1-2
Rockville, MD 20850

Mesh used for urinary incontinence and organ prolapse has serious consequences and the FDA has halted the sale of all mesh. Pelvic floor physical therapy has been shown to be safe and effective in treating urinary incontinence, pain and symptoms of prolapse.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/16/health/vaginal-pelvic-mesh-fda.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

F.D.A. Halts U.S. Sales of Pelvic Mesh, Citing Safety Concerns for Women Boston Scientific and Coloplast were the last two companies selling the controversial devices used to repair pelvic organ prolapse. Companies have paid out billions in settlements to women suffering from injuries related to the vaginal mesh implants.

Owners/PTs Gabriela Van Sickle and Matthew Van Sickle are both Certified Functional Manual Therapists, a certification that less than 400 PTs in the country have. Do you know what that means? Read our blog post to learn what it takes to become a CFMT and how it is different from traditional PT!