We all know this was a tough year, but in true Girl Fit spirit we want to remember some of the good things that happened in 2020 at Girl Fit PT.
In early March, we made the decision to close our doors for in person visits and transition to all Telehealth physical therapy services. This was a scary decision to make as a small business and we were one of the first PT practices in our areas to take that leap, but we knew it was the right decision to do our part in protecting our community and setting a good example for others. I couldn’t be prouder of our little team for staying focused, working hard, and being flexible and open minded during that time. We’re so happy to be safely offering both Telehealth and in person physical therapy sessions at this time.
Shifting our treatments to Telehealth, required all of us to strengthen communication skills and to learn to treat without the use of out hands. In addition to extra training regarding treatment via Telehealth, we took some fun virtual continuing education courses on topics including dance medicine, physical therapy for the performing artists: figure skaters, gymnasts, and musicians, foot and ankle injuries, pelvic health physical therapy, and gait. We also enjoyed attending several virtual physical therapy conferences, including APTA NEXT and the APTA Private Practice Section Annual Conference.
In 2020, we extended our care to include pelvic health physical therapy. Pelvic health physical therapy is a branch of physical therapy that treats dysfunction of the pelvic floor muscles. Pelvic health physical therapy can help address urinary incontinence, pelvic pain, pre and postnatal, pelvic organ prolapse, endometriosis, adenomyosis, interstitial cystitis, vaginismus, fecal incontinence, constipation, pre and post abdominal surgery, pain with intercourse, and more.
We’re so happy to have welcomed Jess Danahy, PT, DPT, and Madeleine Hines, PT, DPT to our team this year. They bring a wealth of knowledge, skill, and passion to their patient care. Jess’ interests and experience include competitive gymnastics, lacrosse, and Pelvic Health physical therapy. Madeleine is a former synchronized swimmer and is passionate about LGBTQ+ inclusivity. To learn more about Jess and Madeleine, check out their blog posts The Power of Words, Physical Therapy for Pelvic Pain, Physical Therapy for Urinary Incontinence, and Urinary Incontinence in Sports.
After months of only seeing our patients behind computer screens, we were thrilled to return to safely offering a modified schedule of in person visits starting in July. In addition to all of our new PPE, we also took our strength testing to the next level with our new MicroFET2 dynamometer. Research continues to grow and support the need for this high quality strength testing, especially in treating our patients in their post op ACL reconstruction rehab.
This feels like forever ago, but it was early this year that we unveiled the beautiful new Girl Fit Physical Therapy website thanks to Champ Digital Marketing. We can’t thank them enough for all of the time, thought, and effort put into our website.
Finally and most importantly, we had a year full of happy patients and quality care. Here are a few things out patients had to say about their experience at Girl Fit Physical Therapy this year:
“Girl Fit is really the best of the best. They combine the highest quality of evidence-based care with an encouraging personal touch. Their specialized care of young female athletes has made the world of a difference to me as a former dancer. I think the thing that has really made the biggest impact on me is the safe, nurturing environment that you can find at Girl Fit. I’ve been a Girl Fit patient for over 3 years now and during that time I’ve gone through some pretty major life changes. I’ve always left appointments at Girl Fit for the various injuries and wellness visits I’ve had over these past years feeling empowered, accepted, and supported. I am now in PT school and I can only aspire to be the same kind of amazing and knowledgeable therapist that Kate, Christina, Michaela, Jess, and Madeleine are at Girl Fit.”
“Knowledgeable, professional and encouraging therapists and a comfortable and open workout space.”
“I had an AMAZING experience with Girl Fit Physical Therapy! As a professional Dancer and Dance Educator, Girl Fit tailored to my unique needs and abilities. My Physical Therapist Michaela Main began each session with asking “how do you feel?,” setting the standard for a collaborative and honest process. From there, she poured motivation, care and detail into my treatment. Unlike other facilities that I’ve visited, the Girl Fit team was dedicated to my recovery until I was fully healed. I now am dancing fully and am so grateful that Girl Fit helped me get here. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Girl Fit to all of those seeking a supportive and individualized PT process, especially to dancers! – Ava Untermyer, Dancer with Evolve Dynamicz & Dance Educator with the Boston Public Schools.”
“Kindness, concern, patience, encouragement and nice smiles.”
“I had a fantastic experience at Girl Fit Physical Therapy. The physical therapist is extremely knowledgeable and converts technical information about the body into relatable terms for me to apply to my daily life. I’ve also worked with a member of the office staff for scheduling who is extremely attentive and helpful. Finally, I worked with a member of their staff in billing about my insurance plan and what is offered to me personally, and I was so impressed with the detailed information they shared with me about my plan offerings and how they walked me through my PT coverage. Overall, everyone has been incredibly nice, motivating, and lovely to work with! I couldn’t be happier with my experience!”
“It’s a beautiful setting, warm environment, friendly staff and girl ruled:)”
“Girl Fit is fantastic. My daughter has been coming to Girlfit for a few years now and what she has been able to accomplish since she has started with GF is pretty amazing. Besides that, I believe what stands out with GF is that they really understand the adolescent female athlete. My daughter feels safe and at-home- both physically and mentally- at GF. And that is priceless.”
“Girl Fit really cares about my daughter and her ability to perform at her highest potential. They really work with her to diagnose her knee issues and teach her what she can do at home to strengthen and recover. They also teach the girls about prevention so that they do not repeat the same injuries.”
“Love how my therapist Michaela takes the time to explore each option that would best fit my recovery process. This has been such a wonderful experience. For the first time in years I feel like I have a fighting chance in regaining my strength.”
“The team is comprised of kind, smart and caring therapists. The facility is clean, well appointed and carefully arranged. The office staff is efficient, organized and helpful.”
Well we made it through 2020! We know it wasn’t an easy year for anyone, but we hope that we were able to help make your year a little better. We look forward to a bright and hopeful 2021 with you!
Kate Hamilton, PT, DPT
Orthopedic Clinical Specialist
