Core Wellness & Physical Therapy

I don’t know how to sum up just how much Core Wellness, and specifically Angie, did for me. I injured my tailbone and had my rib dislocated by a massage therapist all in one year, and I had a great deal of pain and muscle weakness afterwards. It felt like a joke – if I did anything physical (walk more than a block, go up or down stairs, etc), I wouldn’t be able to walk for two weeks. Once, I had TMJ so bad that I could barely open my mouth to speak (that one also lasted two weeks). Finally, I got a prescription for PT and went to see Angie.
I really appreciated that Angie listened to everything I told her. She was extremely patient, and only gave me exercises that I could handle. She worked with my physical limitations and didn’t get frustrated by them. Most importantly, she is an incredibly kind, fun person who I enjoyed spending 2hrs/​week with. She’s also very, very good at her job. With her help, I got much better, and was even able to start running again six (?) months later. Running! If there weren’t so many other reviews that said the same thing, I’d feel weird saying that she saved my life, but she did.
When I told Angie that I was moving away from NoVA, she did extensive research to help me find somebody new in the area where I’d be living. She also answered my questions via email after I’d moved. When people ask me what I miss most about DC, I say, «My PT!» (So much that I fit in an appointment when I was in DC for a weekend). Truly can’t recommend this place enough.

Angie is AMAZING! Tremendous improvement for a torn meniscus and would recommend above all other PTs.

I’ve had multiple knee and hip surgeries so I have some experience with PTs. Jolene is the most hands-​on and knowledgeable one I have ever worked with. She treats the body as a whole unit rather than just focusing on the injured area. And the plan she comes up is tailored to my body rather than going off a protocol. She also spends the entire visit with her hands on me and teaching me the exercises rather than sending me off to work on my own. If you have done PT other places, you know this is unique.
So if you are worried about paying out of pocket I found that visiting CoreWellness is more helpful and efficient than visiting PTs in my network. After co-​pays, CoreWellness is a much better value.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Core Wellness changed my life! I’ve been dealing with the fallout from a severely herniated disc for almost 4 years, and about two years ago things took a turn for the worse with intense pain from all of the related muscle imbalances. My previous PT said there was nothing more she could do for me, a chiropractor was useless, and I didn’t want to go the injections/​surgical route — luckily, we moved to Del Ray and I decided to try my luck with Core Wellness.
After a few sessions with Elizabeth and Jolene, I knew I was in capable hands — Elizabeth has a magical way with soft tissue and Jolene an encyclopedic knowledge of musculature and the best way to correct all of my imbalances. Over the past year, I have gone from daily crippling pain and discomfort to a nearly pain-​free existence — all thanks to these ladies.

After a traumatic birth that left me with an unstable pelvis, followed by two more pregnancies and deliveries in the span of three years I had severe muscle spasms and pain in my back and pelvis that was unrelenting and almost disabling. In addition to that I had developed a very weak core which caused my back to overcompensate further aggravating the muscle spasm pain cycle making daily activities as a Mom of an infant, toddler and four yr old almost impossible. As a BSN, RN with a MSS/​sports medicine degree and as a former fitness instructor I know that core training allows the muscles in the pelvis, back, hips and abdomen to gain strength allowing them to work together to provide better balance and stability. And with that balance and stability, inappropriate muscle use, pain and muscle spasms can be alleviated but core training is not the typical focus at most physical therapy offices and when I tried to exercise on my own I spent the following days almost immobilized in spasm. After spending ten months at a traditional physical therapy clinic and 10 additional months of other hands on treatments such as massage, chiropractic adjustments and acupuncture, nothing helped with my pain nor retrained my body to use my muscles correctly. Finally exasperated and depressed because of my pain and inability to function as a Mom I found Core Wellness Physical Therapy. Prior to my first session I watched a pregnant woman on the Pilates reformer and knew I had found the right place, in fact I cried at the thought of finally working towards a pain free life. After only one session with Dr. Elizabeth Polis my sciatic nerve pain was gone and over the course of treatment in the following months with Dr E and each of the other therapists at Core Wellness PT my pain is 90% reduced and my body is gaining back the strength it had lost after instability robbed me of a normal existance. The office has an almost spa like serenity and typically there is only one client in session (and no more than three) at a time making your treatments feel completely focused on you. I highly recommend Core Wellness Physical Therapy and only regret that I hadn’t found them at the beginning of my pelvic/​core dysfunction because I could have saved myself from almost two yrs of pain! Core Wellness gets FIVE stars if only because there aren’t any more to give!

This place is just… too, too, too good. I can’t begin to tell you all of the minor and major changes I’m noticing just after two visits with Jolene. To understand where I’m coming from, I suppose you should know my father and mother both suffer from pretty debilitating back problems. I have to remind myself that I truly won the genetic vertebral jackpot when I’m cursing the fates for the pain I endure. I’ve always known I’ve had scoliosis but my back also twists… much like a pretzel (joke!). I live with constant pain and tension in my neck and upper back and this has become the daily routine… learning to live with the pain. I’ve visited chiropractors and doctors but have found no solution to this problem. My boyfriend’s sister is a physical therapist and even she felt that she wasn’t prepared to take on the beast that is my back. At 23 years old, I have often times felt twice my senior because of the constant tension I feel in my back and the discomfort in my legs. Jolene has an understanding of how the body truly works and how to manipulate it into it’s proper placement. I’ve often times felt like a slave to my own body but just a few days after my last visit with Jolene, I feel worlds different. As she has requested, I have some exercises to do at home to keep my back in check when I’m out of her care. I feel much more confident about my health after checking this place out.
And for anyone concerned about pricing, it’s $ 150 for your consult and typically $ 125 each visit after that. I am paying 100% out of pocket (my insurance won’t cover my visits) and truly feel no price is too high when it comes to your health and longevity. Three cheers for the miraculous Core Wellness crew!

$ 175 per visit. No stars here. I called to make appointment and specifically told them I wanted to make sure they took my insurance. I was told that yes, it was covered. Then when my insurance denied services as out of network I called and someone I had never spoken to before told me I signed the agreement, blah blah $ 175 per visit. Bait and switch. I feel ripped off and angry.

This is such a great concept — folks with backgrounds combining physical therapy, pilates and yoga. I got more out of my one hour session with Ann Wendel than I would with a dozen pilates classes. We were able to focus on how I was doing the exercises — not correctly — and how to tweak them to be more effective. She also provided changes on two exercises I was given by another physical therapists due to a knee injury that are less taxing on the knee, her versions are much better.

After seeing a different physical therapist for 10 weeks post knee ACL replacement, I switch to Elizabeth. I had hit a major plateau, but Elizabeth found the solution and solved the problem. Now I am back to running, biking and boot camp again thanks to her help. Not only is she a fabulous therapist, she’s a great person too.

After living a sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle for almost a decade, I started an exercise regimen– but quickly hit a weight loss and motivation plateau that threatened to derail my progress. On a whim, I contacted Ms. Polis about designing a wellness program for me in the hopes that I might stay on track. BEST DECISION I EVER MADE! Ms. Polis painstakingly coached me through a whole-​body wellness program– maximizing the effectiveness of my workouts and breaking through the psychological barriers that kept me from achieving my weight loss, nutrition and fitness goals. Whereas I once would start working out, get frustrated and eventually quit, Ms. Polis helped me integrate meaningful changes into my lifestyle that I CAN live with… and actually enjoy! I met and exceeded all of my initial goals way before deadline… and I know beyond a doubt that I wouldn’t have gotten this far without Core Wellness.