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Hello and Welcome!

 

You are probably wondering if Clemens Physical Therapy is right for you and if we can help.

 

While we are an outpatient physical therapy clinic, we are different from most other places out there. Not only do we see some types of patients not seen in other clinics (we are one of the only places in the state of WV to provide pelvic floor rehabilitation),  but we also spend a lot of personal, one on one time with each patient.  Our patients are often pleasantly surprised about how hands-on we are and how much better they feel after treatment instead of getting sore with exercise.  They also appreciate that our office is small and cozy, with private treatment rooms instead of a big busy clinic. All this plus I have over 32 years of experience. We love helping people feel better and return to the things they want to do in life!  

 

While we would love to help everybody, we instead specialize in conditions in the following categories in women and men (click on links for more information): 

 

 

 

Marnie Clemens PT, DPT, OCS, WCS, FAAOMPT, BA, PN1, PN1SSRC

 

My Story:  

 

As I am one of the only physical therapists in the area who treats chronic pain and pelvic floor issues in such a hands-on manner, patients often wonder why I am so different from others.  I initially started out as a typical orthopedic outpatient provider and saw lots of acute and chronic pain patients with neck, back, and joint pain.  While I was pretty good at helping the acute people get better, the people who had had pain for a long time were harder to help.  I became driven to find out ways to help these challenging people as well.  I did (and still do) extensive training in all the things I could to be able to help these people get better as well. 

 

The most successful treatments I learned were more hands-on as opposed to "machine" oriented. For many years I also saw home health patients which is a setting I did not have access to any of the typical PT modalities.  I found I could help people with just my knowledge, my hands, and a few simple exercises- no gym required.   I focused my education on things like mobilization, manipulation, myofascial techniques, stretching, and  improving posture and movement patterns that led to the chronic problems to begin with. 

 

As I learned more,  other PT's and physicians started to send me their challenging patients. This included people with things like pelvic pain and chronic back issues that were not benefiting from regular treatment.  As I was working closely with patients one-on-one, I also discovered many people had issues with bladder leakage and constipation.  These were things I knew physical therapy could help but no one in the area did pelvic floor rehab at the time as it requires more specialty training beyond Physical Therapy school. I knew there were so many people who could benefit from this type of PT and so much that I could do to help. So I went back to get the education I needed to help people with pelvic floor rehabilitation as well. I have been a physical therapist for over 3 decades and had my own practice focusing on pain and pelvic floor issues for over half of that time.  Along the way I have learned a lot from my best teachers-my patients.

 

While most people are aware that PT can help with pain, patients (and even medical providers) are often unaware that Physical Therapy can help with things like incontinence, constipation, and pelvic pain. People think they have to live with pain and that incontinence is "normal".  Nothing could be further than the truth.  I spend a lot of time trying to educate patients  on the benefits of treating these issues conservatively with PT.  I write articles and speak to patient groups. physical therapists, medical providers, and teach PT students to help spread the word. I continue to educate myself in areas that will benefit my patients. I read many books and articles and do continuing education courses to try to help people get better.

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My job is to help patients help themselves.  While all problems may not completely resolve I am often able to help and teach patients the things they need to do to keep their issues under control.       

 

 

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Marnie

Marnie Clemens PT, DPT, OCS, WCS, FAAOMPT, PN1, PN1-SSR
  • Do you accept insurance?
    YES! We are in-network and accept most insurances, including but not limited to: Blue Cross, Medicare, Medicaid, PEIA, Cigna, Aetna, Tricare, The Health Plan, UMWA, United Health Care. You are responsible for the patient's portion of payment (co-insurance) and any co-pays or deductibles you have not met yet. Payment for copays and deductibles is expected at the time of your visit (cash, Visa, Mastercard, Discover). Call our office at 1-304-842-6008 if you have any questions.
  • Do I need a referral?
    The short answer is No. However some insurances require one to cover physical therapy. Call if you have any questions about what is required for your specific insurance.
  • What do I need to bring for my first appointment?
    Please bring a copy of your physician's referral (if needed), your insurance or medical card, a picture ID (such as a driver's license), a list of medications you are taking, and information on your medical history. If you have copies of any tests such as x-rays or MRI reports, please bring these as well (we don't automatically get these from your doctor or the hospital). It is easiest if you are wearing comfortable, stretchy clothing in which you can move easily.
  • What should I expect for my first appointment?
    Once your visit is scheduled, we will send you a link by email to fill out our intake and consent forms. This will let us know some important information like your insurance details (so we can check benefits for you) and your medical history. If you have any problems filling out this online paperless form let us know and we can either help you with it or you can fill out a paper version. Bring your insurance card, picture ID, medicine list, and referral if you have one. We will need to make copies. We will listen to you and ask questions about your problem, then have you do movements and tests to help figure out how to help you. We will discuss the plan of treatment with you and give you a chance to ask any questions you may have.
  • How long will each visit last?
    Most treatments last 45-60 minutes but may be more or less depending on individual needs.
  • How many visits will I need ?
    This is variable depending on your problem. Some conditions may only require a few visits, while others may require more depending on how severe or chronic it is. We understand that time is important and will work with you to make your recovery as fast as possible. It is also important for you to follow through with your therapy "homework". We will give you specific recommendations and exercises to help. We also work with patients who are traveling long distances to try to minimize the number of visits you will need.
  • I live a long distance from you OR I have too much pain to travel. How do you accomodate this?
    As we are one of the only clinics that provide services for chronic pain and pelvic floor issues in the state, we often see patietients who live some distance from us. While being able to come in for treatment, even if just for the first visit, can be very helpful, we can modify things to make it as easy for you as possible. We can focus primarily on things you can do to help yourself at home to minimize the number of trips you need to make. We also offer telehealth and this can be useful if we need to limit the number of treatents. Telehealth can be used in combination with in person visits as well.
  • Why should I see a physical therapist for my bladder control or pelvic pain problem?
    Physical Therapists are specialists in the treatment of muscles, joints, and movement for function. Most people do not realize that often bladder control or pelvic pain relate to weakness or spasm of the pelvic floor muscle. Not all physical therapists specialize in treatment of this area so it is important to find one who works with pelvic floor rehabilitation or women's health issues.
  • My problem is of a "sensitive" nature and I am concerned about coming for treatment."
    Most people are more familiar with a typical outpatient physical therapy setting in which there is a common gym area with open treatment rooms and a lot of people around. We specialize in the treatment of chronic pain and women's health issues and our office is set up differently. We have small private rooms and only see 1-2 people at a time. Special care is taken to make sure you feel comfortable and we will explain the examination and treatment and answer any questions you may have.
  • What should I expect if I have a pelvic floor problem?
    We totally understand that people are worried about getting treatment for this type of problem. We assure you, it is something that we see people for all the time. After the first visit, patients often tell us they worried for nothing as it was not as scary as they thought it would be. For pelvic floor problems, it can be very beneficial to do an internal pelvic exam. Don't worry, it is totally ok if you choose to not do this. You are able to choose what treatment you wish to have or not. We just want to help you by offering you the treatments we feel have the best chance of getting you better. There are plenty of other things we can do to help you and we will explain everything as we go along. Also for women, menstruation does not affect treatment. Just let us know if you want to defer treatment during this time. Something to consider: women often find that treatment helps with pain and cramping. Please don't let fear or nervousness deter you from coming in. We can offer you many options for treatment and you can choose what works best for you.
  • COVID specific
    We are doing all we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19. After all, we work in our clinic all day ourselves. We are following all CDC and state guidelines and a few extra to go above and beyond for the safety of our patients and ourselves. Here are some things that we are doing: -we only see one patient at a time in the clinic -we screen each patient before treatment for possible illness (temperature is checked and a short COVID symptom question list is filled out). Please call before attending your visit if you are experiencing any COVID symptoms (fever, respiratory symptoms) -we spend about 10-15 minutes between each patient for cleaning and disinfecting of all surfaces -we are wearing protective gear and masks and ask that patients also wear masks -we clean all touched items including doorknobs, light switches, and bathrooms after each patient (we even have tape on the bathroom doors to alert us when someone uses it). -we offer telehealth visits for patients who may wish to stay at home or who are ill See our COVID and telehealth page for more details.
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