Tampa Bay Physical Therapy Can Help Relieve Your Pain, Too! By JOHN C. COTEY
john@NTNeighborhoodNews.com
Michele Patterson says she spends a good portion of her time as a Realtor sitting in her car, driving to and from houses, getting in and getting out. Her job has taken a toll on her lower back, and for years, and after dozens of visits to massage therapists and chiropractors, her pain never went away. She said her blood pressure had spiked due to the pain and spasms. “My quality of life was horrible,” Michele says. “I was afraid to get into a bath tub because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to get out.” Then she met Kelly Pearce Baez, Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), who, along with her husband Joel, runs Tampa Bay Physical Therapy off E. Fletcher Ave. in the Tampa Telecom Park in Temple Terrace. Michele was initially skeptical, then relieved…literally. “Instant relief,” she says, calling it a miracle. She completed 12 sessions with Kelly, who she says is practically a family friend now. “I mean, I am telling you I can’t say enough,” Michele says. “She has saved my life. And that’s not even a cliché. Having that 1-on-1 with someone who
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Dr. Kelly Pearce Baez works on Michele Patterson, who says the pain relief she has received at Tampa Bay Physical Therapy in Temple Terrace has been a “miracle.” (Photos by Charmaine George)
really cares about your whole life, and not just your injury, was holistic.” Michele was actually Dr. Kelly’s first patient — Tampa Bay Physical Therapy has only been open since October, and last week celebrated its official ribbon cutting (photo on next page). Michele says the new business already has the art of customer satisfaction down, due primarily to the way Dr. Kelly invests her time in her patients.
Dr. Kelly says the 1-on-1 nature of her job is one of the best things about it, along with being able to help people recover from injuries and find relief from debilitating pain. She originally went to school to be a teacher, but changed course and got her health science degree (with a concentration in biology) from USF and her D.P.T degree from Nova Southeastern University. After working for a year at BayCare,
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she decided to open her own practice. “I really enjoy making a difference in people’s lives, and helping my patients become independent, functional and able to do the things they love,” Kelly says. Joel, who runs the business and marketing side of the practice, says the most important thing about Tampa Bay Physical Therapy is that, “you get Kelly.” That’s a big deal for many patients, who have plenty of options in the area to choose from but, Joel says, few that don’t put up a wall between the doctor and the patient. And, Kelly also is fluent in Spanish, which is not always easy to find. “It’s like a personalized, tailored experience for our patients,” he says. Tampa Bay Physical Therapy offers a wide range of services. Dr. Kelly treats weekend warriors and their sports injuries, and helps others who may have impaired movement of certain joints following, or prior to, surgery. She can align your back and then, through exercises and stretches, activate the proper muscles to hold that alignment. She also offers soft tissue massages. Dr. Kelly employs the latest exercise machines, as well as electrotherapy systems like the Vectra Neo and the Richmar HydraTherm, a heat therapy unit, to provide strength and relief.
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