Month: March 2023

Tampa Bay Physical Therapy Can Rehab Any Injury

Rebecca Johnson is like many of the patients at Tampa Bay Physical Therapy.

She had a shoulder problem, tried other places with minimal success, wondered if she would ever find a solution, and then found Dr. Kelly Pearce Baez, PT, DPT.

“When I met with her the first time, it clicked,” Johnson says. “She went over everything with me — it was a very thorough first consultation, she used a skeleton, which she named ‘Fred,’ to point out areas where my injury was. Then, we went over a treatment plan.”

Johnson was suffering from frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis, a condition where the shoulder bone is difficult to move, producing pain and swelling in the shoulder joint and inhibiting range of motion.

However, Dr. Kelly’s physical treatment, Johnson says, soon returned her to a pain-free life and a shoulder that she says is roughly 95% healed.

Dr. Kelly and her Tampa Bay Physical Therapy office in the Tampa Telecom Park off E. Fletcher Ave. have experienced the same kind of results for dozens of other patients since opening in October 2021 — for everything from shoulder, back and joint pain to injury and surgery rehabilitation to neurological-related issues.

In fact, Dr. Kelly says she can treat just about any type of ache or pain.

“I’m not your typical physical therapist who only focuses on one thing,” she says. “That’s the benefit of my practice. If you come to me, you have at least a 90% chance of me being able to resolve (your pain). Most often that is the case. It is extremely rare I need to tell a patient that they should go to see this other person, or a surgeon.”

At Tampa Bay Physical Therapy, new patients receive a consultation and a risk-free screening, where their mobility and strength are tested as Dr. Kelly searches for the root cause of any pain. She will then present a treatment plan to the patient, with the plan’s length depending upon the severity of the injury, as well as a home routine to help the process.

*Dr. Kelly offers personalized, one-on-one service to help bring relief to all of her patients.*

“We deal with everything from head to toe,” Dr. Kelly says.

She offers services for weekend warriors and athletes and those who have some kind of impaired joint movement and may be facing or are recovering from surgery. Dr. Kelly also takes on patients who are recovering from strokes, as well as those battling Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and other neuro-type disorders.

Dr. Kelly says that those suffering from neurological problems, including balance issues, concussion symptoms and vertigo, are at a high risk for dangerous falls.

The Tampa Bay Physical Therapy office has the latest exercise machines, as well as the Vectra Neo (electrotherapy) and Richmar HydraTherm (heat therapy) units to provide strength and relief. There also is a special room to treat those with neurological disorders involving issues like a stroke, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis and PD.

Dr. Kelly also offers the LSVR BIG program, an intensive 1-on-1 treatment created for PD and other neurological conditions.

PT Massage, Too

Tampa Bay Physical Therapy also currently offers a physical therapy massage package, where you can get single sessions or purchase a membership that allows you two massages a month and a stretching program designed specifically for you.

“It’s really, really good,” she says. “We’ve had a lot of people sign up for it who are very satisfied.”

If a stretching program isn’t for you, Dr. Kelly can do joint mobilization and alignments as well — which, she says, are options most other physical therapists can’t or don’t offer.

Tampa Bay Physical Therapy, which accepts most major health insurance plans including Medicare (but not Medicaid), also has a wellness program, or personal training. Dr. Kelly describes it as a weight loss and maintenance program — and includes a nutritionist offering dietary advice — designed for patients who want to stay with her after their physical therapy concludes.

“It continues to develop their skills, and some of them just feel like I’m the one that helps them remain compliant,” Dr. Kelly says.

Johnson doesn’t take part in that program, but she understands why others do. When she finally went to see an orthopaedic surgeon to discuss other options, he offered to direct her to another physical therapist. But, Johnson declined, saying she wanted to stay with Dr. Kelly.

“She just listens,” Johnson says. “You can do exercises every day, but if your doctor isn’t listening to you about what is still hurting, then they aren’t going to be able to help you.”

Even though she no longer visits the visit the office for her physical therapy, Johnson is diligent about following the at-home plan designed by Dr. Kelly, and says she continues to improve. And, when she has a question, she says Dr. Kelly is always there to pick up the phone and help with an answer.

Dr. Kelly originally went to school to be a teacher, but changed course and got her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in health science (with a concentration in biology) from USF and her Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree from Nova Southeastern University: Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences in Tampa.

After working for a hospital, she decided to open her own practice.

Dr. Kelly’s husband Joel Baez runs the business and marketing side of the practice.

It is Dr. Kelly’s attention to detail that continues to draw in new patients. While most of the bigger physical therapy and orthopaedic businesses can make it feel like you are sharing your appointment with multiple patients, Dr. Kelly prides herself on 1-on-1 care, and she says she is a strong patient advocate, often going above and beyond to help.

Sometimes, that includes finding medical equipment or a wheelchair for a patient. “We don’t just stop when you leave the office,” she says.

That personal care is what attracted Johnson to Tampa Bay Physical Therapy in the first place. She had been to other physical therapists, but felt she was just being rotated between therapists.

“Here you get 1-on-1 attention,” Dr. Kelly says. “You start with me and you stay with me. You don’t get passed off.”

Dr. Kelly says fixing injuries is an important part of her craft, but she also is a firm believer in maintaining wellness. She is hosting the first Tampa Bay Physical Therapy 5K run on June 7, aka Global Running Day, at a site to be determined. She will provide free 15-minute massages and wellness testing for those who attend the event, which she says will be a family fun day with food trucks and other vendors on hand. More information will be posted soon at TampaBayPT.health.

“It’s just our way of giving back to and doing something for the community,” she says. “That’s something we like to do.”

Tampa Bay Physical Therapy is located at 13328 Telecom Dr., and is open Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-6 p.m., and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. on Sat. For more info, visit TampaBayPT.health, call (813) 771-0777.

Peak TRT & Wellness Can Get You Back To Peak Performance

For many men, it starts with lethargy, low energy levels and an overall sense that they just don’t have the same “juice” they used to have.

That juice, in most cases, is testosterone, a hormone important to men’s health that the body stops producing in excess after the age of 30.

Reduced testosterone levels can lead to a variety of health issues, from loss of muscle mass and strength to sleep apnea to low sex drive and erectile dysfunction. At Peak TRT and Wellness, owner and Master of Science Nursing (MSN) Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Jerry Reed and his staff seek to reverse those problems.

Open since October 2022 in the Westbrook Professional Park on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel, Peak TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy) specializes in hormone replacement and other treatments related to men’s health, including diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol.

“We look at the whole health picture,” says Reed. “Testosterone is what we focus on here, but we don’t ignore anything else we see in the lab tests.”

Reed likens a visit to Peak TRT to visiting your primary care physician for your yearly physical. Except, he jokes, that many men who walk into his business haven’t been to a doctor in years because men are, in general, less likely than women to go to the doctor.

“Certain things will drive men to get health care and one of them is sexual function,” Reed says. “If there’s something wrong there they usually want to find out pretty quick what’s going on.”

Your visit starts with a complete health assessment, and Reed will provide a comprehensive review of the lab results with you. Those include metabolic panels, which measure 14 different substances in your blood that help assess your physical health, cholesterol panels and a PSA test that screens for prostate cancer.

The medical staff at Peak TRT and Wellness will then prepare a personalized men’s wellness plan. Those include treatments for low testosterone, erectile dysfunction, hypertension and high cholesterol.

Peak TRT also offers Peptide Therapy. Peptides are building blocks of proteins that are composed of amino acids and generally signal other cells and molecules as to what functions to perform. They are crucial to your healing process, as well as other physical and mental functions.

“It starts with testosterone,” he says, “but we cover everything else, too, from your A1C number (diabetes) to cholesterol. Then, we’ll focus on what plan would be best for you.”

Reed says the biggest difference between Peak TRT and your primary care doctor, however, might be how low testosterone is treated. If you are within the acceptable range of having enough testosterone, even on the very low end, Reed says it will likely go untreated. At Peak TRT, the goal is to raise that number to the middle or higher range of what is considered to be okay.

“Typically, a primary care physician doesn’t really specialize in testosterone,” he says. “Therefore, most of them don’t treat it very aggressively. If you are one point within the normal range, your primary doctor is typically not going to treat it, whereas we look at it as each individual is different. You can technically be normal on your testosterone level, barely normal, but still have all of the side effects.”

Those side effects include decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction, decreased energy, weight gain, lack of focus and even depression.

Many of those symptoms also are related to underlying conditions like obesity and diabetes, but if the problem is determined to be low testosterone (also known as male hypogonadism), Reed says Peak TRT will treat it aggressively. Those who decide to take part in the plan pay a monthly fee and get weekly injections tailored to their needs and, every three months, new tests are taken to measure the progress.

“What works for one person may not work for another,” Reed says, “Primary care takes a more cookie-cutter approach.”

Reed opened his business last year but had been involved in treating “Low-T” previously. He received his Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, TN, and his MSN degree from East Tennessee State University in Johnson City.

He says he was an ICU nurse before working for the Low T Center national chain (47 centers in 11 different states) in Dallas, TX. After leaving that job to move back to Florida, he took a job at Advent Health Wesley Chapel as a hospitalist before deciding to get back into the men’s health field with his Peak TRT & Wellness.

Reed says that unlike some of the bigger low-testosterone companies, he has created a place where men can get easy, personalized care with real people.

“We want everyone to be comfortable coming here,” he says, even though discussing your sexual decline can be an uncomfortable topic. “Once you broach that first subject, get that out of the way, everything else is gravy after that.”

A patient named Larry says the personal touch is what drew him to Peak TRT.

Now that he is in his upper 40s, Larry says he had noticed a decrease in his energy levels that concerned him.

“I felt like I had a lost a little zeal for life,” he says. “I was laying around and eating and just kind of doing nothing, and I’ve never been that person before.”

He tried some of the larger, more corporate Low T places, but said, “It was a lot of press 3 for that, press 4 to talk to this person…I just wanted to go somewhere where I would be able to know somebody.”

The price was right ($99 for his initial visit and tests), and Larry has now been a client at Peak TRT for roughly five months. And, best of all, he says he has noticed significant results.

“I’m definitely less cranky, and when I wake up I’m ready to go,” he says. “I don’t feel lethargic anymore.”

The ease of just stopping into a real office with real people that he now knows for his weekly injection keeps Larry coming back.

“It’s all very straightforward and simple,” he says.

Peak TRT and Wellness doesn’t accept insurance, but Reed says he tries to make it as affordable for everyone as he can.

Peak TRT & Wellness is located at 28593 S.R. 54. It is open Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, call (813) 973-5206.

Peak TRT & Wellness Wesley Chapel

Radiant Wellness Spa Offers Licensed Massage, Facials & More

Spa On S.R. 54 In Wesley Chapel To Highlight Its Services At Its FREE Health & Wellness Fair On Sunday, March 19!

Willie Williams has played basketball most of his life at a very high level (including the NBA’s “D” League) , and that grind produced a few injuries along the way that he can still feel today. He was recently in a car accident that has made his body creak and groan more than it should for a man only in his mid-30s.

However, Willie says his body only creaks and groans these days until Yuhanna Alahmary, LMT, MLD-C, CCT, CMT, gets her hands on him.

*Radiant Wellness Spa owner Yuhanna Alahmary*

The owner of Radiant Wellness Spa in the Brookfield Professional Park on S.R. 54 just west of Eiland Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, Alahmary has learned plenty of skills over the years related to massage therapy, and Williams says those massages are the only thing, including physical therapy, that can make him feel better.

“She’s the real deal,” he says. “I’ve had massages before, but the way hers make my body feel afterwards is something different. I’ve known her for three years and she has allowed me to get back to moving around, get out of bed and not be limping around the house all the time.”

After a decade of working as a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) at a local spa in Wesley Chapel, Alahmary decided to branch out and open her own spa in April 2022.

She may not be new to Wesley Chapel, but her business is, which is part of the reason she is reaching out to the community by hosting a Health & Wellness Fair on Sunday, March 19, noon-4 p.m. (see ad on pg. 34) with a food truck, businesses from the KRATE at the Grove container park (including 3 Eleven candles, Mythos Gifts and Blush Wine Room) and health-related vendors like Florida Pain Medicine, Humana and Double Branch Chiropractic Rehab. Alahmary says some of the vendors will be doing free health testing, and her spa will offer complimentary 5-minute massages.

More Than Just Massages

Radiant Wellness Spa offers a wide array of spa services, from massages to facials.

The massages include the standard Swedish, therapeutic and deep tissue, as well as couples and prenatal massages.

Hot stone and bamboo massages also are available, or try the “Sticks & Stones” massage, which is a combination of both.

Alahmary says she also has a therapist on staff who specializes in oncology massages for cancer patients looking for pain relief and relaxation.

And, cupping therapy, which decompresses the body’s tissues with suction cups, helps with a host of issues and is one of the spa’s more popular services. In addition to her other titles, Alahmary is a CCP (certified cupping therapist, CMMP (certified medical massage practitioner) and master post-op care provider and body contouring specialist.

*The acne and microneedling program at Radiant works wonders for high-grade acne skin, producing amazing results.*

When it comes to facials, there are many from which to choose. Alahmary says the enzyme and OxygenGLOW facials are the most popular among her array of offerings, and microneedling (also called collagen induction therapy) continues to be in demand for those seeking to firm and tone their skin, especially the arms and face. Alahmary says the Circadia brand products used at the spa are high-grade.

Body waxing services and sauna wraps also are available.

Alahmary says that Radiant’s staff aesthetician Tunde used to own her own spa in Budapest, Hungary, before Covid-19 forced her to close down and move to the U.S.

“She has 20 years of experience and she helps with a lot of European techniques I wasn’t really familiar with,” Alahmary says. Tunde has worked miracles on some of the faces that leave Radiant Wellness Spa with a big smile on them.

If you mention this story, you can receive $15 off your first visit. There are other specials, too — $10 off on Mondays for anyone, and $10 off on Thursdays for teachers, law enforcement, first responders, healthcare and postal workers (with work ID).

“I’ve always had a soft spot for vets and healthcare workers,” Alahmary says. “My dad was impacted by agent orange and nurses really were impacted by Covid.”

What separates Radiant Wellness Spa from other spas, however, may be Alahmary’s own personal specialty: post-op care.

She is certified by the Academy of Lymphatic Studies, which she says makes her a rarity in the Wesley Chapel area.

“So many people drive to South Tampa to get their post-op care done,” she says, “but we have it right here.”

Post-op MLD (or manual lymphatic drainage) care, in Alahmary’s case, often but not exclusively deals with treating patients who have recently had cosmetic surgery like a tummy tuck or liposuction. As a result, their bodies may be inflamed and they may suffer from lymphatic fluid build up.

A certified MLD-C massage therapist uses specific massaging techniques to help transport the lymphatic fluid from the swollen area to an area that is draining properly.

“If you want to heal right, you need some kind of post-op care,” says Alahmary. “It will cut down on fibrosis build up and help prevent fibrosis, which are those hardening knots in people who don’t get the proper (post-op) care.”

Alahmary also says she has spent hundreds of hours learning and taking tests to learn as much as she can, and earn as many certifications as possible. She has even traveled to Thailand and hopes to incorporate Thai massages into her spa in the future.

Alahmary’s commitment to her craft is something that actually helped prompt Williams to follow her to her new practice. For years at the previous spa where she worked, Williams would listen to her talk about pursuing her dream and perfecting her skills.

“She is a real student of her art,” he says. “She used to fly out to different classes to enhance her skill set, and that is something I really admired about her. She’s an expert.”

Alahmary’s daughter Nylah is a senior at Wesley Chapel High who is working towards her Associate of Arts degree from Pasco-Hernando State College, and helps out at the front desk, making Radiant Wellness Spa a family business. Everyone else who works at the spa has at least 10 years of experience, according to Alahmary.

“I’m not just an owner, I’m a therapist myself,” Alahmary says. “We don’t have memberships, so we’re not trying to sell you anything. And, having my own business lets me do what I love to do, and offer the services that I think will help people the most.”

The spa does not accept insurance, but does accept FSA and HSA payments.

Radiant Wellness Spa is located at 33905 S.R.. 54, Suite 101. The hours are Monday & Wednesday, 3:15 p.m.-8 p.m.; Thursday & Friday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; and 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, call (813) 715-2099, visit Radiant-Wellness-Spa.com.

massage Radiant Wellness Spa Wesley Chapel

Coffee Drinks & More Take Flight At The Bean Bar Co.!

Few people I know love a good cup of coffee more than I do, so the latest innovation at The Bean Bar Co., located just off the Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. exit of I-75 (in the plaza next to Stonewood Grill & Tavern in Tampa Palms), is definitely right up my alley.

Owner Danielle Henry says that The Bean Bear’s new “coffee flights” definitely borrowed the flight concept from alcoholic beverages, from beer to bourbon and from tequila to wine.

The flights offer customers four 5.5-oz. samples, one each of The Bean Bar’s four customer-favorite “classic” coffee drinks — café mocha, Irish nutcase, café con leche and caramel macchiato. And, Danielle says that since being introduced in January, the flights have really (pun intended) taken off.

“It’s always fun to introduce something new and see how people react to it,” Danielle says. “We’ve sold a lot of coffee flights in just a few weeks.”

In fact, leading up to Valentine’s Day, The Bean Bar offered a flight of four V-Day favorites — raspberry white chocolate, cherry almond, chocolate-covered strawberry and red velvet lattés. “We probably will experiment with other flights,” she says. “Stay tuned.”

For me, it’s difficult to stay away from the Bean Bar, whether anything new is introduced or not. I have continually switched off between the very-authentic-tasting café con leche, made with real Cuban sugar, and the better-than-Starbucks caramel macchiato since the place first opened a little more than a year ago (in Nov. of 2021). But now, I may just have to put the café mocha and some of the other flavors (e.g., toasted marshmallow and peanut butter cup) in my rotation. There also are a number of flavor shots available.

Whatever flavor you choose — even if you just like regular hot or iced — the coffee is always outstanding. Danielle says that all of the coffee is from Naviera Coffee Mills, “an amazing Cuban roast. And, even though people have tried to get us to switch, I don’t believe I ever will.”

Danielle and her brother Kyle Trina each also operate a Bean Bar Co. food truck (and Danielle says both are new versions of their original food truck, and make regular appearances in Wesley Chapel), and she recently finished a 12-day run at the Florida State Fair. “We have the space (at the fair) right next to Peachey’s (Baking Co. of Sarasota), which sells amazing Amish donuts. It’s a perfect spot for us.”

But, as someone who can take or leave the fair, I’m just happy that The Bean Bar Co. has a brick-&-mortar location so close to where I live. In addition to the variety of hot and iced coffee drinks (including a nitro cold brew), there’s also a large menu of hot and iced tea favorites, from Earl Grey and Florida orange blossom to chai tea lattés.

But, What About Breakfast?

I’m glad you asked. I am huge fan of The Bean Bar’s breakfast sandwiches — including the croissant egg sandwiches with garlic aioli, to which you can add turkey bacon or real bacon (for just $1 more), and my favorite waffle chicken sandwich with bacon & egg, served with breakfast syrup. So good.

*The quiche Lorraine isn’t house-made, but it’s still fluffy & delicious.*

But, even though Danielle says it’s been on the menu for a long time, I only recently sampled The Bean Bar’s light-&-fluffy quiche Lorraine. It isn’t made on the premises, but it’s honestly better than the quiche at most places that do house-bake their own. There also are garlic-&-cheddar and everything-&-gouda bagels and Danielle says mini-sized Dutch-style pancakes (with strawberry jelly, Nutella and other toppings) are being added this month.

*If you like your avocado toast a little spicy, try it at The Bean Bar!*

And, while I don’t eat avocado toast, photographer Charmaine George says The Bean Bar’s spicy version of it, served on multi-grain bread, is worth a try, too. The sandwiches also are available for lunch, as are tasty beef and chicken empanadas.

Danielle also has brought in new baked goods. The current options include (all shown on the plate below) apple Danish, apple maple and creme brulée muffin tops (think “Seinfeld”), chocolate pastry twists and lemon raspberry and pink & red marble mini loafs. Other tasty treats float in and out (including cream-filled whoopie pies and strawberry-iced scones) — so stop in to check out the latest.

Danielle and her husband Mark recently welcomed their third child — son Hudson (the others are 5-year-old son Peyton and 2-1/2-year old daughter Layne).

The Bean Bar Co. is located at 17018 Palm Pointe Dr. and is open Mon.-Fri., 6 a.m.-5 p.m., & 7 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sat. & Sun. For more info, call (813) 442-7699, visit BeanBarCo.com or on Instagram (#beanbar_co) or Facebook (“The Bean Bar Co.”). Also, see the ad on pg. 37 to save 15% off your entire order.

dining New Tampa the bean bar

NTPAC To Debut This Month; B&B Theatres Unveils Improvements

The New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC) will hold its first event for the community on Saturday, March 25, with a performance by the New Tampa Players (NTP), following a dedication to the theatre troupe’s founder, the late Doug Wall.

The doors to the new 20,000-sq.-ft. Hillsborough County-owned facility — located across from the entrance to the Hunter’s Green community — will open at 6:30 p.m.. Doors to the theater open at 7, with the ceremony and a performance scheduled for 7:30.

While the grand opening for the NTPAC itself actually will come at a later date, organizers are using the dedication and NTP performance as a soft grand opening and an opportunity to honor Wall, a major driver of the arts in the New Tampa area prior to his death in 2017.

Wall founded NTP, which held its first production “They’re Playing Our Song” at both Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club and at Hunter’s Green Country Club, in 2002. NTP has survived as a gypsy-like troupe, putting on performances at a number of different locations while Wall and others fought for a permanent New Tampa home for the organization, which NTPAC will be.

After the dedication, NTP will put on a cabaret-style show that will give attendees an idea of how a performance is put on by the group, as well as how the troupe plans its seasons.

Shows already scheduled for this season include:

• “Beauty & the Beast Jr.: A Penguin Project Production” (Apr. 14-16)

• “Grease” (July 21-30)

• “Shrek” (Oct. 20-29) and

• “Dreamgirls” (Feb. 2-11, 2024).

For tickets to and more information about NTP and these upcoming performances, visit NewTampaPlayers.org.

MOVIE UPGRADES: Speaking of places to watch shows, the B&B Theatres Wesley Chapel (formerly the Cobb Theater) held a North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon-cutting event on Feb. 15 to show off some of B&B’s remodeling efforts since taking over management of the theater in 2022. Among the new options at B&B Wesley Chapel are:

• Premium Large Format (PLF) Grand Screen, which provides a true wall-to-wall experience.

• ScreenX, which, according to B&B Theatres’ director of communications Paul Farnsworth, is the world’s first multi-projection platform, allowing viewers to experience select films in an expansive, 270-degree presentation, as the two sidewalls of the theater are utilized to give a more immersive experience.

• The Lyric, a smaller (32-seat) theater designed for a more intimate and upscale theatrical experience. The Lyric will be used for showing independent and art films — such as the poignant comedy “80 for Brady” — and offers other high- end touches, including seat-mounted tray tables and elegant waterfall curtains

• Max Relax — Located in another smaller (only 50+ seats) theater, Max Relax offers commercial-grade, electric, heated, fully reclining leather chaise lounge chairs that are great for movie watching….and, if the movie isn’t great, a nice little nap.

*Among the new features unveiled at B&B Theatres Wesley Chapel’s ribbon-cutting event on Feb. 15 included (left) the Cycle Cinema*.

• Cycle Cinema, which is being leased to owner Pascal Collard of the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness center in Zephyrhills and three partners (Nick Walton, Andy Sorrentino and SVB co-owner Andy Green), which brings a Peloton-type shared workout experience to the big screen, with classes for everyone from total beginner to expert.

• SideSplitters at The Grove, the comedy club which already has been operational for more than a year before the Grand Reopening event.

For more information, visit bbtheatres.com or Facebook.com/bbtheatres. For more info about Cycle Cinema, visit TheCycleCinema.com.

B&B Theatres NTPAC Wesley Chapel