Northern California
Pelvic floor and orthopedic physical therapy in Northern California, by video.
Private pay with superbills for out-of-network reimbursement. Women's and men's pelvic health and orthopedic physical therapy, one-on-one with a Doctor of Physical Therapy, from home anywhere in Northern California.
- No referral needed for the first 45 days or 12 visits
- Usually seen within a week
- Video visits anywhere in Northern California
What we treat in Northern California
Three specialties. One physical therapist.
The Bay Area has pelvic health specialists with long waits and Bay Area prices; the Central Valley, the North Coast, and the far north have almost none. A video visit gives someone in Fresno, Redding, or Eureka the same specialist as someone in Palo Alto, from home.
Women's pelvic floor physical therapy
- Pregnancy and after birth
- Postpartum recovery · Pregnancy pelvic and back pain · Diastasis recti · C-section recovery
- Bladder and bowel
- Urinary incontinence · Overactive bladder, urgency and frequency · Pelvic organ prolapse · Constipation and bowel dysfunction
- Pain and recovery
- Painful intercourse · Chronic pelvic pain · Menopause pelvic health · Recovery after pelvic surgery
Men's pelvic floor physical therapy
- After prostate treatment
- Leaking after prostate surgery · Pelvic floor and erectile dysfunction
- Pain and urgency
- Chronic pelvic pain syndrome · Male urgency, frequency and leaking
Orthopedic physical therapy
- Spine
- Low back pain · Sciatica · Neck pain and headaches
- Hip and knee
- Hip pain · Knee pain · Rehab after knee or hip surgery
- Shoulder, foot and ankle
- Shoulder pain · Foot and ankle pain
Coverage in California
Insurance and pricing
Bring your plan name to the discovery call and we confirm your physical therapy benefit before the first visit. No surprises.
Private pay
Visits in California are private pay. We provide a superbill you can submit to your insurer for out-of-network reimbursement. HSA and FSA cards accepted. Rates are quoted on the free discovery call.
Referrals
California allows you to start physical therapy without a referral for up to 45 days or 12 visits. If care continues beyond that, we help you get a signed plan of care from your physician.
The Bay Area, Sacramento, the Central Valley, the North Coast, the Sierra foothills, and the far north are seen by video, including military families at Travis AFB and Beale AFB.
Questions
Questions people ask in Northern California
- Is there a pelvic floor physical therapist in Northern California?
- Do I need a referral for physical therapy in California?
- Can I get pelvic floor physical therapy by telehealth in California?
- Can I get reimbursed for out-of-network pelvic floor physical therapy in California?
- Can pelvic floor physical therapy be done over video?
- How many pelvic floor physical therapy visits does it take?
- How much does pelvic floor physical therapy cost?
- Do men need pelvic floor physical therapy?
Where
Anywhere in Northern California
A video visit works the same in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Walnut Creek, Sacramento, Fresno, Modesto, Stockton, Santa Rosa, Napa, Chico, Redding, Eureka, and Monterey as it does anywhere else in Northern California. No clinic, no drive, no waiting room.
- San Francisco
- Oakland
- San Jose
- Walnut Creek
- Sacramento
- Fresno
- Modesto
- Stockton
- Santa Rosa
- Napa
- Chico
- Redding
- Eureka
- Monterey
- Everywhere in between
Pages for each area
- Palo Alto
- Menlo Park, Atherton and Woodside
- Los Altos and Los Altos Hills
- Los Gatos and Saratoga
- San Francisco
- Marin County
- Lafayette, Orinda and Moraga
- Walnut Creek, Danville and Alamo
- Burlingame, Hillsborough and San Mateo
- Piedmont and the Oakland Hills
- Carmel and Pebble Beach
- Napa Valley and Sonoma
- Berkeley, Albany and Kensington
- Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore
- Fremont
- Half Moon Bay and the Coastside
- Santa Cruz, Capitola and Aptos
- Healdsburg and West Sonoma County
- Santa Rosa and Petaluma
- Granite Bay, El Dorado Hills and Folsom
- East Sacramento and Land Park
- Davis and Woodland
- Lake Tahoe and Truckee
- Grass Valley and Nevada City
- Auburn and Placerville
- Sonora, Murphys and the Mother Lode
- Mariposa and Oakhurst
- Eureka, Arcata and Humboldt County
- The Mendocino Coast
- Ukiah and Lake County
- Redding and Shasta County
- Mount Shasta and Siskiyou County
- Quincy, Susanville and the Northern Sierra
- Chico, Paradise and Oroville
- Yuba City and Marysville
- Lodi and the Delta
- Modesto, Turlock and Oakdale
- Clovis and North Fresno
- Visalia, Tulare and Three Rivers
- Salinas and the Salinas Valley
- Hollister and San Juan Bautista
How it works
How a virtual visit works
Most of pelvic floor physical therapy is education, breathing and pressure management, movement retraining, and a home program. All of it works on camera. During the evaluation, Dr. Shalem guides a self-assessment so she can see how the pelvic floor is coordinating with breath and movement. An internal examination is not possible by video; if a hands-on assessment would change the plan, she says so and helps the patient find local care.
Discovery call
15 minutes, free, by phoneA short call to hear what is going on, explain how visits work, and check insurance or pricing. No pressure to book.
Evaluation
60 minutes, by videoDr. Shalem takes a full history, watches how you move and breathe, and guides the self-assessments she needs to build a plan.
Your plan
Same visitYou leave the evaluation with a plain-language explanation and a short home program, usually a few minutes a day.
Follow-ups
45 minutes, every 1 to 2 weeksProgress checks, program updates, and techniques you can do yourself, for as long as they are useful.
For a video visit you will need
- A phone, tablet, or laptop with a camera
- A private room
- A mat or towel
- About an hour
Questions
Common questions in Northern California
Do I need a referral for physical therapy in California?
California allows you to start physical therapy without a referral for up to 45 days or 12 visits. If care continues beyond that, we help you get a signed plan of care from your physician.
What insurance do you take in California?
Private pay: Visits in California are private pay. We provide a superbill you can submit to your insurer for out-of-network reimbursement. HSA and FSA cards accepted. Rates are quoted on the free discovery call.
Do you see men as well as women?
Yes. Dr. Shalem treats women's pelvic health, men's pelvic health (leaking after prostate surgery, chronic pelvic pain, urgency, and pelvic-floor-related erectile dysfunction), and orthopedic conditions for everyone.
Do I have to live near a city to be seen?
No. Video visits work anywhere in Northern California with an internet connection. Patients in rural areas are a large share of the practice.
What does a visit cost?
With in-network insurance, your plan's physical therapy copay or cost share; we verify it before the first visit. Private-pay rates are quoted on the free discovery call, and a superbill is provided for out-of-network reimbursement.
How soon can I be seen?
Usually within a week. Evening and weekend appointments are available.
Your physical therapist
Dr. Elana Shalem, DPT
Doctor of Physical Therapy, University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, Miami. Licensed in California.
Dr. Shalem treats pelvic health for women and men, from pregnancy and postpartum recovery to bladder, bowel, and pelvic pain conditions and recovery after prostate or pelvic surgery, and general orthopedic conditions of the back, neck, hips, knees, shoulders, and feet. Visits are one-on-one and unhurried, and she explains what she is seeing in plain language.
More about Dr. ShalemPrefer to write? Send a message.
Questions about insurance, pricing, or whether physical therapy is the right next step? We reply within one business day.
Start with a free 15-minute call.
Tell us what is going on, hear how Dr. Shalem would approach it, and decide from there.