If you've been told everything looks normal — you're in the right place
Complex conditions rarely stay in one system. We work with people whose symptoms may involve connective tissue, autonomic function, balance and vestibular processing, movement control, fatigue, pain, sensory needs, and the nervous system all at once. If you've felt dismissed, misunderstood, or like the usual plan never quite fit your body, SBC was built with you in mind.
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) & Hypermobility
POTS & Autonomic Dysfunction
Vestibular & Dizziness Disorders
Functional Neurologic Disorder (FND)
Persistent Post-Concussion Symptoms
Complex Chronic Conditions
You do not need to fit neatly into one diagnosis or one protocol to belong here.
Our approach
We connect the dots before we build the plan.
We connect the dots across systems, individualize every plan, explain the why behind it, and build capacity in a way that respects complexity and variable capacity.
Connect the Dots
Look at the full pattern, not one symptom at a time.
Individualize the Plan
Progress according to your body, capacity, and goals.
Explain the Why
Understand what you're doing and why it matters.
Build Capacity
Develop confidence, control, strength, and function over time.
Our services
How we can help you
Physical Therapy
Specialized 1:1 physical therapy for complex neurologic and connective tissue conditions — in person in North Andover, MA, or by telehealth within Massachusetts. Medicare, BCBS, and Mass General Brigham accepted.
Educational 1:1 Consultations
Specialized education, practical problem-solving, and next-step planning for complex conditions — available nationwide and internationally.
NeuroStrong
SBC's evolving education, movement, and community experience for people with complex bodies. Launching in the new year and continuing to grow from there.
Provider Consultations
Educational case consultation and clinical reasoning support for clinicians working with complex hypermobility cases — available nationwide and internationally.
A Program of Strength & Balance Collective · Online Education, Adaptive Movement & Community · Launching in the New Year
Get occasional updates on NeuroStrong's launch, new resources, and Strength & Balance Kids — no spam, unsubscribe anytime.
About Us
Built from a PT practice. Growing into something more.
Strength & Balance Collective grew from a physical therapy practice created for people with complex, overlapping conditions — and is expanding into a broader ecosystem of care, education, movement, and resources.
Our story
Why we exist
Many people living with hypermobility, dysautonomia, vestibular disorders, FND, and other complex conditions spend years moving between providers, diagnoses, and treatment plans that address one piece of the picture at a time.
Strength & Balance Collective began as Strength & Balance Physical Therapy to create a different kind of clinical experience — one where complexity was expected, symptoms were connected rather than separated, and treatment could be individualized to the person in front of us.
Over time, the vision became bigger than appointments alone. SBC is growing into an ecosystem of specialized care, practical education, movement tools, community, and resources for patients, families, and providers.
Meet the founder
McKenzie DiStefano, PT, DPT, CEEAA
McKenzie DiStefano
PT, DPT, CEEAA · Founder
McKenzie DiStefano, PT, DPT, CEEAA, is the founder of Strength & Balance Collective and a physical therapist with more than a decade of experience in vestibular rehabilitation, concussion management, neurologic rehabilitation, and complex connective-tissue presentations.
She founded Strength & Balance Physical Therapy in 2022 to create a practice for people whose symptoms did not fit neatly into traditional treatment pathways — especially those living with hypermobility and EDS, POTS and dysautonomia, vestibular disorders, FND, Parkinson's disease, concussion, and other overlapping neurologic and multisystem conditions.
What began as a specialized PT practice has continued to grow as McKenzie recognized that people also needed better education, movement tools, family resources, and ways to access specialized support beyond the clinic. That evolution became Strength & Balance Collective.
Our work starts with understanding the whole picture. We connect symptoms rather than treating them in isolation, individualize the plan, explain the why, and build capacity at a pace the person can actually sustain.
Connect
the dots
Individualize
the plan
Explain
the why
Build
capacity
Why "Collective"?
Why "Collective"?
Because complex care rarely lives in one appointment, one discipline, or one diagnosis. Strength & Balance Collective brings together clinical care, education, movement, community, pediatric resources, and an expanding body of tools designed to help people better understand and navigate complex conditions.
FND Providers of MA
A Facebook group connecting FND providers and patients in Massachusetts, supporting individuals navigating FND alongside POTS, dysautonomia, hypermobility, and MCAS. Founded and led by McKenzie DiStefano, DPT.
Find the kind of support that fits where you are right now.
PHYSICAL THERAPY IN MASSACHUSETTS · EDUCATIONAL CONSULTATIONS BEYOND MASSACHUSETTS · NEUROSTRONG COMING IN THE NEW YEAR
Specialized 1:1 physical therapy for people with complex, overlapping neurologic, vestibular, autonomic, connective-tissue, and movement-related conditions. We take the time to understand the whole picture — not just the diagnosis or the area that hurts.
Many of the people we see have already been through multiple appointments, diagnoses, or treatment plans and still feel like pieces of the picture are being missed. Our evaluations are comprehensive and individualized, looking at how movement, balance and vestibular processing, autonomic tolerance, connective tissue, strength, sensory needs, fatigue, pain, and daily function interact.
We do not build care around a single painful area or a generic protocol. We connect the dots, identify what is limiting function, and build a plan around your goals, current capacity, and real life.
Conditions we treat
Our areas of specialization
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome & Hypermobility
POTS & Autonomic Dysfunction
Vestibular Disorders & Chronic Dizziness
Functional Neurologic Disorder (FND)
Post-Concussion Syndrome
Neurologic Physical Therapy
Pediatric Physical Therapy
Complex Chronic & Multisystem Conditions
Fall Prevention & Balance
What to expect
Your plan of care
Comprehensive Evaluation
We start with your history, goals, movement, balance, strength, symptom behavior, and the systems most relevant to your presentation. The evaluation is tailored to you rather than built from a one-size-fits-all checklist.
Individualized Plan
Your plan is paced around your current capacity, symptoms, goals, and response to movement — with progressions and modifications that make sense for your body.
Ongoing Support
Treatment may include individualized exercise, movement retraining, vestibular or balance work when appropriate, education, home programming, and collaboration with your broader care team.
Insurance & logistics
Practical details
Insurance accepted: Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), and Mass General Brigham Health Plan. Private pay options available. Please contact us to confirm your specific plan prior to your first visit.
160A Pleasant Street, North Andover, MA 01845
Wheelchair-accessible clinic
Infrared video goggles for vestibular assessment
Suspension system for balance training
Ready to get started?
PHYSICAL THERAPY IN NORTH ANDOVER + TELEHEALTH WITHIN MASSACHUSETTS
Educational consultations are separate from physical therapy care. They do not include diagnosis, physical therapy evaluation, treatment, rehabilitation, or medical management.
Who this is for
You do not have to be local to get thoughtful guidance
If you are living with EDS or hypermobility, POTS or dysautonomia, FND, vestibular symptoms, or another complex overlapping condition and are struggling to make sense of the bigger picture, an educational consultation can help you organize what you are experiencing, identify useful questions, explore resources, and think through practical next steps.
This can also be helpful if you are waiting to begin local care, between episodes of treatment, preparing for appointments with your own providers, or looking for education that connects multiple systems instead of focusing on one symptom at a time.
Out of state or internationalWaiting to begin local carePreparing for provider appointmentsLooking for condition-specific educationOrganizing questions and next stepsNavigating complex overlap
Session options
Choose the level of support that fits you
Educational Strategy Session
60 MIN
Contact for pricing
Review of history, concerns, goals, and current questions
Education around relevant condition overlap and common patterns
Discussion of resources, self-management concepts, and questions to bring to the care team
Written summary with key takeaways and next-step ideas
Educational Strategy + Follow-Up
60 + 30 MIN
Contact for pricing
Everything in the Educational Strategy Session
30-minute follow-up to revisit questions after discussing next steps with existing providers
Updated resource and planning recommendations as appropriate
Educational Follow-Up
30 MIN
Contact for pricing
For existing consultation clients
Review new questions or changes in context
Clarify prior education and resources
Refine questions and next-step planning
What happens in a session
Structured, personalized, and practical
Understand the Bigger Picture
We review your history, concerns, goals, and the questions you are trying to answer so the conversation can focus on what is most useful to you.
Connect the Information
We discuss relevant concepts, common condition overlap, practical resources, and ways to organize what you are learning without pretending that every complex symptom has a simple answer.
Leave With Clear Next Steps
You receive a written summary of key points, resources, and questions or next steps to consider with your own healthcare team.
Educational service: These consultations are cash-pay and separate from physical therapy or other billable healthcare services. They are not submitted to health insurance as PT treatment.
Start with the questions you have now
EDUCATIONAL CONSULTATIONS AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE & INTERNATIONALLY
SBC's evolving education, movement, and community experience for people with complex bodies who need a more adaptable way to learn, move, and build confidence over time.
Education, movement, and community — built to grow together
NeuroStrong brings together guided education, adaptive movement, the Strength & Balance Movement System, community, challenges, and live/interactive support — all in one evolving member experience for people navigating neurologic and autonomic conditions.
The movement framework inside NeuroStrong
The Strength & Balance Movement System
The Strength & Balance Movement System is SBC's progressive framework for building regulation, body awareness, control, strength, balance, and functional confidence. Inside NeuroStrong, members will use guided movement pathways and adaptable exercise options informed by this framework.
The system is designed to keep growing over time as new Movement Cards, pathways, educational content, and condition-specific adaptations are developed and reviewed.
The member experience
Learn, move, adapt, connect, and grow
Learn
Practical education that helps your program finally make sense.
Move
Guided Movement System content and adaptable exercise options.
Adapt
Flare-day and lower-capacity options for the days that need them.
Connect
Community, challenges, and shared learning with people who get it.
Grow
New lessons, pathways, movement resources, and live features added over time.
Progress at your pace
Progress is not expected to be linear
NeuroStrong is designed with pacing, flare-day modifications, lower-capacity options, and multiple ways to participate so a difficult week does not erase the work you have already done.
Built for Variable Capacity
Higher-energy days, lower-capacity days, and everything in between.
Symptom-Informed Pacing
Adapt to autonomic symptoms, fatigue, sensory load, pain, and recovery needs.
Clinician-Built, Evidence-Informed
Developed through SBC's clinical and evidence-review process.
More Than Exercise
Education, movement, community, challenges, and resources in one place.
How to join
Launching in the new year — and growing from there
NeuroStrong will begin opening to members in the new year through Mighty Community. The first version will intentionally be focused rather than "finished." From there, SBC will continue adding movement pathways, education, community features, challenges, live sessions, and new resources over time.
NeuroStrong will be hosted in Mighty Community, giving members one place for lessons, movement resources, discussions, challenges, and live/interactive experiences.
Join the Waitlist
Waitlist members get first access when doors open, plus updates as NeuroStrong is built.
Have Questions Before Launch?
Explore SBC educational consultations for condition education, resources, and next-step planning while NeuroStrong is being built.
Build strength, confidence, and understanding — at a pace your body can work with.
ONLINE EDUCATION · ADAPTIVE MOVEMENT · COMMUNITY · LAUNCHING IN THE NEW YEAR
Educational case consultation and clinical reasoning support for clinicians navigating complex hypermobility, autonomic, vestibular, neurologic, and multisystem presentations.
Provider consultations are educational and collaborative. The treating clinician remains responsible for assessment, diagnosis, treatment decisions, documentation, and patient care.
Why this exists
Complex cases benefit from collaborative thinking
Many clinicians encounter patients with hypermobility, dysautonomia, FND, vestibular symptoms, fatigue, pain, and other overlapping concerns without having had extensive training in how those systems interact.
Provider consultations create space to think through the case, review relevant frameworks, organize clinical questions, and identify educational resources or referral considerations. The goal is not to replace your clinical judgment — it is to support it with a complex-condition lens.
Consultation options
Choose what fits your need
Case Consultation
30 MIN · FOR PTs & OTs
Contact for pricing
Present a de-identified complex case or clinical question
Discuss relevant condition overlap and contributing factors
Review assessment considerations, precautions, and questions to explore
Identify educational resources and possible referral considerations
Clinical Reasoning Deep Dive
60 MIN · FOR PTs & OTs
Contact for pricing
Deeper review of a de-identified case or clinical challenge
Discuss exercise, pacing, movement, vestibular, autonomic, or sensory considerations
Review progression concepts and factors that may influence tolerance
Identify questions, resources, and considerations for the treating clinician's own plan of care
Primary Care / Medical Provider Consultation
30–45 MIN · FOR PCPs
Contact for pricing
Educational review of hypermobility and hEDS/HSD frameworks
Discuss history/exam elements and published criteria/resources within your own scope
Referral pathway and interdisciplinary-care considerations
Patient-education and clinician-resource toolkit
For primary care providers
A practical way to approach hypermobility in primary care
Primary care clinicians are often the first people asked to help connect the dots when hypermobility, pain, autonomic symptoms, fatigue, and other multisystem concerns overlap. A provider consultation can help organize the relevant history, examination considerations, current diagnostic frameworks, referral options, and patient-education resources so you can decide what is appropriate within your own practice and scope.
Provider resource toolkit may include: brief hypermobility screening reference, links to current diagnostic criteria/frameworks, patient education materials, and referral-resource guidance.
Areas of expertise
What we can help you navigate
✓ Hypermobility, HSD & EDS clinical presentations
✓ POTS & dysautonomia considerations in rehabilitation
✓ FND rehabilitation considerations
✓ Vestibular evaluation and rehabilitation concepts
Please do not send identifiable patient information through the website contact form. Case consultations should use de-identified information unless an appropriate secure workflow and authorization are in place.
Bring a complex case. Leave with a clearer framework.
EDUCATIONAL PROVIDER CONSULTATIONS · AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE & INTERNATIONALLY
Specialized support for complex conditions that do not fit neatly into one system
SBC works with people navigating hypermobility, autonomic, vestibular, neurologic, sensory, and multisystem presentations that often overlap. Physical therapy is provided in Massachusetts; educational resources and consultation pathways are available more broadly.
Connective-tissue conditions can affect joint stability, proprioception, strength, fatigue, pain, and movement confidence. PT may focus on joint control, body awareness, progressive strengthening, pacing, and building sustainable capacity without relying on a one-size-fits-all protocol.
Joint ControlProprioceptionStrengthPacing
POTS & Autonomic Dysfunction
POTS · Dysautonomia
POTS and other forms of dysautonomia can affect heart rate, blood pressure, upright tolerance, fatigue, and exercise capacity. Movement and exercise plans should be adapted to the individual's symptoms, current tolerance, goals, and recovery needs.
Autonomic AwarenessPacingExercise ToleranceOrthostatic Support
MCAS & Multisystem Overlap
MCAS
Some people with hypermobility and dysautonomia also live with MCAS or other multisystem symptoms that can affect tolerance to activity, environment, fatigue, and recovery. SBC does not diagnose or medically treat MCAS, but PT and movement recommendations can be adapted around the person's known triggers, energy, symptoms, and broader care plan.
Multisystem AwarenessPacingEDS/POTS Overlap
Autism & Neurodivergence with Hypermobility
Autism · Sensory Processing
Sensory- and neurodiversity-aware PT for children and adults with hypermobility, vestibular concerns, motor-control needs, fatigue, or other movement challenges. Sessions can be adapted for communication preferences, sensory needs, pacing, predictability, and participation.
Vestibular rehabilitation for presentations such as BPPV, vestibular hypofunction, persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD/3PD), motion sensitivity, vestibular migraine, and selected pediatric vestibular concerns. Treatment is individualized based on the specific vestibular presentation and functional goals.
Physical therapy for FND may include education, movement retraining, gait and balance work, graded functional practice, and strategies that support confidence and participation. Care should be non-judgmental, collaborative, and informed by the individual's specific functional symptoms and goals.
Movement RetrainingGait & BalanceCollaborative Care
Post-Concussion Syndrome
TBI · mTBI · Concussion
Rehabilitation for persistent post-concussion symptoms may include vestibular treatment, balance work, graded activity or exertion, cervical considerations when relevant, pacing, and education around symptom response and return to function.
Individualized physical therapy for selected neurologic conditions, including Parkinson's disease, with treatment focused on strength, balance, gait, functional mobility, endurance, movement confidence, and participation in meaningful daily activities.
StrengthBalanceGaitFunctional Mobility
Pediatric Physical Therapy
Pediatric Physical Therapy
Pediatric Physical Therapy
Massachusetts · Children · Motor Development
Family-centered pediatric physical therapy in Massachusetts supporting strength, balance, motor skills, body awareness, movement confidence, and participation at home, school, and in the community. SBC has particular experience with hypermobility, vestibular concerns, neurodivergence, and complex movement presentations.
Motor DevelopmentFamily-CenteredHypermobility
Not sure whether your needs are a fit for SBC? If you have a complex, multisystem, or poorly understood presentation and don't see it listed here, please reach out. We'll talk through whether we're the right fit.
Not sure which SBC pathway fits your situation?
PHYSICAL THERAPY IN MASSACHUSETTS · EDUCATIONAL CONSULTATIONS AVAILABLE BEYOND MASSACHUSETTS
If you don't find what you're looking for here, please reach out directly — we're happy to help.
Getting started
New patients & scheduling
How do I become a patient?
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You can reach us by phone at 978-212-9894, by email at mckenzie@strengthandbalancecollective.com, or through the contact form on our website. We'll get back to you to discuss your needs, confirm insurance, and schedule your initial evaluation.
I'm on your waitlist — is there anything I can do in the meantime?
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Yes — and we don't want you to feel stuck waiting. You can book an educational consultation to get organized and start planning next steps right away, and when NeuroStrong opens in the new year, waitlist patients will be among the first to know. Many patients find this helpful while waiting for in-person availability.
Do you offer telehealth physical therapy?
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Yes. Physical therapy telehealth is available to patients located within Massachusetts. For people outside Massachusetts — or those looking for education and planning rather than PT treatment — Educational 1:1 Consultations are available more broadly.
What should I bring to my first appointment?
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Please bring your insurance card, a photo ID, any relevant imaging reports or prior PT records, and a list of your current medications and diagnoses. It's also helpful to note your main goals and what has or hasn't worked in the past. Wear comfortable clothing you can move in.
How long are appointments?
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Initial evaluations are typically 60 minutes. Follow-up visits are 45–60 minutes depending on your plan of care. We intentionally keep our caseload small so that you receive individualized, unhurried care at every visit.
Insurance & billing
Coverage & payment
What insurance do you accept?
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We accept Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), and Mass General Brigham Health Plan. If you have a different insurance plan, we can discuss private pay options. Please contact us before your first visit to confirm your coverage.
Are Educational 1:1 Consultations covered by insurance?
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Educational 1:1 Consultations are cash-pay educational services and are separate from physical therapy or other billable healthcare services. They are not submitted to insurance as PT treatment.
Do you offer private pay rates?
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Yes. Private pay options are available for patients whose insurance we do not accept. Please contact us directly to discuss rates and payment options.
Our specialty
Conditions & approach
I don't have an official EDS diagnosis yet. Can you still help me?
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Absolutely. Many of our patients come to us without a formal diagnosis. Hypermobility and connective tissue conditions are frequently missed or delayed in diagnosis. You do not need a confirmed EDS diagnosis to begin PT — we assess and treat based on your presentation, symptoms, and functional needs.
I've tried PT before and it made me worse. Why would this be different?
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We hear this from many people with complex or highly variable symptoms. A prior difficult PT experience does not necessarily mean movement is the wrong tool — sometimes the exercise selection, dose, pacing, progression, or overall plan did not fit the person's current capacity. At SBC, treatment is individualized, symptom-informed, and adjusted based on how your body responds. The goal is to build confidence and capacity without using a one-size-fits-all progression.
Do you treat children?
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Yes. SBC provides pediatric physical therapy in Massachusetts for selected presentations including hypermobility, vestibular concerns, neurodivergence, motor-control needs, balance, strength, and other movement challenges. Care is family-centered, sensory-aware, and individualized to the child's goals and environment. Strength & Balance Kids is SBC's broader educational/resource branch for children, families, and the adults who support them.
Can you work alongside my other providers?
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Yes — and we actively encourage it. We regularly collaborate with physicians, occupational therapists, nutritionists, and other allied health providers. With your permission, we can communicate with your care team, provide documentation, and ensure your PT plan is coordinated with your broader care.
What is NeuroStrong?
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NeuroStrong is SBC's evolving education, movement, and community experience for people with complex bodies, built around the Strength & Balance Movement System. It will be hosted in Mighty Community and will launch in the new year, opening with a focused first version and continuing to grow with new lessons, movement pathways, community features, and live sessions over time.
For providers
Referring providers & clinicians
How do I refer a patient to your practice?
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You can fax a referral to 978-824-8714 or call us at 978-212-9894. We accept referrals from physicians, specialists, and other allied health providers. Please include the patient's diagnosis, relevant history, and any specific areas of concern. We will follow up with the patient directly to schedule.
Do you offer consultations for other physical therapists?
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Yes. We offer educational case consultations and collaborative clinical reasoning support for PTs and OTs working with hypermobility, POTS, FND, and vestibular cases. Sessions range from a focused 30-minute case consultation to a 60-minute clinical reasoning deep dive, using de-identified case information. See our Provider Consultations page for details.
I'm a medical provider looking for help understanding hypermobility and current hEDS/HSD frameworks. Can you help?
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Yes. Provider consultations can include educational review of current hypermobility and hEDS/HSD frameworks, relevant history and examination considerations, referral pathways, and clinician resources. The treating clinician remains responsible for diagnostic and medical decision-making within their own scope.
Kid-friendly books, characters, activities, and resources designed to help children understand their bodies, build body awareness, and feel more confident asking for what they need.
Created with complex, bendy, sensitive, and neurodivergent bodies in mind — and built to support the families, teachers, and caregivers learning alongside them.
Meet Ziggy
A soft companion for big feelings and tricky body days
Ziggy is a gentle stuffed zebra who appears throughout the Strength & Balance Kids books — not as a superhero, but as a calm, patient presence who helps kids notice how their bodies feel and ask for what they need.
Ziggy doesn't diagnose or promise a fix. Ziggy reminds kids that different does not mean wrong, that rest counts, and that they deserve to be listened to.
The first book
My Body Bends Differently
A gentle children's story about having a body that moves differently — created to help children build language for body awareness, understand that differences are not failures, and feel more confident communicating what their bodies need.
Every book ends with a few pages for grown-ups too: what to remember, something to try together, words kids can use, and a note for families and caregivers.
More titles are planned, each tackling a different condition kids in our community navigate — from racing hearts to low-energy days.
Strength & Balance Kids is growing into a collection of developmentally appropriate resources for children, families, teachers, and caregivers.
Future resources may include additional Ziggy books, activity and coloring materials, movement cards, parent and teacher guides, and other tools designed to make complex body concepts easier to understand.
Something soft is in the works — a weighted Ziggy companion is currently in development as part of the Strength & Balance Kids resource collection. More details will be shared as the project progresses.
Ziggy's Pediatric Corner
Follow along on Instagram
Follow along for kid-friendly body education, Ziggy moments, new-resource previews, and practical ideas for families and the adults who support them.
Looking for pediatric physical therapy? SBC provides selected pediatric PT services in Massachusetts. Explore Physical Therapy →
Want to know what Ziggy is building next?
Join the SBC newsletter for updates on My Body Bends Differently, future Kids resources, Ziggy projects, family education, and more from Strength & Balance Collective.
Whether you're looking for physical therapy in Massachusetts, an educational consultation, a provider consultation, NeuroStrong, Strength & Balance Kids, or simply have a question, we'll help you find the right next step.
Appointment availability varies by service. Contact us with scheduling questions.
Insurance Accepted
MedicareBlue Cross Blue ShieldMass General BrighamPrivate Pay
Physical therapy insurance participation applies only to eligible PT services. Educational consultations and provider consultations are separate cash-pay educational services.
Referring Providers
Fax physical therapy referrals to 978-824-8714 or contact the clinic directly. For provider-to-provider educational consultation, select Provider Consultation in the contact form.
Schedule or get in touch
Send Us a Message
✅ Thank you! Your message has been sent. We'll be in touch within 1–2 business days.
Looking for support beyond Massachusetts? Educational 1:1 consultations are available beyond Massachusetts for condition education, resources, and next-step planning. These consultations are separate from physical therapy care.
