Changing Paces PC

Annie Cardwell, PT: Annie Cardwell has over 30 years experience as a Physical Therapist and specializes in Myofascial Release (MFR), Visceral Manipulation (VM), Craniosacral Therapy (CST), Women's Health and Pelvic Physical Therapy. She believes in a more natural, holistic and evidence based approach to healing and overall physical and emotional well being. Annie is well rounded in treating issues such as persistent pain and headaches, SI joint and lower back pain, incontinence, sexual dysfunction related to pelvic issues, pre and post natal pain and complication, and much more! With a wealth of experience and an intuitive touch, Annie provides a compassionate and welcoming space during treatment sessions to help her patients heal and thrive!

Julie Bergeria, DPT: Julie Bergeria has been with Changing Paces, PC since August 2020 specializing in JFB MFR as well as a unique combination of MFR and Yoga therapy
to address individualized needs and goals. These specialties address multiple populations, including women's health, chronic pain, prenatal, postpartum, SI joint dysfunction, infertility, etc.
She received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Ithaca College in 2007. She has experience in multiple settings including inpatient acute rehabilitation with spinal cord injury and brain injury, outpatient and school based pediatrics. Julie provides a caring and gentle touch combined with her expertise as a physical therapist that allows her patients to restore their function and get back to doing what they love!

Sean Lipson, PTA, LMT: Sean Lipson has been with Changing Paces since July of 2020 and specializes in Myofascial Release. He has been a licensed massage therapist since 2012 and graduated from ECPI as a PTA in 2017. Sean has experience with chronic pain populations including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraines, unresolved injuries and more as well as acute injuries from sporting activities and traumatic impact or falls. Sean has spent time in both inpatient and outpatient rehab and is particularly knowledgeable in the orthopedic setting. With a gentle and accurate touch and intuitive sense of feel, Sean provides a comfortable and compassionate setting to help his patients on their healing journey. Along with Annie and Julie, he will also assist in designing engaging and functional therapeutic exercise programs to help you regain strength, stability, and flexibility in order to get you back to your recreational activities and the things in life you enjoy!

Changing Paces was founded on the belief that many causes of pain and dysfunction are caused by imbalances and restrictions through the body that impede true healing. In today's society, so many people are quick to "take a pill for that" and are often times merely symptom chasing. This can often lead to the frustration of minimal to no improvement and results. At Changing Paces, we believe that restoring structural balance, stability and function can help facilitate the the body to do what it knows how to do naturally.. Heal! Of course, sometimes medications and surgeries are entirely necessary to fix a problem, but when one is stuck in a pattern of pain or dysfunction and drugs seem to just simply be masking the symptoms, the answer to the issue may very well lie within the fascial system.

Myofascial release is a gentle manual technique that involves Using gentle sustained pressure into areas of restriction within the connective tissue of the body called fascia, as well as the structures they encompass including muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments and even organs. Often times, in chronic pain cycles seen in patients with “no obvious cause” seen in MRI, X-ray, CT scans and other diagnostic tests, widespread fascial restrictions are a major contributor, as they can cause immense pull and compression force on pain sensitive structures of the body. These restrictions are not visible in imaging tests however, because fascia is not a targeted tissue type in the common forms of Medical imaging. Fascial restrictions also play a roll in pain and limited range of motion in acute injuries and post surgical procedures and can even contribute to the formation of painful and restricting scar tissue. Fascial restrictions have the potential to produce enough pull and compression force to contribute to postural and musculoskeletal malalignment which often leads to pain and inefficient compensatory patterns in the body's movement as the nervous system and musculatures attempt to combat the forces of gravity and our environment as we go about our daily routines. Myofascial release is gentle, safe and effective and does not require any lotions. oils or special tools. Our therapists will start by performing a visual and hands on postural and movement assessment and uses only their hands and sense of feel to detect fascial restrictions during treatment.