FAQs

Starting Line Running Pt in Portland Maine

Physical Therapy & Massage Therapy

  • A 60-75 minute comprehensive examination that assesses your physical limitations, quality of movement, environmental and habitual contributing factors. We will educate you on your symptoms, provide hands-on treatment as deemed fit and give you the tools for your success.

  • No. Maine is a direct access state meaning you do not need a physician referral to start physical therapy. Your physical therapist is highly trained in musculoskeletal conditions and differential diagnosis. You  will be referred to a licensed practitioner of medicine if symptoms are outside of the scope of PT practice. However, if you are submitting for reimbursement from your health insurance provider, they may require a prescription.

  • Starting Line PT and Performance, LLC in an Out-of-Network (OON) Provider for all insurance companies. This structure allows us to provide consistent, quality driven, and individualized care without the restraints of insurance companies.

  • This practice structure allows us to spend more time on what is most important, YOU!  You get our undivided attention without the use of aides or assistants. This allows us to provide you the BEST possible care to help you reach your goals without any road blocks from insurance companies along the way. YOUR time is valuable to us. To learn more about how Out-of-Network PT differs from the traditional PT model, click here(hyperlink to “why out of network page”)

    If you have questions regarding your OON benefits, please see the attached benefits worksheet or contact us directly.

  • Absolutely! Starting lines may look different for everyone and don’t always involve a race. Whatever it is you are looking to get back to, we are here to help you get there! We have physical therapists that also specialize in crossfit injuries and golf performance

  • Starting Line PT and Performance, LLC accepts check, debit or credit cards at the time of service. Please note that Physical therapy (and sometimes massage therapy) services do qualify for Health Care Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and can be used to pay for services. If you plan to submit to your insurance, you will be given a super bill which has all of the codes and information needed for potential reimbursement.

  • Each Physical Therapy appointment will be one-on-one with your PT. If you are limited for time, please notify your PT.

    Massage Therapy appointments can range from 60-90 minutes.

  • It is required that all cancellations occur at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled appointment time. When you schedule an appointment with Starting Line PT and Performance, LLC you make a commitment to your health. In turn, we guarantee that time is reserved solely for you. Missed appointments can interfere with your progress in treatment. Also, when n appointment is missed without cancelling in a 24 hour time period, the physical therapist or massage therapist does not have the opportunity to offer that time to someone else in need of services.

    To ensure that Starting Line PT and Performance best meets the needs of all, it is our policy that patients are responsible for all appointments that have been scheduled. If you do not cancel prior to 24 hours of your appointment or you do not show up for you appointment then the cost of $75 will be charged to your credit card. You will be asked to provide a valid credit card when scheduling your first appointment and that credit card will remain on your account indefinitely. It is the responsibility of the client to be on time for their service and the entire fee for the scheduled service will be charged even if the client is late and does not receive the full treatment.

    This cancellation policy is for all types of appointments. Extenuating circumstances and special situations will be reviewed on an individual basis per the discretion of the therapist.

  • For PT this will depend on your specific needs but typically 1x/week and progress to bi-weekly then monthly follow ups as deemed fit.

    For massage, you and your provider will discuss a frequency that is best fit for you.

  • Dry Needling refers to the insertion of a thin monofilament needle without the use of an injection. Dry needling is commonly used to treat muscles, ligaments, tendons, subcutaneous fascia, scar tissue, peripheral nerves, and neurovascular bundles for the management of a variety of neuromusculoskeletal pain. 

    The dry needling technique is a modern Western medical modality that is not based on Traditional Chinese Medical acupuncture, in that the purpose of dry needling is not to alter the flow of Qi or energy along traditional Chinese meridians. 

    For further information, you can learn more from these resources:

    http://www.apta.org/StateIssues/DryNeedling/ClinicalPracticeResourcePaper/

    http://www.apta.org/StateIssues/DryNeedling/ResourcePaper/

    https://spinalmanipulation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/dry-needling-a-literature-review-with-implications-for-clinical-practice-guidelines-dunning-et-al-2014.pdf

  • No, despite using the same style needle the techniques between dry needling and acupuncture are different. Acupuncture is based on traditional Chinese Medicine versus dry needling which based on the neuromuscular and musculoskeletal systems. 

    Dry needling has its own theoretical concepts, terminology, and clinical application.

Fitness Classes

  • What do I need to bring with me?

    Shoes to strength train in (please bring a clean pair of shoes), water bottle, and a positive attitude! We provide gym towels and filtered water to refill.

    We suggest all first timers arrive 10 minutes early to get acquainted with our studio.

    You can check out our first timer’s welcome video here.

  • Any reserved class must be canceled at least 12 hours before the start of the class. If you cancel within 12 hours of your class, it will be considered a “late cancel” and you will lose the class credit. Contact info@startinglinemaine.com with any questions.

  • If you are running late to class, please call us at 207-835-1513 to notify us. If you have not called, we will assume you're a no-show and you will lose the class credit.

    We understand things happen and getting to the studio on time isn’t always possible. For your safety, we will not let people join class after the warm up is completed (5-6 mins into class).

  • Yes we have 2 gender neutral showers that are supplied with shampoo, conditioner, and soap. Our bathroom is also supplied with toiletries, hair dryer, and bath towels.

  • Yes. They are right inside the studio once you walk in to keep all personal belongings. Please keep dirty, outdoor shoes outside the studio entrance.

  • Yes, clients can park on Dartmouth Street or in the parking lot right across the street in the CVS shopping center free of charge. Please do not park in CHA or Bow Street Parking Spots.

  • Yes we do! We love to see young people developing healthy habits, and we know money can be tight while attending school. Full-time students with a valid school ID can purchase our student classes at $18 per class. Student rates are only sold in-studio and require seeing a current (non-expired) student ID. Call or email us with any questions.

  • YES! We love being able to give back to the community! If you have a special event in mind just send us an email at info@startinglinemaine.com and we will be able to help you from there.

  • Children 13+ must have a parent waiver signed at time of class attendance, no exceptions.

  • You can take as many classes as you would like. If you are a 5 class/month member, any additional drop ins will be $16 that will be charged to your account at the end of the month.

Run PODS

  • We wanted to be able to offer an enhanced experience to our community while promoting accountability, reducing injury risk, and allowing everyone to better strive towards their goals and future starting lines in a healthy and sustainable way. This will replace our previous class schedule and drop in model for treadmill classes.

  • Yes, you are able to sign up for multiple POD spots. The rate per POD would be $90/month for 3 months (3 payments of $90 for each POD spot). As a POD member you will also have access to the gym to come in during open business hours to complete additional treadmill or strength workouts on your own. Individuals interested in signing up for 2 PODS can email info@startinglinemaine.com to discuss discount options.

  • Our classes can be catered to individuals of ALL levels of fitness and experience.  You are in complete control of your speeds the entire time. The interval structure of the classes means that you’re only working for 2-5 minutes at a time before your next recovery. It breaks up the running into small (achievable chunks of time) and will make 45 minutes fly by! Our pace charts also have walking alternatives.

  • Nope! You have the ability to cater the class to your individual needs. Our classes in nature will have walking and/or active recovery bouts after harder efforts. Our classes are designed so that anyone can participate - walking or running, regardless of current ability. Our workouts are designed to improve your speed and strength over time. You're in charge of how fast your treadmill goes.

  • Yes of course! As a POD member you will receive a code to use when signing up for strength classes so your drop in rate is $16/class.

  • Yes, absolutely! This would allow you to take 1-2 strength classes and 1 treadmill class per week. All members also get complimentary gym access to use the treadmills or strength equipment on your own for any additional workouts.

  • Given the 12-week nature of the program, there isn’t an opportunity to “make up” the session but with your POD membership you have gym access to use the treadmills during open business hours to get in additional runs.

  • Once you sign up for a POD or other membership options you will be able to come to the gym to use the treadmills or strength equipment during open business hours when a physical therapist, certified strength coach, group fitness instructor is present.

  • PODS will have a minimum of 4 people and an initial max of 6 people. The max is subject to change after the first POD session based on the demand.