Virtual Physical Therapy ยท Nationwide

Virtual Physical Therapy,
From Wherever You Are

For runners, lifters, and weekend athletes who are hurt, coming back, or trying to stop breaking down every few months. Dr. Paul Helms works with you one-on-one over video to find what's actually driving the problem, then coaches you through the training that fixes it. You do the work. He makes sure it's the right work.

One-on-one with Dr. Helms | Secure video visits | Available nationwide
Guided exercise during a telehealth physical therapy session with Helms Performance
One-on-one with Dr. Helms
Secure video visits
See Dr. Helms from home

Relieve pain

Dr. Helms coaches you through targeted exercises and simple at-home strategies that address the source of your pain, not just the symptoms, so you start feeling better early in your care.

Restore movement

A live movement assessment on camera reveals why you're hurting. We build a plan around how your body actually moves, then guide you back to the activities that matter most to you.

Rebuild strength

Lasting recovery means developing the strength and movement patterns that keep you out of pain. We help you build resilience with a plan you can follow from home, not just get through a flare-up.

What Is Telehealth Physical Therapy?

Real Physical Therapy, Delivered Over Video Call

Telehealth physical therapy, also called virtual or online physical therapy, is a physical therapy session delivered over secure video instead of in person. You connect with Dr. Paul Helms from home using a phone, tablet, or computer, and he guides you through your visit in real time.

It works because so much of great physical therapy is assessment, coaching, and exercise. Dr. Helms watches how you move, corrects your form on camera, and builds a plan around your body. It is designed for people at every activity level, from recreational runners and busy parents to desk workers with neck pain and older adults working through hip or knee problems.

Virtual visits are a great fit when travel, time, or distance make it hard to get to the clinic. And because Helms Performance also offers in-person chiropractic and physical therapy in Bethesda, Dr. Helms will always tell you honestly when a hands-on visit would serve you better.

1
Book and Connect Book online and receive a secure video link. Join from home on any device with a camera, no special software or setup required.
2
Live Movement Assessment Dr. Helms talks through your history and goals, then watches you perform a few simple movements to assess your strength, mobility, and patterns on camera.
3
Guided Treatment and Exercise He coaches you through targeted exercises and self-treatment techniques, adjusting your form in real time, so every rep counts.
4
A Plan You Can Follow at Home You finish with a personalized plan and clear instructions, so you know exactly what to do between visits to keep making progress.
Virtual PT vs. an app or video library

A generic exercise app cannot see how you move or answer your questions. Telehealth physical therapy is a live, one-on-one visit with a doctor who assesses your body, corrects your form, and adjusts the plan as you improve. It is care built around you, not a playlist built for everyone.

More Than a Single Visit

Most People Come for the Pain. They Stay for the Coaching.

A single visit can calm a flare-up. But the reason it came back the third time usually isn't the injury itself. It's the training load, the desk, the sleep, the way you move once you're tired. Sorting that out takes more than one appointment.

A doctor who treats the injury and a coach who keeps you strong and pain-free

That combination is the whole point. Dr. Helms works out what's actually driving your problem, then coaches you through the training that resolves it and the habits that keep it gone. Virtual care asks more of you than a table and a pair of hands. You do the work between sessions. His job is to make sure it's the right work, and to change it as your body changes.

Who It Helps

Built for People Who Train

Virtual coaching works especially well for injuries driven by training load, movement patterns, and strength, the things Dr. Helms can assess on camera and fix through programming. Whether you're chasing a marathon PR or just refuse to let your back dictate your week, the approach is the same.

Running Injuries

Runner's knee, IT band pain, shin splints, Achilles trouble, and plantar fasciitis. Usually a training-load problem wearing an injury costume. We fix the load and the mechanics behind it.

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Lifting and CrossFit Injuries

Shoulders that complain about overhead work, knees that hurt in the bottom of a squat, backs that light up on deadlifts. Dr. Helms coaches at CrossFit Bethesda and knows these barbells well.

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Low Back Pain and Sciatica

The injury that quietly ends more training blocks than anything else. Responds well to targeted core and hip work, smarter loading, and someone checking your form as you build back.

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Getting Back to Your Sport

The gap between "cleared to train" and actually trusting your body again. We bridge it with a graded return plan so you're not guessing whether you're ready.

Nagging Tweaks That Keep Returning

The hamstring that grabs every few months. The hip that flares whenever mileage climbs. Recurring problems have a cause, and finding it is most of the work.

Training Through and Staying Healthy

You don't have to be hurt to work with us. Plenty of people come in to train smarter, address a weak link, and stay ahead of the injuries they can feel coming.

The Coaching Program

Ongoing Coaching, Built Around Your Training

Some people need one visit to get unstuck, and that's a perfectly good outcome. Others want someone in their corner while they rebuild. Coaching is the second option: a working relationship with Dr. Helms measured in weeks, not a single appointment.

Regular One-on-One Sessions

Video sessions with Dr. Helms on a rhythm that fits your training block. Every session is with him directly, so nobody is relearning your history each time.

A Plan That Changes as You Do

Your programming gets adjusted as you progress, stall, or flare up. That responsiveness is the difference between a plan and a PDF, and it's what a generic app can't do.

Support Between Sessions

Send a video of your squat, ask whether that twinge is worth backing off for, get an answer from the person who knows your case. The week between visits is where recovery is won or lost.

Book An Appointment

Start with a single visit. If ongoing coaching makes sense for what you're dealing with, Dr. Helms will walk you through the options then. No pressure to commit before anyone has looked at your problem.

Telehealth or In-Person?

Choosing Between Virtual and In-Person Care

Telehealth is a wonderful fit for a lot of what physical therapy does, and some situations are still better served hands-on. Here is an honest look at both, so you can pick the right starting point with confidence.

Telehealth Is Great For

  • Pain driven by posture, movement patterns, and strength
  • Exercise-based rehab and progressing your home program
  • Desk-setup and daily-habit coaching in your real environment
  • Managing chronic pain and staying active between visits
  • Busy schedules, long commutes, or living far from a clinic you trust
  • People who will actually do the training between sessions

Better In Person

  • Hands-on manual therapy and soft-tissue work
  • Spinal adjustments and joint mobilization
  • Active Release Technique and dry needling
  • New or acute injuries that need hands-on evaluation
  • Anything that simply feels better with a provider in the room
Explore in-person physical therapy

Not sure which you need? Start with a virtual visit.

Because Helms Performance offers both telehealth and in-person care, you never have to guess. Book a virtual visit and Dr. Helms will assess your situation, get you started right away, and tell you honestly if hands-on care would help you more. If you're near Bethesda, that can happen in our clinic. If you're farther away, he'll help you understand what to look for locally. You get the convenience of telehealth with the judgment of a full clinical practice behind it.

Book Now
Your First Virtual Visit

What to Expect From Your First Telehealth Appointment

Your first visit is a conversation and an assessment, just over video. Dr. Helms wants to understand not just where you're hurting, but what you want to get back to. From there, he builds a clear plan and gets to work.

  1. 1
    Easy, Secure Sign-On

    You'll get a private video link when you book. Join from a phone, tablet, or laptop, with a few feet of open floor space and comfortable clothes.

  2. 2
    A Live Movement Evaluation

    Dr. Helms guides you through simple movements on camera to assess your strength, mobility, and patterns. Pain rarely lives in isolation, so he looks at the whole picture.

  3. 3
    Coaching and Treatment, Same Visit

    You start right away. Dr. Helms walks you through targeted exercises and self-treatment techniques, correcting your form in real time so you leave with a sense of direction.

  4. 4
    A Personalized Home Plan

    You'll finish with exercises tailored to your goals and clear instructions on how and how often to do them, plus a picture of what your recovery looks like.

Dr. Paul Helms, sports chiropractor and physical therapist at Helms Performance in Bethesda, MD
Dr. Paul Helms Sports Chiropractor & Physical Therapist, Bethesda MD
Your Provider

Dr. Paul Helms

Dr. Paul Helms founded Helms Performance to offer the kind of care he wanted to see more of: hands-on, one-on-one, and built around the whole person, not just the injury. He brings both sports chiropractic and physical therapy together in a single practice so patients don't have to choose between them, or coordinate care across multiple offices.

Dr. Helms has worked with patients ranging from weekend runners and recreational athletes to professional athletes in the NFL, NBA, and CrossFit. He frames that range as a credential for everyone: if you work with the best, you know what good movement looks like, and you can recognize when it's missing, regardless of how active the patient is.

  • Doctor of Chiropractic
  • Licensed in dry needling
  • Sports physical therapy training and application
  • Certified in Active Release Technique and Fascial Stretch Therapy
  • Offers virtual physical therapy to patients nationwide
  • Experience with patients ranging from weekend runners to NFL and NBA athletes
  • In-person clinic at 7625 Wisconsin Ave, Suite 219, Bethesda, MD 20814
Learn More About Dr. Helms
Common Questions

Telehealth Physical Therapy FAQs

What is telehealth physical therapy?

Telehealth physical therapy, also called virtual or online physical therapy, is a physical therapy session delivered over secure video instead of in person. You connect with Dr. Paul Helms from home using a phone, tablet, or computer. He assesses how you move, watches your form in real time, and guides you through exercises and self-treatment strategies. It is the same expert care as an in-clinic visit, delivered remotely so you can be seen without the drive.

How does virtual physical therapy work?

You book online and receive a secure video link. At your appointment, Dr. Helms talks through your history and goals, then asks you to perform a few simple movements so he can assess your strength, mobility, and movement patterns on camera. From there he coaches you through targeted exercises, shows you how to adjust your setup at home or at your desk, and builds a personalized plan you can follow between visits. All you need is a device with a camera and a bit of open floor space.

Do you take insurance for telehealth physical therapy?

Helms Performance is an out-of-network provider, and telehealth visits are self-pay, just like our in-person care. We keep it this way on purpose. It means Dr. Helms answers only to you, not an insurance company, so your time is spent on care instead of paperwork and pre-authorizations. You get seen quickly, often within a day or two, with a full one-on-one visit every time. Many patients use HSA or FSA funds, or submit for out-of-network reimbursement through their plan, and we're happy to provide the documentation you need to file a claim. Call the office at 301-578-5197 if you'd like to talk through your options before booking.

Is virtual physical therapy worth it, and who is it right for?

For many people, yes. Research shows virtual physical therapy can be just as effective as in-person care for a wide range of conditions, especially those driven by movement patterns, muscle imbalance, and strength. It is a great fit if you have a busy schedule, live far from the clinic, are managing a desk-related ache, or simply prefer being coached through exercises in your own space. Conditions that need hands-on manual therapy may be better served in person, and Dr. Helms will tell you honestly if that is the case for you.

Where do you offer virtual physical therapy?

Helms Performance offers virtual physical therapy to patients across the United States. Dr. Helms is licensed to provide care nationwide, so wherever you are in the country, you can book a one-on-one telehealth visit. Our in-person clinic is in Bethesda, Maryland, so if you're local and want hands-on treatment, that option is available too. If you have any questions about whether virtual care is right for your situation, contact our team before you book.

How much does telehealth physical therapy cost?

Virtual visits are self-pay, with straightforward, transparent pricing and no surprise bills. Many patients find telehealth comparable to or more affordable than in-person care once you factor in travel, parking, and time away from work, and there's no insurance middleman adding delays or denials. HSA and FSA funds are welcome. For current pricing, reach out to our team or book online and we'll walk you through it before your first visit.

Get Back to Training. Stay There.

If an injury has been dictating your training for weeks, one video call is an easy place to start. Dr. Helms will find what's driving it and give you a plan you can actually run with. Book online or call, we're ready when you are.

Book A Virtual Visit

Or call 301-578-5197 to speak with our team