Muldowney Physical Therapy New Patient Options

(For people who are able to attend PT in our clinic 2-3x/week for 3 to 6+ months for treatment.  This works well for people who live in RI, Mass, Conn, and NH, and also people who travel to and stay in RI for 3 to 6+ months.

• You will begin with a 5-hour total body evaluation and treatment session, which was developed by Kevin Muldowney, PT.  This one-of-a-kind system has been proven to identify the root cause of your issues.  Once identified, Kevin Muldowney, PT, will treat these issues and reduce your pain using manual therapy techniques designed for the EDS population.   Evaluating and treating your entire body allows Kevin to see the whole picture and design a plan that specifically meets your needs.  
• After the 5-hour evaluation and treatment session has been completed, you can use your insurance for all of the remaining treatment sessions with one of Kevin’s highly skilled staff members in treating people with EDS.  Kevin will review your plan with his team, and they will treat you 2-3x/week through your insurance.  They will perform the same manual therapy techniques that Kevin used during his 5-hour evaluation and treatment session to reduce your pain. They will also instruct you with exercises from his book, “Living Life to the Fullest with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.” These exercises will be modified to meet your specific needs and goals.  They will also review any daily activities that you perform at home that cause you pain. They will also instruct your family members on how to fix your low back pain at home. 
• At any time, if a staff member feels that you need to be reassessed by Kevin, they will place you on his schedule so he can problem-solve any roadblocks that have developed with your plan.  Having you get better is our only goal.     
• This plan is only appropriate for people who are able to attend PT at our clinic 2-3x/week for an extended period of time.  We only accept Medicare and Blue Cross plans.  If you have another insurance plan, your only option is the 5-hour evaluation and treatment session and self-pay for all follow-up sessions. 

(For people who will return home after the evaluation and work with their local PT. Not an option for RI residents).   

Kevin Muldowney will perform his one-of-a-kind evaluation and treatment session, which was created for the EDS population.  What this includes:

1. An in-depth interview with Kevin, where he gathers all of the information regarding all of your systemic, neurological, and orthopedic issues, as well as your functional limitations and goals. He will review all of this information with you and explain how it will affect his plan for you.  He will also review all MRI reports.  
2. Kevin will perform a neurological screening to assess you for tethered cord, CCI, AAI, and Chiari Malformation.  If he suspects you might have any of these, he will refer you to the proper neurosurgeons if necessary, so they can evaluate and diagnose you and help you with your neurological issues.    
3. Kevin will perform a postural and gait analysis.  He will measure your forward head posture and will continue to periodically measure this throughout the 5-hour evaluation and treatment session in order to assess what alignment issues are directly affecting your posture.  
4. Kevin will evaluate and treat the following joints:  low back and SI joint, hips, knees, ankles, feet, mid back and ribs, shoulders, neck, headaches, TMJ, elbows, wrists, and hands.  
5. Videos will be recorded on your phone of Kevin demonstrating the manual therapy techniques that he performed during your 5-hour evaluation and treatment session that reduced your pain.  

6. Kevin will develop an exercise plan for you, which will help stabilize your joints, your physical therapist at home.

7. A 3-4 page evaluation will be written for your PCP, listing all of your impairments as well as explaining why you have pain.  We will also describe our plan for you to improve your function.  

8. Once you have completed the 5-hour evaluation and treatment session, virtual appointments are always available to you with Kevin for an additional fee.  This way, Kevin can continue to support you in your recovery journey after you return home.

(This is only for people who are in RI, CT, Mass, who are able to attend PT at our clinic 2-3x/week. There will not be a 5-hour evaluation and treatment session with this option. We accept Medicare and Blue Cross only.  If you do not have these insurances, then the 5-hour evaluation and treatment session is the best option for you.)

• You will receive a 1-hour evaluation with one of our expert staff members, where they will evaluate one body part, which is usually the lower back, to start.  
• For this option, you will need a doctor’s prescription for PT for low back pain
• EDS is not a billable diagnosis under insurance.  
• The PT that performed your evaluation will continue to treat you throughout your entire treatment plan.  We only hire physical therapists, not physical therapy assistants or rehab aides.  Therefore, only a physical therapist will be treating you throughout your entire care at Muldowney Physical Therapy.  
• Each treatment session will consist of manual therapy to reduce your pain and exercises to stabilize the joints that your physical therapist corrected in that session.  
• Attendance of 2-3x/week is mandatory.  If you cannot attend regularly, then the 5-hour evaluation and treatment session is your best option.  EDS patients require regular manual therapy to reduce pain, exercises to stabilize joints, daily activity modification so you don’t hurt yourself at home, and self-correction instruction so you can reduce your pain at home outside of PT.  

For more than a decade, Kathleen Muldowney has been a trusted leader in screening patients with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) for tethered cord, a neurological condition that occurs at higher rates within the EDS community and is often overlooked.

Kathleen has developed a comprehensive and highly detailed screening process that combines an in-depth patient history, targeted clinical questions, and specialized physical assessments to determine whether tethered cord is a likely concern. When sufficient clinical evidence is identified, Kathleen guides patients step-by-step through the next phase of care—explaining which diagnostic tests are needed, what referrals are required and which neurosurgical specialists are most appropriate.

To support timely and effective care, Kathleen prepares a thorough clinical summary and recommendation letter for your primary care provider, clearly outlining her findings and the medical necessity for further neurosurgical evaluation and what tests or referrals will be needed.  

Navigating a possible tethered cord diagnosis can feel overwhelming and complex.  Kathleen’s role is to simplify the process, provide clarity and ensure nothing falls through the cracks—helping patients move forward confidently and efficiently.

Upon request, Kathleen is also available to educate and answer questions for family members or friends during physical therapy appointments, including discussions about the pre- and post-operative course, surgery considerations and rehabilitation expectations.

Kathleen is also the creator of the Tethered Cord Buddy Program. Once a patient has been formally diagnosed by a neurosurgeon and scheduled for surgery, Kathleen can pair them with a  “buddy”—a fellow patient who has already been through the experience and can offer firsthand insight, encouragement and support from someone who truly understands the journey.

In addition, Kathleen provides a customized physical therapy plan for both pre- and post-surgical care, designed to optimize recovery and achieve the best possible outcomes.

Through her deep clinical knowledge, compassionate guidance, and built-in support systems, Kathleen ensures patients receive not only expert screening and education—but also the confidence, preparation and support needed for a successful recovery.