Testimonials

"Caroline Choppa has a rare combination of skills and gifts. She has a deep techniqcal knowledge, is continuously learning new techniques, acutely listens to both the verbal and non verbal communication of her patients and has great intuition into the root cause of a problem. She looks at the human body as whole and treats not only symptoms but the root cause of a problem. She has an ability to listen to what I think I need from a PT session and balance that with what my body truly needs."

M.C.

I had a badly pinched nerve in my lower back and was in so much pain
that I needed crutches to get around. My doctor was skeptical about
the benefits of physical therapy for my problem but wrote me the
prescription. From the beginning appointment with Caroline Choppa, I
could feel some relief, and after a couple of weeks I no longer needed
crutches. The simple, gentle exercises Caroline taught me worked like
a miracle. When I walked into my follow-up doctor's appointment he
was so impressed he asked if I had changed churches!! Thanks,
Caroline, and all at Hand n Hand, for your kindness and caring.

K.A.R.

"No words can really express my appreciation for the expert care and courteous attention I have received at Hand N Hand Therapy. My neuro-trained physical therapist Karen has provided intensive therapy and an individualized treatment plan as well as a kind, personal touch that is far different from four previous therapy practices. The other practices not only were limited in time but also in their ability to look at the whole picture, revise the plan, and include different approaches."

"I am certain that I would not have made the progress if I hadn’t traveled the extra miles to meet and work with the wonderful staff at Hand N Hand."

MJB, RN

"Learning to deal with breast cancer has been one of the toughest assignments of my life...multiple doctors, diagnoses, missed diagnoses, multiple surgeries, chemo, radiation, 2nd and 3rd opinions, and lack of information about the many possible side effects. In short, it is a very frightening and lonely world in which you question and worry about everything you are feeling physically and emotionally. Enter Paula ... my guardian angel in therapist work clothes who educated me and treated my lymphedema and various other aches and pains due to treatment side effects. She, along with Pam, has been diligently working with me since late June of this year to make my life so much better and near "normal." We learned about lymphedema and its consequences because Paula was willing to take time out from her very busy schedule to teach one of the evening "Living With Breast Cancer" seminars sponsored by INOVA Fairfax Hospital. My husband and I knew we had to go to Hand N Hand ASAP to find out if the pain and swelling I was experiencing in my right arm was indeed lymphedema and not the general (but different) edema and overall discomfort which I was having from the chemo. Under Paula's compassionate and thorough care, I have been getting treatments for my lymphedema (which is now under control). And just as important to me, through their expertise in different kinds of therapy, both Paula and Pam have been helping me with the swelling and other muscle/joint aches and pains that comes with long-term use of chemo, radiation, herceptin and other drugs that are the front-line of battling breast cancer. Thanks so much to Paula and Pam, my new "best friends!"

S.H.

"I broke my ankle, and after 9 weeks the ankle, foot, and toes were still
noticeably swollen. There was also some aching and tingling. After one
session of lymphatic drainage, all swelling in the ankle was gone, and
the rest was greatly reduced. Almost all the other sensations were gone
as well. It was a miracle!"

A.F.

"So I have "hope" for the first time in a long time and I think it's amazing that you use that word on your website."

K.B.

"Hand N Hand Therapy taught me how to focus, breathe, and move. Thank you!!"

H.T.B.

"I was very fortunate the day Arlington Hospital had a three-week waiting list for lymphatic drainage massage. So it was suggested that I see Paula Levinson at Hand-N-Hand Therapy in Ballston. I was ill, but it was mostly undiagnosed and all I knew was that I needed this massage. Paula quickly educated me about Lymphedema and taught me how to bandage myself. Then, I was further fortunate to see Pam Wood, the co-owner of Hand-N-Hand, and trained in lymphatic drainage technique. Pam intuitively and intensively massaged my pitted edema and my "phantom" leg, a result of an above knee amputation.

Both therapists are true professionals. They aren't satisfied until they've agreed in their own minds that they've solved the problem before them, which often means thinking about my problems after I've left my allotted session-a truly rare concept in medical practice today.

Both therapists are superior examples of medical practitioner's as they are detail oriented, empathetic, compassionate, and driven beyond the basic tenets of what I have seen in my long, seven-year voyage around the world of medicine.

I easily, and without hesitation, recommend Hand-n-Hand Therapy to anyone I know as they will be placed in the best care possible.

P.S.