Physical therapist performing leg and knee assessment on a client lying on a treatment table

Services · Baltimore

Still in Pain After PT, Massage, or Chiropractic?

Most patients who find Physica Medica have already tried the standard options. They've done the exercises, seen the specialists, and still wake up with the same problem. Dr. Maks Birikov, DPT built this practice specifically for that patient — the one who hasn't gotten better yet and wants to understand why.

Dr. Birikov is the first licensed practitioner in Maryland to hold a master-level dry needling certification, the first Functional Patterns practitioner in Baltimore, and the first to bring Pancafit postural class to the United States. These aren't marketing claims. They're the reason the approach here is categorically different from what you've already tried.

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Every session is one-on-one, full hour, hands-on. Located at 800 S Bond St in Fells Point, Baltimore.

The Full Spectrum

Conditions Dr. Birikov Treats at Physica Medica

The conditions listed here aren't a general intake menu. They reflect the specific problems Dr. Birikov has built a practice around — many of them mismanaged, undertreated, or dismissed at conventional clinics. If you've been told your imaging is normal, your pain is stress-related, or you just need to strengthen your core, there is likely more to the picture.

The goal is never temporary relief. It's finding what is actually driving the problem and treating that — not just the place where it hurts.

Silo One

Pain and Tension

Neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, sciatica, and chronic muscle tension are the most common reasons patients arrive here. They're also the most commonly undertreated — because most clinics address the site of pain without examining what's pulling on it from elsewhere in the body.

Therapist performing shoulder and neck assessment on a client seated on a treatment table

Nerve Pain and Numbness

Numbness, tingling, shooting pain, and radiating symptoms are nerve problems. The nerve is being compressed or restricted somewhere along its path — often not where the symptom is felt. Finding that point requires hands-on assessment, not just an MRI reading.

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Posture and Structural Problems

Forward head posture, rounded shoulders, and scoliosis are structural patterns, not habits you can correct by standing up straighter. Dr. Birikov treats the fascial restrictions and breathing mechanics that hold those patterns in place.

First Master Dry Needler in Baltimore

Scar Tissue and Post-Surgical Pain

Scar tissue binds layers of skin, fascia, and muscle that are supposed to move independently. That restriction doesn't always cause pain at the scar itself — it pulls on surrounding structures and shows up as pain somewhere else entirely.

TMJ, Jaw, and Facial Pain

Clicking, clenching, jaw locking, and facial tension have both a joint component and a muscle component. Treating only one rarely resolves the other. Dr. Birikov works both — including intraoral release for restrictions that external pressure cannot reach.

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Sports and Athletic Injuries

Acute injuries, chronic overuse patterns, and performance limitations that keep returning despite treatment. Athletes need more than rest and generic rehab. They need someone who understands how the whole movement chain contributes to the problem.

Pregnancy-Related Pain

Pelvic girdle pain, rib pain, low back pain, and postpartum recovery. The body changes structurally during pregnancy in ways that standard protocols don't fully account for. Treatment here is adapted to where you are in that process.

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Vocal and Breathing Dysfunction

Singers, speakers, and performers dealing with vocal fatigue, tension, or restricted range often have a physical problem that voice coaching can't fix. The chain runs from the jaw through the tongue to the diaphragm — and any restriction in that chain affects what comes out.

Headaches and Breathing-Driven Pain

Chronic headaches, rib pain, and low back tension are frequently driven by how a person breathes — specifically, by a diaphragm that isn't doing its full job. When breathing mechanics are off, surrounding structures compensate and eventually break down.

Silo Two

Why Patients Come to Us After Everything Else Has Failed

The most common thing new patients say is some version of: I've tried everything. PT didn't hold. Massage helped temporarily. Chiropractic adjustments wore off. The problem came back.

Our Approach: Finding the Source, Not Just the Symptom

Dr. Birikov's assessment starts with how you move — standing, walking, breathing — before any hands are placed on tissue. Restrictions show up in movement before they show up on imaging. That's where the real information is.

Treatment is direct and manual.

Depending on what the assessment finds, a session might include dry needling (a fine needle placed directly into a trigger point to release it), IASTM (steel instruments that locate and break down adhesions the fingers can't detect), myofascial cupping (negative pressure that lifts fascia off the layers beneath it to restore glide), or direct manual release of neural tension. These aren't upsells. They're chosen in the moment based on what the tissue actually needs.

No referral is required.

Maryland allows direct access to physical therapy. You can book without a physician referral. If your situation requires coordination with another provider, Dr. Birikov will tell you directly.

Diaphragmatic Rehabilitation

For neck, rib and low-back pain driven by how you breathe.

TMJ & Jaw Therapy

Clenching, clicking and facial pain worked at the joint and the muscle.

Buccal Massage

Intraoral release for jaw tension nothing external has reached.

Therapy for Singers & Speakers

Jaw, tongue and diaphragm treated as one continuous chain.

Physical therapist performing lower leg and ankle assessment using measurement tools on a client

Only Practitioner in Baltimore

Functional Patterns

Gait, rotation and breathing retrained as one movement system.

Browse Conditions We Treat

Each condition page goes deeper into how Dr. Birikov approaches that specific problem, what treatment typically involves, and what a realistic timeline looks like. If your condition isn't listed, send a message. The list below reflects the most common presentations — it isn't exhaustive.

Silo Three

What to Expect

Sessions are one hour. One patient at a time. Dr. Birikov performs every treatment himself — there are no assistants, no techs, and no handoff mid-session. The first visit includes a full movement assessment before any treatment begins.

Only Class in the US

Pancafit Stretching Class

Most patients with chronic pain or complex presentations see meaningful change within 4 to 6 sessions. Some conditions resolve faster. Others — particularly long-standing structural patterns or post-surgical cases — take longer. Dr. Birikov will give you an honest estimate after the first assessment, not before.

First Certified Instructor in Baltimore

Wim Hof Method Workshops

Breathwork and cold exposure run as a physiological protocol.

Group Seminars

Teams, choirs and workplaces, taught in the studio or on site.

Start Here

Ready to Finally Get Answers?

If you've already been to multiple providers and you're still in pain, the problem isn't that treatment doesn't work. It's that the right source hasn't been found yet. That's the work done here.

Send a short description of what hurts and what you've already tried. Dr. Birikov reads every inquiry personally and responds directly. Call 443-228-8029 or reach out through the contact form. Physica Medica is located at 800 S Bond St, Baltimore, MD 21231.

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Therapist assessing client's posture and back alignment while client sits on treatment table

Good Questions

Common Questions

How do I know which service or treatment is right for my condition?

What kinds of conditions does a concierge physical therapist treat? The same range as a standard PT clinic — pain, nerve symptoms, posture, post-surgical recovery, sports injuries — but without the volume model that limits how much time and attention each patient gets. A full hour of one-on-one treatment changes what's possible.

Can I combine multiple services in one session?

How is Physica Medica different from a standard PT clinic? Most PT clinics operate on 20-to-30-minute treatment slots, with assistants handling portions of the session and exercise programs filling the rest. Every session here is a full hour of direct, hands-on treatment performed by Dr. Birikov. No exercise sheets. No circuits. The modalities used — dry needling, IASTM, cupping, neural tension release — are selected based on what the assessment finds, not a preset protocol.

Do all services involve hands-on treatment?

Do I need a referral to be treated for my condition? No. Maryland allows patients to access physical therapy directly. You do not need a physician referral to book an appointment at Physica Medica.

The Next Step

Schedule a Visit

Tell Dr. Birikov what hurts, how long it's been a problem, and what you've already tried. That information shapes the assessment before you arrive.

Request a Consultation Call Dr. Birikov · (443) 228-8029

Dr. Birikov reviews every inquiry personally and responds directly — not through a scheduling assistant or automated system. Reach out by phone at 443-228-8029 or through the contact form on this site.