The City of Bridgeport has a new business, and it is being led by a resident and graduate of Bridgeport High School.

 

This past Monday, the Move Right Performance Therapy, Pelvic Health and Recovery Center opened. It is located at the Gabe’s Plaza off Lodgeville Road and Thompson Drive.

 

Lauren Gilbert Smith, a 2006 graduate of BHS, and her husband Jason, a Charleston native, opened the location. It is the first satellite facility of their physical therapy practice in Morgantown on Greenbag Road. Both have doctorates, as well as plenty of other certifications, in physical therapy. They are joined by their business Partner Dr. Nick Kyle, who is from Preston County.

 

“We started in 2018 with Move Right PT, but now we have expanded,” said Smith, who said she is thrilled to be operating a business in her hometown that she actually moved back to roughly two and a half years ago.

 

The move to come to the city, she said, was part of a natural progression of business. And with many from Bridgeport and the area asking about – and often utilizing – services, she said it made sense to come to Harrison County.

 

“With me being from the area and with the two of us being around and knowing a lot of people, we were getting a lot of interest from locals,” said Smith. “We wanted to provide a service closer to those individuals as opposed to them all coming to (Morgantown).

 

“From a personal standpoint, it was really important to me to insert ourselves and our family into the community where I grew up,” she continued. “That’s where heart has been and still is.”

 

The entire practice, locally and in Morgantown, offers traditional physical therapy services. However, they offer much more with services tailored toward functional movement in higher level athletes. Both Smiths were athletes in college with Lauren competing at Fairmont State and Jason playing baseball at West Virginia Wesleyan before injury derailed his career.

 

“Jason has a specialization in arm care. He works with baseball players. The performance therapy side is more sports specific therapy,” said Smith, point out that her husband and Dr. Kyle have plenty of certifications and are board certified orthopedic specialists.

 

As for Lauren Gilbert Smith, her specialty is pelvic health. It was not necessarily the career she envisioned getting into.

 

“After my collegiate career ended, I thought I would find myself working in athletics and orthopedics. Little did I know I would have a baby and mother changed me in a lot of ways,” she said. “It entirely changed the course of my career.”

 

The pregnancy led her to what she described as a “niche physical therapy area” known as pelvic health.

 

“I delved into that after I had my daughter. I just fell in love with it,” said Smith.

 

Smith said the areas she is specializing in helps with postpartum issues, musculoskeletal support, pre-pregnancy support, and treatment of individuals who may not be pregnant or looking to get pregnant but have pelvic health issues.

 

Smith said the Bridgeport location will focus on general physical therapy and pelvic health. However, by going through Bridgeport’s office those needing treatment in Morgantown can get it. And Smith said what they can get is impressive.

 

“We are a full equipment recovery center,” she said. “We’re the one stop shop for recovery and performance.”

 

Some of the services offered through the business Smith helps lead is cryochamber for cryotherapy, compression therapy, red light therapy (commercial grade), infrared sauna, halotherapy, and new service known as a float room.

 

“We’re very proud to have it and, to my knowledge, it is the only one in the state,” said Smith.

 

The float room provides complete sensory deprivation in a roughly 8x8 room with a foot of water and filled with Epsom salt. Smith said the temperature of the air, water, and body are made the same.

 

“You are eliminating all outside stimulus,” said Smith of a process that downregulates the nervous system. “… It’s good relaxation, decreasing stress and has other benefits, including recovery.”

 

Smith said there are options to use the float room, including for couples or others who may not want to be in the room, which is void of outside light, alone.

 

Joining the Smith’s at the Bridgeport location will be another local. Smith said Dr. Kassie Kime, a 2005 Lincoln graduate, will be located at the Harrison County office.

 

The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and one Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. To learn more about the business or to schedule an appointment, call 304-554-2220.

 

Editor's Note I: For those wondering about certifications of the staff, here they are: Dr. Jason Smith, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, Cert DAC, Cert DN, CertDxUS, FMS 1; Dr. Nick Kyle, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, Cert DAC, Cert TMM, FMS 1; Dr. Lauren Smith, PT, DPT, PCES, POP Up Pro; Dr. Michael Harriman, PT, DPT; and Dr. Kassie Kime, PT, DPT.

 

Editor's Note II: Shown above is Lauren Gilbert Smith and husband Jason, while the second photo shows the red.light therapy room. In the third photo, the recently unveiled float room is shown, while Jason Smith is shown working with a client in the bottom photo.