If you require further care, then a physician’s referral is required.

Physician referrals and medical diagnostics are not necessary, but are valued and welcome.

The private specialty consultation is designed for you to have a total of approximately 3-4 hours of time and directed attention from Dr. Kimberley Bell, DPT in order to thoroughly investigate your case and discover possible root causes for your discomfort. 

• After you book your appointment for Initial Root Cause Physical Therapy Evaluation and Treatment Specialty Consultation, Dr. Bell will send you a history form to complete. You will need to complete the history form and send it back to Dr. Bell at least thirty minutes before your scheduled phone call.
• During your history taking phone call, Dr. Bell will review your medical history, symptoms, and current complaints for up to 30 minutes. This phone call typically occurs before the in-person visit. (In some cases, if the initial in-person appointment is scheduled urgently, this step may be skipped in order to get you into the clinic as soon as possible.)
• Dr. Bell will complete a comprehensive, detailed Root Cause Physical Therapy Evaluation and initial Physical Therapy treatment, both in the first visit. This is a high complexity physical therapy evaluation, so the initial visit may last for up to 2-3 hours, depending on the exam findings.
• Dr. Bell provides care at a clinic in coastal Encinitas. For an extra fee, house calls are available in certain parts of San Diego County.
• Dr. Bell will use her extensive knowledge, advanced skills, and over twenty years of clinical experience to evaluate you and analyze your case to the best of her ability. Based on the results of your initial consultation, she will develop a comprehensive and multifaceted treatment plan for you. 
• Your treatment plan may include any combination of: 

(1) follow up visits with Dr. Bell or her team,

(2) self-care strategies or exercises to perform at home, 

(3) patient education and caregiver training through handouts or free online resources, and 

(4) referrals to one or more additional specialty providers.

• Over the course of time, your treatment plan may be modified or extended, and her recommendations for you may change, depending on how your case evolves.
• After the initial consultation, you should read all the handouts and educational information she provides to you in order to get the maximum benefit from consulting with Dr. Bell. You can ask questions as you go along, at follow up visits or via email communication.
• This Specialty Consultation service is unique in healthcare due to the extensive time Dr. Bell will spend investigating your case and personalizing your treatment plan, and includes a detailed interview, hands-on clinical assessment and treatment via The Bell Method® strategies.
• You will have direct access to Dr. Bell by email throughout your course of care, if you sign the form to authorize electronic communication during the intake process.
•  Follow up visits and phone consultations are available for patients who complete the Initial Consultation. All follow up visits and phone consultations are fee-for-service.
• Dr. Bell cannot make any guarantee of certain results because she does not yet know what is going on with you and your case is unique, but she can promise she will do her best to investigate your case and help you to the best of her ability. There is also no guarantee that symptoms won’t come back at some future date, thereby requiring more care at that time. Dr. Bell will do her best to educate you about how to recognize any potential future recurrence of symptoms and what to do.

Dr. Bell offers private consultations and compassion-based health coaching to:

• Analyze the root cause of your discomfort to create a targeted, individual treatment plan
• Reduce your stress and feelings of worry by clearing up confusion
• Consider you as a whole person and examines possible causes of your symptoms from different body systems
• Empower you with knowledge, skills, and confidence to create a better life for yourself
• Provide direct physical therapy treatment to reduce your discomfort and improve your quality of life
• Instruct appropriate, customized exercises to reduce if not completely eliminate your symptoms
• Educate you on effective, self-care strategies to manage any lingering or episodic symptoms
• Refer you to the most skilled specialty healthcare providers for your needs beyond the scope of physical therapy practice
• Support you through email communication as needed
• Recommend free educational resources and multimedia e-courses that you may want to purchase relevant to your case
• Suggest appropriate assistive devices or equipment
• Reduce the caregiver burden for those who love you
• Prepare you to quickly recognize and take appropriate action if your symptoms recur

Dr. Kimberley Bell, DPT has consulted with thousands of patients with complaints of dizziness, vertigo, and balance problems. That is truly her gift and her clinical specialty. 

She wants to help you get your life back! 

Her patient-centered, integrative approach also offers patient education and exercises for reducing stress, improving sleep quality and relieving feelings of worry, despair and hopelessness, that often co-occur in patients suffering with dizziness and vertigo. 

In patients over 65 years old, her team is often consulted to evaluate underlying causes of unexplained repeated falls, fear of falling, general unsteadiness, and chronic falls.

Dr. Bell also has developed innovative treatments for headaches, foot neuropathy, age-related incontinence, and unexplained repeated falls.

• This unique specialty service is designed to offer high quality, individualized Assessment and Rehabilitation Treatment for Vertigo, Dizziness, and Imbalance.
• Request your Initial Root Cause Physical Therapy Evaluation and Treatment Specialty Consultation using this contact form.
• Respond to the screening questions that we use for all new potential patients. If our services are appropriate for your situation, you will be able to schedule your initial consultation with Dr. Bell.
• Gather a list of all your medications, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter, supplements, and herbs.
• After you schedule your appointment, complete the history form and send it back to Dr. Bell at least thirty minutes before your history taking phone call.
• The first step of the initial consulation is a history taking phone call from Dr. Bell to review your medical history, symptoms, and current complaints before the in-person visit. This call lasts up to 30 minutes.
• Be sure that you have reported your condition to your doctor because your primary care doctor may want to do his or her own exam.
• Invite a family member, caregiver or close friend to join the consultation to take notes for you or film the consultation so you don’t have to remember everything that Dr. Bell explains and teaches you by yourself.
• Eat a light breakfast and drink a glass of water on the morning of the consultation. Wear comfortable clothing so that you can move around during the visit.
• Do not take any vestibular suppressant medication on the morning of the consultation. Common vestibular suppressants that your doctor may have prescribed include meclizine and scopolamine.
• Plan your schedule so that you can take it easy for the rest of the day after your initial consultation. The hands-on evaluation will trigger your symptoms so that Dr. Bell can assess the extent of your condition and make appropriate recommendations. Although she will skillfully manage your symptoms throughout the evaluation, you may still feel tired afterwards and need extra rest. You should not plan to do household chores, return to work, read, drive, or cook your own dinner that evening. Some people feel absolutely fine afterwards, but some need to take it easy for the rest of the day.
• Postpone all dental care and beauty salon appointments for at least a week after the first visit.
• If you are seeing Dr. Bell at her Encinitas location, you may need to arrange a ride. Dr. Bell will email you with details about her office location and parking.
• If you are having a house call visit, please secure all pets before Dr. Bell arrives, so your pets do not cause an interruption to the visit or interfere with your care inadvertently.
• Email support after the visit is also available for patients who sign to authorize electronic communication during the intake process. You are welcome to email Dr. Bell to share your response to the treatment, discuss your progress, review the exam findings, go over suggested next steps, and provide further instructions and resources. 
• For caregivers of patients with confusion or memory loss: Dr. Bell and her team members kindly request that a spouse, family member, or caregiver be present for the evaluation of any patients with confusion or memory loss to assist with the evaluation and support the treatment plan.
• For non-English speaking patients: All services are provided in English. Dr. Bell and her team members kindly request that a spouse or family member be present to assist with translation for any patients who are not able to communicate in English.

Everyone is different! Dr. Bell and her Team Leader see private patients anywhere from 1-10+ times, depending on what you need and how complex your individual case.

Most patients see Dr. Bell for four to eight visits on average for an episode of vertigo, but every case is different and each person has unique causes and solutions for their symptoms. Some patients need fewer visits; other patients need more visits.

The total number of visits recommended is determined for each individual based the findings of the Initial Root Cause Physical Therapy Evaluation hands-on clinical examination and response to treatment – which is completed during the initial in-person consultation – and any other health concerns.

The most important part of determining the number of visits each patient needs is completing the initial comprehensive, detailed Initial Root Cause Physical Therapy Evaluation and hands-on examination to determine the extent of the problem list and identify the root cause(s) of the complaints.

Over the course of time, your treatment plan may be modified or extended, and Dr. Bell’s recommendations for you may change, depending on how your case evolves.

Cash, Check, Credit Card, and Debit Card payments are accepted.

The Initial Consultation with Dr. Bell is $595*, which includes Root Cause Evaluation and Treatment.

The Initial consultation fee includes:

• History taking phone call with Dr. Bell to review your medical history, symptoms and current complaints prior to the in-person visit (up to 30 minutes)
• Comprehensive hands-on clinical exam and initial treatment using The Bell Method strategies by Dr. Bell (about 2 hours)
• Development of a comprehensive and multifaceted treatment plan after the initial visit
• Email support by Dr. Bell throughout your episode of care is available for patients who choose to sign the form authorizing electronic communication.

Follow Up Visits

Physical Therapy in-person follow up visit options are ideal for patients who prefer hands-on, individualized, and personalized rehabilitation by expert clinicians.

The first follow up visit with Dr. Bell in an episode of care is $349/ visit*.

Follow up visits thereafter with Dr. Bell in a single episode of care are $325/ visit*.

Follow up Physical Therapy visits of 75-90 minutes in length and are to be completed within 45 days of the physical therapy evaluation.

Due to California Direct Access to Physical Therapy Law, should follow-up appointments extend beyond 45 days from the initial in-person physical therapy evaluation visit, a physician referral for physical therapy must be obtained by the patient and he/she agrees that services will be paused until a physician’s prescription for physical therapy is received.

If you already have a prescription for physical therapy (PT) from your physician, please provide it to your physical therapist at the initial visit so your episode of care is not subject to the Direct Access Law.

Dr. Bell’s House Call Fee is $500* per visit, in addition to visit fee.

House calls are only available in certain parts of San Diego County.

Phone Consultations

Phone Calls are available for patients who want to discuss their case further with Dr. Bell by phone.

• Phone consultation fee: $125* for up to 30 minutes. Invoice must be paid in advance.
• Calls lasting over 30 minutes are billed in five-minute increments: $20*/ 5 minutes.

Consultation with Dr. Bell’s Vestibular Team Leader is available for some patients, at the same price. 

Re-Evaluations May be Required for Returning Patients

For returning patients who have not been seen in person for the last 3 months, or have a change in medical status like a hospital stay or surgery, a Physical Therapy In-Person Re-Evaluation is required to initiate a New Episode of Care.

The Physical Therapy Re-Evaluation for returning patients is $449* and includes:

Returning patients who have been seen by Dr. Bell’s Team Leader but are new to Dr. Bell will be billed Dr. Bell’s Initial Consultation rate for their first visit with Dr. Bell.

Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

Dr. Bell can accept HSA (Health Savings Account) or FSA (Flexible Spending Account) debit cards.

If the HSA or FSA debit card does not work with our card reader, the invoice can usually be submitted to the HSA or FSA plan by the account holder for full reimbursement as long as sufficient funds are in the account.

Policy

To review our payment policy for more details, click here.

*Service prices may be subject to change from time to time.

Dr. Bell’s goal is to get you better as fast as possible!

Kim Bell Physical Therapy Inc. offers a unique, unparalleled service designed specifically for people with dizziness, vertigo, and imbalance.

In order to support the excellent clinical outcomes that their private patients frequently enjoy, Dr. Bell and her Team Leader must spend extensive time with the patient to learn all the details of the case and complete a complex hands-on examination during the initial visit, along with a treatment and extensive education.

Providers who accept insurance often require a high total number of visits, so certain codes and procedures can be billed on different dates.

Dr. Bell and her team have a different game plan than insurance-based providers, because Dr. Bell and her team do not need to bill for every individual code and procedure that they perform on different dates.

In the first visit, Dr. Bell is able to accomplish as much as most physical therapists who take insurance can get done in 4 to 8 visits at their office (if ever).

With the quality of care provided by Dr. Bell and her team, it’s not possible to fit within the insurance box.

They are very experienced clinicians and provide excellent customer service! Their time is set aside just for you at each visit.

Simply put, insurance often delays, restricts, and limits your care.

Unfortunately, due to declining health insurance payments and increasing insurance paperwork burden, healthcare providers who accept health insurance are not able to spend as much time with their patients as Dr. Bell and her team require for their services.

In physical therapy clinics that accept health insurance, the patient’s care is often rushed, cut short, or delegated to lesser skilled individuals on staff. 

Surprise medical bills, secret pricing, and hidden fees are common problems with insurance-based care that Dr. Bell and her team want to avoid.

Dr. Bell and her team operate with price transparency, so you decide up front if our care is within your reach, payment is due at the time of service, and you never receive an unexpected bill from Kim Bell Physical Therapy Inc.

Keep in mind that the average patient with vertigo sees 4-5 different doctors and spends $2,000 just to get an adequate diagnosis. Patients with dizziness or vertigo are often subject to unnecessary diagnostic testing, sometimes take inappropriate medications, and suffer from delays in care for weeks to months, even for years.

Many people never discover the root cause of their symptoms due to inadequate diagnosis, reliance on diagnostic tests, and ineffective treatment efforts, leading to mismanagement of their case.

Dr. Bell and her Team Leader both offer an initial consultation for $595, which is significantly less than the $2,000 an average patient with vertigo spends just for an adequate diagnosis.

If you want to use your health insurance, there are other providers who will accept your health insurance. You can find them at Vestibular.org.

Many patients tell us they find that insurance-based healthcare providers do not have adequate time to thoroughly review their history or to assess them in detail for root causes of their complaints, much less provide personalized education and recommendations for optimal outcomes.

When making your decisions, it is recommended to check your deductible and co-pay or co-insurance, as many health care plans have high out-of-pocket costs for covered services. 

If you have already consulted with all the experts who take your health insurance and are still suffering, don’t give up hope. Dr. Bell and her team are here for you.

A comprehensive hands-on clinical exam by a skilled Vestibular Expert clinician is shown to be superior to MRI and other diagnostic tests under many circumstances.

For Medicare patients who require ongoing or extended physical therapy intervention, Dr. Bell and her team may be able to recommend follow up physical therapy services that are appropriate and are covered by Medicare. If possible, Dr. Bell will refer her patients to physical therapists that she has personally trained.

Yes. You will be able to talk to Dr. Bell and ask all your questions during follow up visits.

All patients who are under the care of Kim Bell Physical Therapy Inc. have direct access to their evaluating physical therapist by email to receive support for the duration of their episode of care. In order to access this benefit, the patient must sign the intake form to authorize electronic communication with the provider.

Additional support and coaching are available through pre-paid phone consultations.

• Phone Consultation with Dr. Bell: $125   (up to 30 minutes)
• $20/ 5 minute increments if the call goes over 30 minutes

It depends. Everyone is different, so the answer varies between individuals.

For some patients, this consultation is the final step and they are able to enjoy a complete recovery after consulting with Dr. Bell or her Team Leader.

Other patients require physical therapy follow up visits to optimize outcomes, new self-care routines, and/or consultations with one or more additional specialty healthcare providers.

Since the service is unique and personalized, Dr. Bell or her Team Leader will review your prognosis, considerations, suggested next steps, and any additional care that is recommended once your Initial Consultation is completed.

Over the course of time, your treatment plan may be modified or extended, and my recommendations for you may change, depending on how your case evolves.

There is always a possibility that symptoms can recur in the future. Some people never have a recurrence; while other people do experience symtoms again at some point in the future.

Even with patients who have a full recovery and a successful outcome with The Bell Method, Dr. Bell cannot guarantee that symptoms will not recur in the future. However, she educates patients on how to recognize and respond to any recurrence of symptoms.

In order to make sure you get the best results from your consultation, Dr. Bell requests that you provide an accurate medical history, including a list of all past surgeries or medical procedures, the names and specialties of all your current healthcare providers, and an updated list of medications and supplements that you are taking.

Your medication list should include all oral prescription and over-the counter medications, along with any prescription skin creams, eye drops, and medications that you inject or inhale.

During the evaluation and treatment sessions, Dr. Bell requests that you answer all questions as truthfully as possible and keep her informed of your symptoms. 

Be sure to notify Dr. Bell of any mental health issues that you are experiencing now or have experienced in the past.

For best results, Dr. Bell recommends that you fully participate in all tests, treatments, and visits that are recommended.

Dr. Bell also recommends that you follow all instructions that are given, including any self-care, exercises, or precautions.

Promptly schedule any additional consultations she recommends with additional specialty providers.

Read all the handouts and educational information she provides to you.

You can ask questions as you go along, at follow up visits or via email communication.

Results are not guaranteed since everyone is different, but Dr. Bell does guarantee that she will make a good faith effort to provide you with expert level care.

Over the course of time, your treatment plan may be modified or extended, and her recommendations for you may change, depending on how your case evolves.

The results of your care will be maximized if you take an active role in your recovery process, follow your treatment plan, and communicate with Dr. Bell about how you are progressing as you work together.

If at any time you decide you do not want to follow your treatment plan, you should notify Dr. Bell. You have autonomy, so you will always have the option not to follow your treatment plan or adhere to her recommendations. 

However, if you decide not to stick with your treatment plan or follow Dr. Bell’s recommendations, then your progress and final level of recovery may be limited. She may not be able to continue working with you. 

If you are discharged early from Dr. Bell’s services due to not following her treatment recommendations, you may be able to seek her care again in the future by scheduling a re-evaluation.

Avoid canceling your visits. You will not be charged a fee for a cancellation. Dr. Bell may, however, decline to reschedule with you if you cancel multiple visits or the reason for cancellation was not appropriate.

Dr. Bell may decline to continue to provide care to anyone at any time, if she no longer believes her services are appropriate for your individual situation.

Please be sure to check with our office before booking your travel arrangements to ensure that Dr. Bell is available.

If you plan to stay overnight:

If you are traveling to San Diego from within the USA, you will most likely fly into the San Diego or Carlsbad airports.

International patients usually fly into LAX and drive south to San Diego County in a rental car.

Dr. Bell requests that you reserve your stay in the coastal area of northern San Diego County near the beaches of Carlsbad or Encinitas, California. Moonlight beach is about one mile from Dr. Bell’s clinic in the coastal area of Encinitas.

Some patients have reserved an ocean view room at the Moonlight Beach Motel in Encinitas, California, or the Best Western nearby, because it is within walking distance of downtown Encinitas and there are many food options nearby. The coastal train goes by this area in the middle of the night and has disturbed some of our patients.

Dr. Bell recommends that you plan to stay for at least five nights to allow for follow-up visits and/or further evaluation by another local provider if you have multiple causes of dizziness.

Most patients should plan to see her 2-3 times per week, for 1-2 weeks.

Dr. Bell may recommend for you to schedule additional consultations with other local specialty providers during your stay.

If you would like to come for the day:

For patients who live outside of San Diego County and would like to see Dr. Bell then drive home that night, Dr. Bell can see you at her clinic location in coastal Encinitas.

Dr. Bell recommends that you plan to drive to Encinitas at least once a week for four or more weeks, so that she can provide you with adequate follow up care.

You will need to arrange a ride with a friend or family, since you may not be able to drive yourself home after the treatment.

Some patients who have decided to drive for the day to see Dr. Bell in Encinitas have gotten car sick on the way home, so this day-trip option is not recommended.

The better option is for you to stay overnight somewhere in Encinitas or Carlsbad, so you do not have to ride in the car after the visit or burden anyone to drive you home afterwards.

Other considerations for Medical Tourists:

Many patients are able to deduct their travel costs to San Diego as a “medical trip” on their tax return. Dr. Bell recommends for you to discuss that option with your Accountant.

Please note: San Diego County has a high volume of summer tourists so hotel and flight prices are the most expensive from May through September every year.

Dr. Bell and her Team Leader offer care for private patients in Encinitas and house calls in certain parts of San Diego County in California, USA.

Dr. Bell only provides individual medical advice to patients she has examined in person.

At this time, Dr. Bell’s services are only available for patients who see her in person for direct care.

Dr. Bell does not currently offer Telehealth or video conferencing services for patients.

Please join Dr. Bell’s mailing list to receive free educational blogs and other helpful information, and to be notified when her book is published.

If you are outside Dr. Bell’s service area and unable to travel to the area for care, we encourage you to check out this blog article published by Dr. Bell to help you Find a Vertigo Doctor in your area.

Dr. Bell understands that many patients who suffer with dizziness and vertigo are unable to work full time and have financial difficulties.

Because of price transparency, you can decide up front if the prices are in your ballpark or not!

If the prices are too much of a stretch right now, then Dr. Bell’s specialized care may not be the right next step for you at this time.

Dr. Bell is cautious not to take on a new patient who is unable to pay for the follow up visits that might be needed, as she is focused on optimizing outcomes for each patient who trusts her with their life.

Lack of follow up care that is needed sets up both the patient and Dr. Bell for disappointment.

You can use the links Dr. Bell provides in this blog to search for a Vertigo Doctor in your area who may take your insurance.

Dr. Bell has created a lot of helpful resources that are available to you at no cost on this page.

You can also read blog articles on this website and Vertigo Detective to get you going in the right direction!

Join Dr. Bell’s mailing list so she can send you free, educational blogs and other helpful information. She and her team are working hard to meet your needs by publishing free online resources and sending out newsletters.

No. Email communication is inherently insecure and can be intercepted by an unauthorized third party.

Dr. Bell cautions against transmitting any private, personal health information via email, text message, or voicemail.

In-person consultation is recommended to ensure the protection of your personal health information

Patients may choose to sign authorizing electronic communication on their intake forms, in order to allow communication with our team via email, text message, and voicemail. However, privacy of electronic communication cannot be guaranteed.

To review our privacy policy, click here.