Brothers of Mercy Outpatient Therapy Clinic

11/20/2025

★ Happy Therapy Thursday! ★

🌟 𝐔𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐚 “𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐩” 𝐨𝐫 “𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐠” 🌟

At the Russell J. Salvatore Outpatient Therapy Clinic, many people tell us they hesitate to use a cane because they “don’t want to look like they need help.” But in reality, 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭.

When pain or weakness in one leg causes you to shift your weight away from it, your walking pattern becomes what we call an 𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒈𝒊𝒄 𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒕—often noticed as a 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐩 or “𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠/𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐠.” This can put added stress on your back, hips, and the opposite leg.

✨ 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐬:

• Gives the painful or weak leg extra support
• Helps distribute weight more evenly
• Reduces pain with each step
• Improves the smoothness and efficiency of your stride
• Increases confidence and reduces fall risk

Using a cane is not a sign of limitation—𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒕, 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒍 to help you stay mobile and independent.

If you’re unsure about the right type of cane or how to use it properly, our physical therapists are here to guide you!

11/18/2025

Clinic Director Lauren Grawe, PT, DPT is honored to present “𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈, 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒇𝒖𝒍: 𝑷𝒉𝒚𝒔𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒚 𝑻𝒊𝒑𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑨𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒍” to the Clarence Contemporary Club this morning.

She has put together a practical, easy-to-follow guide featuring 12 targeted exercises designed to help:
✨ Support and improve posture
✨ Build everyday strength
✨ Enhance balance and flexibility
✨ Reduce fall risk
✨ Understand when it may be time to seek help from a physical therapist

We’re proud to share expert-driven education with our community and empower individuals to stay active, confident, and moving well at every age.

Stay tuned for more wellness tips and resources! ❤️

11/13/2025

🌬️ Breathe Better, Feel Better! 🌿

Yesterday, Clinic Director Lauren Grawe, PT, DPT joined the residents of Montabaur Heights for 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒕 to explore the power of diaphragmatic (deep) breathing — a simple yet effective way to improve lung function, reduce stress, and enhance overall wellness.

Participants learned how to use their diaphragm—the body’s main breathing muscle—to take fuller, more efficient breaths. This gentle technique can help with relaxation, posture, and even energy levels throughout the day.

✨ Try it yourself:

Place one hand on your chest and one on your stomach. Inhale slowly through your nose, letting your belly rise… then exhale gently through pursed lips. Repeat a few times and notice how your body feels calmer and more centered.

At the Russell J. Salvatore Outpatient Therapy Clinic, we love sharing practical ways to support health and independence at every age. 💙

11/11/2025

Today we thank all who have served our country with courage and dedication. The Russell J. Salvatore Outpatient Therapy Clinic is open today and proud to serve our community—especially our veterans. 🇺🇸

𝑯𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝑫𝒂𝒚!

11/06/2025

★ Happy Therapy Thursday! ★

🌪️ Feeling dizzy, off-balance, or like the room is spinning? These are common vestibular symptoms—and they don’t have to control your life.

👩‍⚕️ Physical therapy can help by:

✅ Reducing dizziness and vertigo

✅ Improving balance and stability

✅ Restoring confidence in daily activities

If you’ve been struggling with vestibular issues, our therapy team can guide you back to steady ground. 💪✨

10/31/2025

10/30/2025

★ Happy Therapy Thursday! ★

💓 Exercise prescribed by a physical therapist is one of the most effective treatments for many chronic diseases.

According to the World Health Organization, regular physical activity can reduce the risk of:

• Heart disease by 𝟑𝟓%
• Type 2 diabetes by 𝟒𝟎%
• Dementia by 𝟑𝟎%

Physical therapists are uniquely trained to tailor exercise to your needs and limitations—making it safe, effective, and sustainable.

Celebrate 𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑷𝑻 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒉 by making your health a priority. 🏃‍♀️💪

10/28/2025

⭐️ Hard work + consistency = results! Keep it up, Bob!

This month's Outpatient Therapy Client of the Month is Bob Perna. Thank you Bob for sharing your perspective on therapy with the community!
https://brothersofmercy.org/blog/outpatient-therapy-client-of-the-month-bob-perna/

10/23/2025

★ Happy Therapy Thursday! ★

Did you know seeing a physical therapist first can save you money? 😏

A large study in Health Services Research found that patients who chose PT as their 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧 had 𝟏𝟗% 𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐭-𝐨𝐟-𝐩𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 and were 𝟖𝟗% 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐢𝐝𝐬 or advanced imaging.

This 𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑷𝑻 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒉, remember that PT isn’t just effective—it’s also cost-efficient and often the safest first choice for musculoskeletal pain.

10/16/2025

★ Happy Therapy Thursday! ★

🚶‍♂️ Falls are the leading cause of injury in adults over 65. The CDC reports that 𝟏 𝐢𝐧 𝟒 𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫, and falls lead to more than 𝟑 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐑 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲.

Evidence shows that targeted balance and strength programs in PT can 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐛𝐲 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝟒𝟎%.

October is 𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑷𝑻 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒉—there’s no better time to get your balance checked and keep yourself or a loved one safe and steady!

10/15/2025

Every fall, our knees remind us they can predict the weather better than any meteorologist!!

Thank you, Judy, for sharing this funny, yet very relatable illustration with us! 😆

10/09/2025

★ Happy Therapy Thursday! ★

⚡️ Injuries don’t have to keep you sidelined.

Research from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons shows that starting PT 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝟏𝟒 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝟑𝟎–𝟓𝟎% 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 compared to delayed care.

Early intervention improves healing, restores range of motion, and prevents long-term complications.

This 𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑷𝑻 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒉, let’s spread the word:

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐏𝐓, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞!❤️