We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marcia Perretto a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Marcia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

I have always been a bit of a clumsy kid, always hurting, but I thought everyone felt that way. After many unexplained health events and a long lifetime of symptoms, while finishing both my transition to Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and my orthopedic manual therapy certification at the same time, I decided to return to physical activity. To my surprise my body did not respond as it did a few years back. I started to experience progressive right hip and back pain after sliding on sand while out for a run. For almost 2 years I went from doctor to doctor until I received the final diagnosis. I had sustained a hip labral tear and the only treatment option remaining at that point was a hip arthroscopy for correction of the problem.

As a hip specialist at that time, I thought my rehabilitation would go smoothly, and I would be back on my feet in no time. However, once again I was surprised when things didn’t go that way. Toward the end of 2010, the pain progressively got worse, along with many other symptoms like dizziness, heart palpitations, and near syncope (fainting) episodes. The pain now was spreading to other areas of my body, my digestion became terribly slow, and eating became a panful experience. Trying to be strong, I went back to work 2 months after surgery, but things were no longer the same. I knew something was very wrong with me, however, I was continuously being dismissed and bullied by health care providers that would frequently tell me that it was all in my head.

I pushed as far as I could, but in mid-2012 the surgeon recommended that I have my left hip surgically corrected before it became worse. Unfortunately, 5 weeks after the second surgery the right hip repair completely failed, and the pain became unbearable. At that time, no surgeon had done two hip arthroscopies to different sides in such a short time, but for me there was no other option. With the third surgery being performed only 7 weeks after the second one, I was basically unable to walk. The two surgeries so close together caused a cascade of symptoms that at that time I had never heard of. The pain had spread over my entire right thigh and lower back. I could barely tolerate or digest any foods and walking was a challenge accompanied by severe pain. I knew I would not be able to return to work.

My healthcare team wasn’t sure what was happening, so I was once again referred to a psychologist as they attributed my symptoms to be in my head. It was then that I remembered what my surgeon had said during the very first hip surgery: “Your collagen is so frail, it seems like there is something wrong with it”.

Marcia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy and have my orthopedic manual therapy certification. I am also a musculoskeletal and hip specialist. Because of my own journey to health, I have become an expert in patients with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). I have my own private practice, ActifyPT, that is exclusively dedicated not only to those with EDS and joint hypermobility, but also for those with complex diagnoses that are often not helped by traditional treatments.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

I feel like life has groomed me and brought me to exactly where I should be. If I had to choose, I would do it all over again.

I am grateful for having experienced what initially could have been perceived as pain and suffering but was a learning process to help me better understand each person that comes through the ActifyPT doors. My own health experience made me a better person and a better clinician.

Now, on our 10th anniversary, I feel so honored to have been part of so many success stories. ActifyPt is not a traditional physical therapy clinic, but a place where people come to heal, learn, and become more resilient.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Being on disability allowed me time to try to understand and research exactly what was going on with my body. Since I am a musculoskeletal and hip specialist myself, I had the tools and knowledge to figure out the problem. After several months of research, I narrowed it down to one diagnosis: hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS)

Through trial and error, I started to find out what worked, what didn’t work, and how many other co-existent diagnoses were present along with the original one. With my new knowledge and research, I was able to rehab myself.

Because I was on disability, I ended up losing my position at the renowned orthopedic center where I used to practice. However, almost one year after my third surgery I received a call from my own surgeon asking me if I would see two of his patients that presented with similar symptoms as mine! In his own words, “I am not sure what you did to get yourself better, but I need you to do the same for these girls”.

When I started with these two patients, I didn’t realize that I was actually starting my own private practice, and that it would eventually become exclusively dedicated not only to those with EDS and hypermobility disorders, but also for those with complex diagnoses that wouldn’t be helped by traditional treatments.

Contact Info:

Dr Marcia C. Perretto PT, DPT, COMT Doctor of Physical Therapy
CEO of ActifyPT, 7000 W Palmetto Park Rd, Suite 220, Boca Raton, FL 33433
(561) 366-2435
info@actifypt.com
www.actifypt.com

• Website: www.actifypt.com
• Instagram: @the_eds_pt
• Facebook: Marcia Cristiane Perretto

Image Credits
Phot credit: Patrice Kuni Rogers