Matt loves to run – so much so that in August of 2020 he ran 21 marathons in 21 days. While the challenge was a success, he came out of it having injured his right Achilles tendon. It progressively worsened, and he could no longer run on it.
After a few failed attempts at various treatments, Matt spoke to his neighbor about his experience. He recommended Matt see Brian Caricato, PT, DPT, OCS, at the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute outpatient location in Allison Park. At this point, Matt hadn’t run for a full year and was certainly ready to get back to what he loves.
What to Expect in PT
“The planning Brian did was very valuable,” Matt says. “The first day Brian spent about an hour trying different approaches, giving me hope because he was so optimistic, and coming up with a game plan.”
He attended physical therapy 2-3 times per week to start for about 45 minutes per session. He worked on a combination of 10-15 exercises each time – including calf raises, stretching, resistance band training, and more.
“You name it, I did it,” he says. Matt shares that the beneficial exercises from physical therapy were easy to take home with him thanks to an app that he and his PT used to collaborate throughout rehab and recovery.
After completing physical therapy with Brian, Matt was able to compete again right away. Recovery took about 15 months, and Matt shares that in November 2021 he feels close to 100% capable of his previous performance. While Matt shares that he’s typically a tough critic, he gave his experience a ten out of ten.
“I hope to not have another injury,” says Matt, “but if I do, I will go back to UPMC in Allison Park because I enjoyed the staff so much. Morning, noon, or night – they were always respectful and working hard.”
Outpatient Therapy in Allison Park
The Allison Park location is conveniently located in the UPMC Outpatient Center in Hampton Township. The location offers free on-site parking and is handicap accessible. Services in Allison Park include:
- Amputee program
- Balance therapy
- Hand therapy
- Limb Loss Program - Lower Extremity
- Neurorehabilitation
- Occupational therapy
- Physical therapy
- Speech therapy
- Sports rehab programs
