Lake Mary Life, Focus Story When Dr. Nilma Z. Elias Santiago sees a nasty wound, she has a different reaction than most people. Instead of being horrified, Dr. Santiago sees an opportunity to help. As a doctor of physical therapy who specializes in wound care, she knows how much she can improve the lives of even her most hopeless patients. “The worse it is, the better outcome I know I’m going to get,” says Dr. Santiago, who opened the Integumentary Physiotherapy Clinic, her first private practice, inside the Regency Medical Center building in Altamonte Springs in January. The clinic offers...
9 Simple tips to prevent diabetic leg ulcers.
Fifteen percent of all diabetic patients will develop a diabetic leg ulcer; 6% of these will be hospitalized related to complications with these wounds.
COVID-19 Update
We are closely following the CDC and government guidelines during this COVID-19 pandemic. However, Integumentary Physiotherapy Clinic is open and ready to serve you. To ensure the safety of our patients and personnel, we are observing the following precautions: Our operation hours have been modified to accommodate social distancing guidelines for our patients and staff. We are in the office Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:00-4:00 PM. The doctor sees patients one-on-one by appointment only. The waiting room never has more than 2 people: the patient and his/her companion. We wash our hands constantly; in-between patients, procedures, and after using...
Laser therapy for the treatment of lymphedema and diabetic foot ulcers
In recent years, there has been a lot of discussion about the benefits and efficacy of photobiomodulation, also known as low-level laser therapy (LLLT). Current research supports its benefits in the treatment of post-surgical and neuropathic pain, lymph vessel regeneration, lymphatic fluid motility, prevention of tissue fibrosis, fibroblast proliferation, and neovascularization1,2,3. Though there is scientific evidence encouraging the use of LLLT, it is underutilized by healthcare practitioners. Some of the reasons for the underutilization of LLLT are lack of knowledge of this modality, lack of standardization regarding the treatment parameters for different conditions, and lack of reimbursement from Medicare. The...
Complete Decongestive Therapy
The Gold Standard for Lymphedema Management In several conversations with different physicians, there is a question that always seems to arise: What can you do to help a patient with lymphedema? I have been asked the same question by patients and caretakers diagnosed with this chronic condition. My reply is always the same: “We can do Complete Decongestive Therapy, the gold standard treatment for lymphedema.” Lymphedema is a chronic condition where abnormal accumulation of protein-rich fluid occurs in the subcutaneous tissue. It may present in the extremities, face, neck, trunk, abdomen, genitalia, and internal organs following surgery and different types...
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