Arcadia’s Physical Therapy Department hosted the fourth annual Fall Faculty Symposium, titled “Body Meets Brain: Applying Neurophysiology to Orthopaedic Rehabilitation,” on Nov. 2. The event welcomed more than 130 practicing clinicians, including several alumni, and was organized by Dr. Ryan Zarzycki, assistant professor of Physical Therapy; Dr. Kshamata Shah, assistant professor of Physical Therapy; and Dr. Philip McClure, professor of Physical Therapy, as well as Arcadia’s Student Physical Therapy Association (SPTA) alumni liaison Taylor Sloat ’21. The symposium supported SPTA, which funds student-faculty research projects and students conference travel costs.

The morning session focused on cutting-edge research about the central nervous system (CNS) in athletes after ACL reconstruction (ACLR). Presentations discussed novel treatment techniques that mitigate alterations related to motor learning, such as recovery for pediatric athletes, returning to sport following ACLR, and evaluation and treatment of individuals with femoral-acetabular impingement.

The second session was on innovative research regarding CNS alterations in individuals with tendinopathy with a focus on exploring rotator cuff pathology, emerging therapies to mitigate neurophysiologic alterations related to rotator cuff pathology, and managing lower extremity tendinopathy.

Arcadia faculty who spoke include: Dr. Zarzycki; Dr. Shah; Dr. McClure; Dr. Shailesh Kantak, assistant professor of Physical Therapy; Dr. Brian Eckenrode, assistant professor of Physical Therapy; Dr. Philip Malloy, assistant professor of Physical Therapy; and Dr. Elliot Greenberg, adjunct professor of Physical Therapy.

The symposium also welcomed national and international guest speakers, including Dr. Dustin Grooms, associate professor at Ohio University; Dr. Jean-Sébastien Roy, assistant professor at Université Laval, Québec, Canada; Dr. Mary Barbe, professor at Temple University; and Dr. Elana Arhos, research assistant at the University of Delaware.