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Actify - Empowering You Through Movement

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Actify - Empowering You Through Movement

Helping Individuals with Joint Hypermobility & Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes to Take Control of Their Lives Dr. Marcia C.

Perretto, is a Doctor of Physical Therapy with advanced training in orthopedic manual therapy, movement sciences, Yoga Therapy, and Redcord®. She specializes in treating patients and working with clients that present with joint hypermobility and Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes as well as with all those who present with inherited and acquired connective tissue disorders. She has a special focus to the studies of human movement sciences as well as the neurosciences of pain and its impact on peoples lives, and has developed a special approach to address the neuromyofascial pain syndromes with the use of scientific proven processes of brain training. Her goal is to help those with joint hypermobility to take control of their lives by strengthening their bodies and learning how to live s a healthier and more fulfilled life. A one-time semi-professional figure skater who had to undergo three hip surgeries due to multiple hip subluxations and joint instability, and has hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome herself, knows first hand the pain of hypermobile joints, and all other systemic symptoms brought about by hEDS and the challenge of full rehabilitation when experiencing such symptoms. Dr. Perretto is an active researcher in Ehlers Danlos Syndromes and joint hypermobility disorders in partnership with several medical professionals in the areas of movement science and hypermobility syndromes. She has served as a clinical instructor for Nova Southeastern University and Florida International University for the Entry Level Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. She is a book author, educator and recognized speaker both nationally and internationally in the areas of orthopedics, neurosciences, Ehlers-Danilo’s Syndromes and hypermobility spectrum disorders. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Physical Therapy at a recognized catholic university in south Brazil, Dr. Perretto completed her transition to Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Perretto continuously develops her knowledge and training in the movement sciences, neuroscience of pain and hypermobility syndromes. She completed her Orthopedic Manual Therapy Certification at the Ola Grimsby Institute in California and a Health Coach Training program with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York, where she learned more than 100 dietary theories and a holistic approach to wellness. Dr. Perretto is certified as a yoga therapy instructor (YTT200) and holds several certifications in Neurac Redcord® and Redcord® Active. Redcord® Is a unique suspension training process, born in Norway, that offers a specialized skill set in kinetic-chain assessments and corrective exercise programs proven to be extremely efficient in the treatment of joint hypermobility, musculoskeletal and neurological issues.

01/23/2026

One of the most misunderstood moments in recovery is being “medically cleared.”
Clearance means the tissue has healed enough to tolerate movement.

It does not mean the nervous system is ready to handle demand, complexity, or unpredictability.

When rehab ignores this gap, patients often blame themselves for flares — when the issue is timing, not effort.

Healing isn’t just structural.
Readiness is neurological.

01/22/2026

A hard truth in hypermobility rehab:

You can get stronger and still be in pain.
hEDS pain is not just a tissue problem — it’s a nervous system problem layered on top of connective tissue differences.
When rehab focuses on strength without nervous system buy-in, patients often feel:

• stronger
• more capable
• and just as symptomatic

The goal isn’t to avoid loading.
The goal is to load in a way the nervous system can trust.
That’s where real progress happens.

01/20/2026

"Fascia adhesions" is one of the most misunderstood phrases in rehab.

Sometimes there’s true scar tissue after surgery or injury. Sometimes there’s reduced sliding between fascial layers (often discussed in the context of hyaluronan). And sometimes the “stuck” feeling is a nervous system + tone strategy that developed because your body is protecting an area.

Either way, the most evidence-aligned approach usually isn’t chasing a single tight spot forever—it’s building a plan that restores movement options + tissue capacity:

frequent low-dose movement

progressive loading

controlled mobility

manual therapy as a short-term bridge (if it helps you move more)

Educational only, not medical advice. If you’re post-op or have red-flag symptoms, get individualized guidance.

connectivetissuedisorder

01/19/2026

New evidence confirms what patients have been telling us for decades: weakness in ME/CFS and Long COVID is not simply deconditioning.

When healthy muscle is exposed to patient blood, it develops mitochondrial dysfunction, reduced force production, and metabolic collapse, even without movement.

For physical therapists, this changes everything. Rehabilitation must protect the mitochondria, respect the energy envelope, and prevent post‑exertional malaise.

This is not about pushing harder.

This is about treating the biology.

01/16/2026

People ask me all the time: “Will this medication work for my MCAS?” While I am not an MD, I do work very close with patients doctors and I am always having this conversation. And as a patient myself, this is definitely always on my mind.

And the most honest, medically accurate answer is: maybe.
Mast cells can be activated through multiple triggers and release multiple mediators. That’s why one person may do amazing on an H1/H2 combo, while someone else needs leukotriene support, mast cell stabilizers, or specialist-level therapies.

If you’re navigating this, you’re not “failing treatment.” You’re doing what MCAS care often requires: careful, stepwise experimentation with a clinician who understands mast cell disorders.

Important: This post is educational and not medical advice. Medication choices (and safety planning like epinephrine) must be individualized with your allergist/immunologist or treating clinician.

01/14/2026

Bracing and “staying tight” are often recommended for hypermobility but constant tension can actually disrupt how the body stabilizes itself.

The EDS body depends on coordinated pressure systems, breathing mechanics, and adaptability.
When tension is held continuously, those systems lose flexibility and stress gets redistributed instead of absorbed.

Stability isn’t rigidity.
It’s responsiveness.

And for many people with hEDS, learning when to engage matters more than learning how to stay tense.

01/13/2026

Rest can reduce symptoms by lowering load and perceived threat.
Rehabilitation can restore capacity when appropriately dosed.

However, neither resolves CCI when progression, range, or load exceed neuromuscular control.

CCI is not simply a strength deficit or a problem solved by prolonged immobilization.
It reflects impaired segmental control, load tolerance, and sensorimotor integration, often with autonomic and vestibular involvement.

When rehabilitation is unsuccessful, it is rarely because physical therapy is ineffective.
More often, symptoms escalate because dosage, positioning, or progression outpace physiologic tolerance.

If rest reduced symptoms but function did not return, that pattern is clinically meaningful.
If rehabilitation provoked flares or crashes, that response also provides important clinical information.

Effective CCI-informed rehabilitation prioritizes precision, timing, and response-based progression over intensity.

What has been more limiting for you: excessive rest or overly aggressive rehabilitation?

01/09/2026

“Healed” doesn’t automatically mean “pain-free.”

Tissue repair and pain resolution follow different rules. When rehab treats pain as a sign of failure instead of a signal from the nervous system, patients get dismissed instead of supported.

The next era of rehab needs to stop equating healing with silence from the body.

01/08/2026

One of the most uncomfortable truths in chronic illness rehab:
Most programs fail not because patients are fragile but because the system is overwhelmed.

Musculoskeletal strength matters but without autonomic stability, nervous system safety, immune tolerance, and sensory regulation, loading the body too early turns rehab into repeated flares.

This isn’t about doing less.
It’s about doing things in the right order.
When rehab respects system sequencing, progress becomes possible even in complex cases.

01/07/2026

“Just lie down” is often well-intended advice in dysautonomia and for many patients, it helps.
But for others, being fully supine can worsen head pressure, brain fog, ear fullness, cervical tension, or dizziness.
That doesn’t mean rest isn’t needed.
It means position matters.
Rest should reduce system load, not increase it.

Listening to how your body responds is part of effective regulation, not a failure to rest.
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01/06/2026

Breathing mechanics influence far more than oxygen intake. The diaphragm, nervous system, and cervical spine work as an integrated system. When breathing patterns are inefficient, the body often compensates with increased muscle tension, autonomic dysregulation, and altered movement strategies.

In physical therapy, breathing retraining is a clinical tool used to improve regulation, reduce pain sensitivity, and support more efficient movement—especially in patients with chronic pain, dizziness, or neck-related symptoms.

01/05/2026

A new year brings new conversations.
We want to hear what you want discussed—especially the questions that haven’t been addressed clearly or honestly enough.

Comment below with topics, requests, or conversations you’d like us to dive into this year. Your input helps guide what comes next.

Address

7000 W Palmetto Park Road, Ste 220
Boca Raton, FL
33433

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+15613662435

Website

http://www.actifypt.com/

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Our Story

We Help Individuals with Hypermobility Take Control of Their Lives and Get Back to Doing What they LOVE.

The name ACTIFY developed out of our passion for wellness of both the body and the mind. The activation of our minds is essential to the success of our physical health. In rehabilitation of the body, neuroplasticity allows our brains to create new positive and powerful neural connections to override painful, ineffective and self-limiting habits and movement patterns. Neurons that fire together, wire together. So, if we focus on new efficient and effective functional movement patterns, we will build stronger, positive neural pathways. We can re-educate your nervous system through a hands on approach that creates uniquely chosen therapeutic activities for you. From restoring your posture to re-creating functional and pain-free movement patterns, when we activate the connection between body and mind, you get better quicker.

Rather than focus only on your injury, we treat your whole body. Pain and injuries often come from imbalances, misalignment, or instability in the muscles, joints, soft tissue, and bone throughout the body and not just at the site of pain. If your body isn’t treated as a whole, you run the risk of having the same injury again or worse. From your first session, we get to work releasing muscle restrictions and restoring natural movement. For you, the impact is immediate, and it lasts.We work together with you to provide you with a multilayered treatment. We take the time to get to know you and ensure that our treatment will evolve as you get stronger. And when injury is no longer a limitation, we can help you optimize your body’s function with the same high level of attention using advanced methods of training.