We treat YOU and not your diagnosis
MFW was founded on the principle that individuals facing breast cancer deserve to receive specialized, personalized therapy before, during and after their treatment. Following surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy you are faced with unique side effects that can be as painful as they are alarming and distressing. It is important to work with a clinician that understands what you are going through and is experienced at treating your specific issues.
Lymphedema is not the same for everyone. As anyone that has ever consulted “Dr. Google” knows, most of the cases you will see online are much more severe than yours and do not quite match what you are experiencing. The same goes for your treatment. What works for one person may not work for you. That is why at Moving Forward Wellness, we treat YOU and not your diagnosis. We use evidence-based techniques and treatments that are tailored to your condition, unique lifestyle and needs. We will discuss our rationale for treatment and collaborate with you on the best treatment plan and approach for YOU.
In addition to being experts in the treatment of lymphedema, we have a wealth of knowledge on products and additional resources.
Many of the necessary supplies and products are not covered by most insurance and can be quite costly. Making the right choice before making purchases and appointments can save you a lot of time, frustration, and money! Your therapist has a wealth of knowledge on the different products, brands, and vendors to choose from and will help guide and refer you to the correct product, professional, and specialist whenever possible.
We use specialized manual therapy techniques to reduce pain, swelling, scar tissue, and fibrosis caused by mastectomy, breast reconstruction, lymph node dissection, lumpectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Over the years we have found that protocol-based therapy that focuses on diagnosis does not work to address the needs of the individual. At Moving Forward Wellness, your therapist will work side-by-side with you to address your specific needs and concerns and come up with an individualized solution and plan.
meet the team
Dana Torregiano
Dana is the owner and founder of Moving Forward Wellness. For over ten years, she has devoted her practice to breast cancer rehabilitation and lymphedema therapy. Dana earned a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy and graduated with honors from Seton Hall University’s School of Graduate Medical Education. Dana learned early on in her graduate program about the debilitating effects of breast cancer treatments and was astonished to learn of the lack of specialized therapy in breast cancer and lymphedema despite its obvious need. She focused her graduate and postgraduate studies on breast cancer and lymphedema therapy and has presented at conferences nationally.
Dana has attended the Chicago Breast and World Lymphedema Surgery Symposium at the University of Chicago and has observed several breast and lymphatic surgeries including: mastectomy; alloplastic and autologous breast reconstruction (implant, DIEP and PAP flap); conversion of alloplastic to autologous breast reconstruction; vascularized lymph node transplant; and lymphovenous bypass. As such, she has an intimate knowledge of the procedures and the recovery processes. She has also met with radiation and medical oncologists and observed the administration of radiation and chemotherapy in order to better understand her patients’ experiences and side effects.
Dana is a board-certified advanced lymphedema therapist specializing in breast cancer rehabilitation with a background in hand and upper extremity therapy for orthopedics. Over the years, she has crafted hands-on techniques that work to prevent and reverse arm and breast lymphedema as well as significantly improve leg lymphedema. Dana educates her patients on the importance of being active participants in their care and has given lectures at several women’s support groups. She supports her patients in adopting or returning to an active lifestyle in recovery. By developing a personal relationship with her patients, she is able to collaborate with them on their care and unique set of needs.
Sara Brenner
Sara is an occupational therapist and certified lymphedema specialist who graduated at the top of her MS/OT program at Long Island University. She has worked as a licensed and board-certified occupational therapist in several settings including inpatient hospital rehabilitation, outpatient upper extremity, and hand therapy, and palliative care. Sara’s prior experience working with breast cancer survivors in strictly biomechanical, orthopedic, and rehabilitative models led her to understand the severe scarcity of resources available to this community. This was the driving force behind Sara’s choice to specialize in lymphedema and breast cancer treatment.
What Sara loves most about working at MFW is its devotion to individualized care and its departure from rigid protocols. She loves collaborating with her patients about their treatment and emphasizes that a large part of effective lymphedema prevention and treatment is patient education. She is happy to impart as much knowledge to her clients as she can, all with the goal of expanding resources available to this population.
PonyGirl the rehab aide/therapy dog
PonyGirl is the Rehabilitation Assistant and newest staff member at Moving Forward Wellness and is a certified Good Girl. “I’m not just a staff member, I’m also a client.” PonyGirl was born in Austria with a condition known as hydrocephalus that affected her brain and spinal cord development. As a result, she has had issues with strength and coordination that have made walking, running and climbing stairs challenging ever since she was a puppy. She has benefited greatly from her weekly hydrotherapy appointments as well as her mom’s at home massages and stretching sessions. She understands how frustrating it is when your body won’t do what you need it to and the hard work and courage it takes to try and improve it. PonyGirl has firsthand knowledge on the importance of receiving specialized therapy -- she leads a very happy and active lifestyle because of it!