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When people wish each other good luck, they might say, break a leg. For Stamford's Steve Melchionno, the lucky spot is a little closer to the hip.
My interest started back in high school when I had a hip injury, Melchionno says. He pursued his physical therapy at Moore Rehabilitation in Stamford. He missed a season of play, but the recovery put him on the path to a career.
Melchionno began volunteering at Moore after he recovered, and after graduation he studied physical therapy. He went to work for Moore and the years of dedication have paid off. I am very proud to now be a partner, he says.
He is heading up Moore's second Stamford clinic on Harvard Ave., which is the newest and fourth location for Moore; the other three are in Darien, Stamford on Summer St. and Wilton. Melchionno said he feels honored to help others have the same opportunity for recovery that he enjoyed.
Rehabilitation at Moore isn't a lie on the table affair. Patients are put in a gym-like setting where they work one-on-one with physical therapists and trained physical therapy aides, with exercises targeted to their specific needs. Melchionno said other patients are often in the communal exercise area and offer each other encouragement and support.
Moore Rehabilitation is also exploring a program to allow patients to use the facilities for self-guided exercise without trainers overseeing every movement. It would be more like a gym but with the benefit that if help is needed, people familiar with the patient's issues are there.
Ultimately, Melchionno would like to move out of the hands-on training aspects of the business and more into education. He wants to teach a new generation of therapists how to work with patients. I'd really like to give them a chance to follow my path and maybe help them become partners one day, Melchionno says.
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