If there's one universal truth in life, it's that it can be unpredictable. Everyone experiences unexpected events that throw us off. While some surprises may only affect our bank accounts, such as home expenses, others can cause physical harm, such as car accidents that result in long-term pain and discomfort. Many Americans suffer from chronic neck and back pain - according to research, half of Americans over 18 develop musculoskeletal injuries that last longer than a year. These injuries often cause a range of mobility issues that make everyday tasks seem hard to do. Unfortunately, many people with chronic pain turn to addictive medications and invasive surgeries for relief, which tends to lead to further complications.
However, if you are experiencing chronic pain or mobility issues, there's good news: Safer and more effective options are available to you. Physical therapy in Interlaken, NJ is one of the best solutions for eradicating pain, maximizing mobility, improving range of motion, building muscle strength, and helping you regain control of your body. At NJ Sports Spine & Wellness, our physical therapists and trainers offer customized programs designed for your body and address your pain symptoms. That way, you have the best possible chance of reclaiming a normal, active life, without surgery or harmful pills.
With the incorporation of therapeutic exercises and manual therapy as well as newer techniques and modalities like AlterG® Anti-Gravity Treadmills and DRX9000 Spinal DecompressionMachines, our physical therapy services can help address conditions such as:
Physical therapy can provide numerous benefits, such as pain reduction, enhanced joint and body movement, improved range of motion, proper alignment, and more. While the main goal of physical therapy is to restore function and facilitate a return to regular activities, these outcomes usually result from a broader rehabilitation process, wherein many patients learn a brand-new way of moving.
At NJ Sports Spine & Wellness, our physical therapists work closely with patients to understand their unique goals, preferences, and abilities. Based on their findings, they create a customized treatment plan that caters to the patient's specific needs.
Here are just a few specific examples of why physical therapy is crucial when recovering from an injury:
Whether you're searching for long-term pain relief or need to improve your strength and balance as you age, physical therapy from NJSSW can help.
Now that you understand why physical therapy is crucial for recovery and wellness, let's take a closer look at some of the most effective treatments at our physical therapy clinic in New Jersey.
Are you sick of living day-to-day with long-lasting neck or back pain? Have you searched high and low for a safe and effective alternative to surgery? The DRX9000 may be the answer you're looking for.
Beloved by high-level athletes and even celebrities, this advanced medical device employs non-surgical spinal decompression therapy to treat painful conditions such as:
The DRX9000 is a device that has been approved by the FDA for treating herniated discs through spinal decompression therapy. This therapy works by applying equal amounts of pressure on your vertebral columns, which stretches your spine and creates a gap between spinal discs. This gap allows for better nutrient flow through your spine, which can help heal injuries gradually with regular treatment sessions. The DRX9000 also utilizes servo motors that rely on nested closed-loop feedback to customize therapy to your unique needs. By using DRX9000, you can often speed up your recovery by addressing your spinal disc issues ASAP.
No Harmful Medications Needed (Do we really need this paragraph or could we just mention it int he beginning about how it is a non-pharmaceutical method)
Perhaps the most significant advantage of the DRX9000 is that it provides a non-pharmaceutical method for relieving pain. With the opioid epidemic affecting the entire nation, many patients are reluctant to take prescription painkillers. The DRX9000 offers a secure and non-addictive alternative for pain relief that does not require medication.
During the course of the treatment, the patient will lie down on a specially designed table that is connected to the machine. The table will then be gently stretched as the machine creates negative pressure within the affected disc. This process will be repeated over a series of sessions, typically ranging from 20 to 30 sessions, depending on the patient's specific condition.
The DRX9000 treatment is considered to be safe and effective for many patients. It is designed to be gentle on the body, and patients usually experience little to no discomfort during their sessions. The machine is also equipped with advanced safety features, including sensors that can detect any sudden movements and stop the machine if necessary.
The AlterG® Anti-Gravity Treadmill boasts NASA Differential Air Pressure (DAP) technology, which is a highly accurate air calibration system that leverages your actual body weight to achieve exceptional results in rehab and training. By utilizing a pressurized air chamber, the AlterG allows you to move freely and without pain, as it uniformly reduces gravitational load and body weight by up to 80% in precise 1% increments. This process helps foster improved muscle strength, balance, function, range of motion, and overall fitness.
AlterG®'s state-of-the-art treadmill provides an entire range of benefits, such as mimicking natural movement and rhythm without the contrived feel of hydrotherapy or harnesses attempting to imitate real-life strides and motions. Additionally, it's beneficial for speeding up recuperation after orthopedic injuries or surgeries by enabling early mobilization and retaining strength. Furthermore, it's excellent for sports recovery since athletes can utilize it to maintain their physical fitness.
Some of the numerous benefits of using the AlterG® Anti-Gravity Treadmill include:
The AlterG® Anti-Gravity Treadmill is a revolutionary piece of equipment that has transformed the field of physical therapy. With its list of unique features and superhero-worthy benefits, this anti-gravity treadmill is a game-changer that can help you achieve your fitness and recovery goals while also minimizing the risk of injury.
After reading the headline above, you might be asking yourself, "Are lasers really used for physical therapy in cityname, state?" The answer to your question would be a resounding "Yes!" This advanced type of laser therapy harnesses the power of light through photobiomodulation (PBM), which is revolutionizing how patients heal and deal with pain.
Photobiomodulation (PBM) is a medical process that utilizes targeted light to activate the body's natural healing mechanisms. By penetrating deep into the tissue, photons interact with mitochondria (the cellular powerhouses in your body) to increase energy production. This interaction triggers a biological cascade that leads to increased cellular metabolism. As a result, PBM can reduce pain, accelerate tissue repair, and enhance overall well-being.
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is a non-invasive and painless treatment that utilizes specific wavelengths of light to stimulate healing and reduce pain. It works by penetrating the skin and tissues to promote cellular activity and increase blood flow, which in turn helps to reduce inflammation, relieve pain, and accelerate the healing process.
LLLT has been shown to be effective for a variety of conditions, including musculoskeletal injuries, arthritis, neuropathy, and more. It is a safe and gentle treatment option that can aid in regaining function and mobility from injuries, accidents, surgeries, and other conditions. That makes it a viable and trustworthy addition to your personalized physical therapy plan from NJ Sports Spine & Wellness.
LLLT has shown promising results for challenging conditions that other treatments can't match. Some of the most common conditions treated include:
If you're slogging through life and suffering from one or more of the conditions above, you should know that there is hope for pain relief. Contact NJ Sports Spine & Wellness today to find out if low-level laser therapy is right for you.
Game Ready Ice Compression Therapy is an advanced treatment technique that combines the advantages of modern cryotherapy (ice therapy) with the proven benefits of compression therapy. This clinically proven, synergistic approach is widely used in sports medicine, physical therapy, orthopedics, and post-operative care to speed up recovery, alleviate pain and inflammation, and enhance rehabilitation.
Understanding the Powerful Benefits of Ice Compression Therapy
Game Ready Ice Compression Therapy is an advanced treatment technique that combines the advantages of modern cryotherapy (ice therapy) with the proven benefits of compression therapy. This clinically proven, synergistic approach is widely used in sports medicine, physical therapy, orthopedics, and post-operative care to speed up recovery, alleviate pain and inflammation, and enhance rehabilitation.
The "cold" component of ice compression therapy helps nullify nerve-ending sensitivity, which provides pain relief. The extra compression gives you even more pain relief by reducing swelling and pressure on limbs and other body parts.
By improving lymphatic flow and enhancing blood circulation, compression therapy can help reduce swelling and edema, thereby improving your recovery process and simultaneously reducing pain and discomfort.
The concurrent use of cryotherapy and compression can enhance the body's innate healing mechanisms by reducing inflammation, mitigating tissue damage, and stimulating tissue repair.
Game Ready's combination therapy has been shown to be effective in improving joint flexibility and range of motion by promoting tissue healing. This treatment can be a great option for those looking to alleviate discomfort and improve overall joint health.
Whether you're recovering from surgery or you're trying to manage chronic pain in your back or joints, ice compression therapy may be the advanced treatment you need. Contact NJSSW today to learn more about how this treatment can help you live an active life free of pain.
Game Ready Ice Compression Therapy is an advanced treatment technique that combines the advantages of modern cryotherapy (ice therapy) with the proven benefits of compression therapy. This clinically proven, synergistic approach is widely used in sports medicine, physical therapy, orthopedics, and post-operative care to speed up recovery, alleviate pain and inflammation, and enhance rehabilitation.
Game Ready Ice Compression Therapy is an advanced treatment technique that combines the advantages of modern cryotherapy (ice therapy) with the proven benefits of compression therapy. This clinically proven, synergistic approach is widely used in sports medicine, physical therapy, orthopedics, and post-operative care to speed up recovery, alleviate pain and inflammation, and enhance rehabilitation.
NormaTec's compression therapy devices have undergone continuous refinement and improvement since their inception. The adjustable settings of their system enable users to regulate the intensity, duration, and pattern of compression, thereby enabling our skilled providers to tailor treatment to suit the specific requirements and comfort levels of each patient.
In the realm of holistic wellness, cupping therapy is a venerable and time-honored practice that has proven to be an effective technique for managing pain and enhancing blood flow. At NJ Sports Spine & Wellness, we recognize the diverse benefits of cupping therapy, which we offer at both our Matawan and Marlboro, NJ locations.
This ancient technique creates suction on your skin using specialized cups that help promote blood flow, muscle relaxation, and pain relief.
At NJ Sports Spine & Wellness, we believe that incorporating holistic treatments into physical therapy can greatly benefit our patients. As part of our efforts to alleviate stress and manage chronic pain or conditions, we offer cupping therapy as one of those holistic treatments. This modality has been proven effective and offers numerous benefits for physical therapy, which include:
Cupping therapy can help release muscle tension and relieve back pain. The suction from the cups releases fascial restrictions, decreases muscle tightness, and relieves muscle knots, providing relief from pain caused by muscular tightness or strain.
Our skilled practitioners and physical therapists use modern cupping devices and techniques to create consistent suction on the skin, which stimulates blood flow and encourages oxygen-rich blood to flow into muscles and tissues. This improved circulation can reduce inflammation, remove toxins, and promote healing.
Cupping therapy can relieve back pain by improving circulation, reducing muscle tension, and increasing lymphatic drainage. It's a natural and non-invasive approach that can improve mobility and quality of life.
Cupping therapy uses a gentle suction and pulling sensation that helps ease back pain and reduces stress by creating a calming effect on the body and mind, promoting physical and mental healing.
At NJ Sports Spine & Wellness, we always prioritize your well-being and offer comprehensive care tailored to your needs. With customized physical therapy tailored to your specific needs, we provide a drug-free, non-invasive, and highly effective treatment path for pain relief and recovery. From tried-and-true techniques to cutting-edge treatments, we're New Jersey's top choice for innovative physical therapy.
Take the first step towards a pain-free, vibrant life by contacting our office today. It all starts by scheduling your initial consultation. With our highly-trained and licensed specialists by your side, you can embrace a brighter, pain-free future.
THE CELEBRATED ILLUSTRATOR CREATED ENDURING SCENES OF THE AMERICAN WESTHis first job in art entailed painting cows on milk wagons in Clinton, Iowa, the rural town his German parents immigrated to when Koerner was 3 years old. When he was 20, he moved to Chicago and landed a job as a staff artist at the Chicago Tribune. Koerner later relocated to New York and other East Coast locales, where he continued his illustration work and art education, before finally settling in Interlaken, N.J.While att...
THE CELEBRATED ILLUSTRATOR CREATED ENDURING SCENES OF THE AMERICAN WEST
His first job in art entailed painting cows on milk wagons in Clinton, Iowa, the rural town his German parents immigrated to when Koerner was 3 years old. When he was 20, he moved to Chicago and landed a job as a staff artist at the Chicago Tribune. Koerner later relocated to New York and other East Coast locales, where he continued his illustration work and art education, before finally settling in Interlaken, N.J.
While attending Pyle’s illustration school in Wilmington, Del., Koerner was greatly influenced by the master illustrator, as well as by his fellow students, a roster that included the likes of N.C. Wyeth, Harvey Dunn and Frank Schoonover.
His first illustration for the magazine – Riding the Range, 1909 – accompanied a story about a cowboy hired to remove a homesteader from a large ranch’s unknown range. (Spoiler alert: The cowboy succumbs to the blandishments of the homesteader’s daughter instead.) The assignment was the beginning of a long and productive partnership with the Post.
Traveling to places such as Wyoming, Montana and California greatly enhanced Koerner’s paintings and illustrations. In addition to making sketches and photographs of the scenery, he would often collect Western artifacts.
Koerner’s A Charge to Keep was one of President George W. Bush’s favorite paintings. Bush was such a fan, in fact, that he brought the artwork with him to the White House and used it on the back cover of his 1999 memoir, also titled A Charge to Keep. An illustration based on the painting, which depicts horsemen charging up a rugged trail, first appeared in a 1916 edition of The Saturday Evening Post.
His weekly comic strip Hugo Hercules began its four-month run in the Chicago Tribune in September 1902. Though the strip was unsuccessful, its main character – a kindhearted gent who used his superhuman strength to help people out of jams – is considered by some to be the world’s first superhero.
By the time of his death, in 1938, Koerner had created more than 2,000 illustrations that were published in a variety of popular magazines, most notably The Saturday Evening Post. He also illustrated a number of books by Western writers such as Zane Grey and Eugene Manlove Rhodes.
Heritage Auctions’ Feb. 25 Art of the West Showcase Auction features two works by Koerner: Let’s Drop Over to the Office (estimate: $10,000-$15,000), an oil-on-canvas that later appeared as an interior illustration in a 1926 edition of The Saturday Evening Post, and another oil-on-canvas titled When Tempers Grow Raw (estimate: $4,000-$6,000).
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Lawrence Hajna (609) 984-1795 Caryn Shinske (609) 984-1795 Vincent Grassi (609) 984-1795(23/P022) TRENTON – The Department of Environmental Protection is awarding 23 Urban and Community Forestry grants totaling $1,106,934 to local governments and non-profit organizations to help municipalities advance the stewardship of their urban and community trees and forests, Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette announced today.Awarded through a comp...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lawrence Hajna (609) 984-1795 Caryn Shinske (609) 984-1795 Vincent Grassi (609) 984-1795
(23/P022) TRENTON – The Department of Environmental Protection is awarding 23 Urban and Community Forestry grants totaling $1,106,934 to local governments and non-profit organizations to help municipalities advance the stewardship of their urban and community trees and forests, Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette announced today.
Awarded through a competitive process since 2000, the DEP’s Urban and Community Forestry grants assist in the establishment and growth of local, self-sustaining urban and community forestry programs. With proper care and maintenance, trees in community and urban settings can be healthy and live many decades. Today’s announcement is made on the International Day of Forests, which the United Nations General Assembly established in 2012 to raise awareness about the importance of forests.
“The stewardship of urban trees has never been more important than now, especially as New Jersey continues to experience the adverse impacts of a changing climate,” Commissioner LaTourette said. “These grants will help improve the urban tree canopy throughout the state providing ecosystem services, reducing heat island effects and improving human health. Proper planning and management of trees and forests also mitigates storm water and other flooding, as well as air pollution.”
Funding for the 2022 grants comes from the “Treasure Our Trees” state license plate sales and the New Jersey Forest Service’s No Net Loss Compensatory Reforestation Program.
“Trees and forests are important to New Jerseyans on so many levels. Trees store carbon and reduce greenhouse gases and energy use, which lessens the impacts of climate change and strengthens the resilience of towns and cities, said John Cecil, Assistant Commissioner for State Parks, Forests & Historic Sites. “It is a priority of the New Jersey Forest Service to not only plant trees in communities and urban areas, but to ensure their long-term survival through proper planning, care and management.”
Reforestation and tree planting grants totaling $598,216 have been awarded to:
Bergen County: Bogota ($40,000), Englewood ($66,830) Burlington County: Moorestown ($8,000) Hunterdon County: Clinton Town ($25,000) Middlesex County: Highland Park ($150,000) and East Brunswick Township ($30,000) Monmouth County: Interlaken Shade Tree Commission ($42,150) Morris County: Pequannock Township Department of Public Works ($50,000) Passaic County: Clifton ($49,026) Somerset County: Somerville ($137,210)
Resiliency planning grants totaling $508,718 have been awarded to:
Bergen County: Ramsey ($20,000) Camden County: Haddonfield Shade Tree Commission ($50,000) Essex County: Caldwell ($11,258) and Essex County ($20,000) Hunterdon County: Lambertville ($37,000) and Readington Township Environmental Commission ($50,000) Mercer County: Trenton ($50,000) and Princeton ($50,000) Morris County: Morris County Park Commission ($50,000) Monmouth County: Long Branch ($50,000) and Millstone Township ($50,000) Warren County: Lopatcong ($46,145) and Belvidere ($24,315)
Grant recipients may use their awards for a variety of projects such as community tree inventories, risk tree assessments, storm assessments, tree planting and establishment, and reforestation. Local governments also use the grants to manage impacts from invasive species such as emerald ash borer, an invasive tree-killing beetle causing widespread losses of ash trees nationwide.
“A comprehensive local urban and community forestry program provides environmental, social and economic benefits,” said Todd Wyckoff, New Jersey State Forester. “An urban tree canopy is part of a community’s infrastructure and creates valuable environmental, economic and social benefits. Communities that are accredited with the New Jersey Urban and Community Forestry Program have a Community Forestry Management Plan, participate in required training and education programs, and report back to the program on their accomplishments every year.”
Currently, 253 municipalities and counties across New Jersey have management plans for trees and forests approved by the New Jersey Forest Service, 152 of which are fully accredited with the Urban and Community Forestry Program. The program hopes to announce a new round of grants in 2023 aimed at urban and community tree inventory to help inform local management decisions moving forward.
For more information about the New Jersey Urban and Community Forestry Program, including details on accreditation with the program, visit www.communityforestry.nj.gov
Like the New Jersey Forest Service on Facebook at www.facebook.com/newjerseyforests
For more information on how to purchase the Treasure Our Trees commercial or passenger vehicle license plate, which funds the New Jersey Urban and Community Forestry grants, visit https://nj.gov/mvc/vehicles/treasure.htm
For more about Urban and Community Forestry Stewardship grants and related programs, visit www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/forest/urbanandcommunity/grants.html
Follow Commissioner LaTourette on Twitter and Instagram @shawnlatur and follow the DEP on Twitter @NewJerseyDEP, Facebook @newjerseydep, Instagram @nj.dep and LinkedIn @newjerseydep
PHOTO: Forester Levon Bigelow inspecting a tree planted under a NJUCF stewardship grant.
“I’m proud New Jersey is my home. Yeah said I’m proud now New Jersey is my home.” So sings Bruce Springsteen in – you guessed it – New Jersey is My Home.Whoever buys Darlington, a majestic estate built in 1907, will be mighty proud New Jersey is their home, too.The 58-room mansion on a five-hectare parcel of ...
“I’m proud New Jersey is my home. Yeah said I’m proud now New Jersey is my home.” So sings Bruce Springsteen in – you guessed it – New Jersey is My Home.
Whoever buys Darlington, a majestic estate built in 1907, will be mighty proud New Jersey is their home, too.
The 58-room mansion on a five-hectare parcel of land in the exclusive Mahwah township has been described as the American Versailles, rivalling Gilded Age mansions in Newport, Rhode Island.
Over the past seven years, the three-storey James Brite-designed home has undergone a meticulous renovation.
Mechanical systems and bathrooms have been replaced. Italian wood-carvers were among the team of architects, designers and artisans involved in the upgrade.
Now offering 4600 square metres of living space, the heritage-listed property features a great hall with a 1906 pipe organ, a mural-walled library, restaurant-style kitchen, wine cellar, cigar room, beauty salon, pools, steam room, tennis court, eight-car garage and staff quarters.
It’s listed through Christie’s International Real Estate affiliate Special Properties with a guide of US$48 million (about $61 million).
Special Properties agent Sonja Cullaro says northern New Jersey, which is part of the New York City metropolitan area, is one of the most affluent parts of the United States, offering a huge range of architectural styles.
“This area has historically been a place where people settle to enjoy a high-quality, sophisticated lifestyle in more spacious, lush, green settings, while still being just a short distance away from New York City,” Cullaro says.
Cullaro says the luxury market in Northern New Jersey has performed strongly and consistently lately, with proximity to the bright lights of New York City one of the region’s strongest drawcards.
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Wall Street executives, business owners and celebrities are among those who call the area home, lured by low property taxes, top schools and park-like surroundings, not to mention easy access to great shops, cultural attractions, restaurants and outdoor recreation.
“We believe the outlook for 2018 and beyond is extremely positive.”
“Yes,” Cullaro says. “There are generally no restrictions to foreigners purchasing property here.”
$16.2 million
A nine-bedroom estate on the edge of the Manasquan River in Brielle, about an hour’s drive from New York City.
$7.6 million
A six-bedroom French chateau-inspired home in the suburb of Saddle River, complete with slate roof, pool and waterfall.
$2.9 million
An eight-bedroom home in Interlaken, New Jersey. The 1929 Tudor-style home has an original chestnut staircase.
When doctors told Arnaldo Silva of Middlesex, NJ, that he had breast cancer, he was dumbstruck.“They were talking Chinese to me,” Silva, 68, tells The Post. He hadn’t even known that a man could get breast cancer.His shock was compounded a month later, when his 33-year-old daughter, Vanessa, was diagnosed with the same disease.At that point, oncologists urged father and daughter to get tested for BRCA gene mutations, which Silva had never heard of before. He and his daughter both tested positive....
When doctors told Arnaldo Silva of Middlesex, NJ, that he had breast cancer, he was dumbstruck.
“They were talking Chinese to me,” Silva, 68, tells The Post. He hadn’t even known that a man could get breast cancer.
His shock was compounded a month later, when his 33-year-old daughter, Vanessa, was diagnosed with the same disease.
At that point, oncologists urged father and daughter to get tested for BRCA gene mutations, which Silva had never heard of before. He and his daughter both tested positive.
Mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes — which are responsible for repairing damage to our DNA — are inherited traits that increase a person’s chance of developing several types of cancer. There is a 50 percent chance of carriers passing a mutation on to their offspring, as Silva did.
Normally, BRCA genes “have a protective effect” against cancer, Dr. Susan Domchek, director of the Basser Center for BRCA at the University of Pennsylvania, tells The Post. But mutations stop those genes from doing their job. As a result, carriers are likelier to develop cancers earlier in life than noncarriers — and more aggressive cancers, too. The Basser Center estimates that as many as 1 in 500 people are carriers of the mutation; that population rises to 1 in 40 among Ashkenazi Jews.
BRCA mutations are widely considered a women’s-health issue. It’s not untrue: Female carriers have up to a 75 percent chance of developing breast cancer and up to a 50 percent chance of developing ovarian cancer.
But men can also inherit and pass down this gene mutation — as well as its life-threatening effects.
Of the two mutations, “BRCA2 is more strongly associated with risks to men,” Domchek says. Male carriers’ breast-cancer risk can rise by 10 percent and their prostate cancer risk by 25 percent. Both male and female carriers see their pancreatic-cancer and melanoma risks rise by 5 percent.
While women’s risk numbers may be more staggering, male carriers face a unique set of challenges.
The first is lack of awareness: For every 10 women who get tested for BRCA mutations, only one man does, according to a study published this June in the Journal of the American Medical Association — a stat that underscores how many men mistakenly believe themselves exempt from the threat.
That was the case for Harvey Singer. The accounts director from Rochester, NY, was devastated when his mom and sister were both diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995 — but never imagined that he would one day suffer with them.
“I thought, ‘I’m not going to get breast cancer. I’m a guy,’ ” Singer, now 64, tells The Post.
Eleven years and two relapses later, his sister, Vicki, learned she was a carrier of the BRCA2 gene mutation. She urged her brother to get tested. He didn’t. Six months later, he was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 51, and prostate cancer a year and a half after that. When he did finally get tested, about a year after his sister’s initial suggestion, he tested positive.
Fortunately, Singer’s in remission from both diseases today, but he still regrets “waiting to get sick” and not getting the test sooner. Today, he and his sister run HIS Breast Cancer, a foundation that educates men at risk for the disease about how to “be proactive.”
But what does being proactive mean for men with a BRCA mutation? While women can take preventative surgical measures to reduce their cancer risk — like having hysterectomies or mastectomies, as BRCA1 carrier Angelina Jolie famously did in 2013 — men’s options are much more limited. “You can’t . . . preventively remove a pancreas, and you’re not going to preventively remove a prostate,” Domchek says. She believes the real benefit of BRCA testing for men is early detection: “It would allow us to give targeted medical intervention and to cure it if it is caught at the right time.”
Steven Merlin is a living, breathing example of how valuable knowing your family history can be. “I’m a walking miracle,” says Merlin, of Interlaken, NJ. In 2012, the former med-tech worker was suddenly diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Like Singer and Silva, he had a family history of cancer, which he frequently reminded his care team about. His doctors decided to have him tested for the BRCA mutation — and when he came out positive, he was able to enter a clinical trial available only to patients with BRCA. He still takes medicine from that trial today, and his multiple tumors have shrunk or completely disappeared. “I’m living a great life,” he says.
Silva hopes that in the future he and his daughter can say the same with confidence. Today, he is in remission after a double mastectomy; Vanessa has relapsed twice. He isn’t sure he’ll ever heal from the horror of passing down the gene: “I’m alive, but I’m still walking around with this guilt trip,” he says.
These days, he dedicates his time to the Male Breast Cancer Coalition, a foundation that raises awareness about the disease’s impact on men. He also shares his story, in the hopes that “no other families have to go through what I’ve gone through.”
“I hope I’m around to hear that this disease has been conquered,” Silva says. But, for now, “If I can help somebody, whatever it is — [if I can] prevent cancer in somebody else — I’ll take it. Sign me up.”
PITMAN, NJ --- The College of New Jersey senior Charlotte Roarty (Interlaken, NJ/High Technology/Shore Regional) and New Jersey City University freshman Sophia Jurina (Munich, Germany/Carl-Spitzweg-Gymnasium) have been named the New Jersey Athletic Conference Women’s Tennis Player and Rookie of the Year respectively for the 2023 season.Their selections highlighted the 10-member NJAC Women’s Tennis All-Conference Team which was announced on April 27. All selections were made by a vote of the league’s sev...
PITMAN, NJ --- The College of New Jersey senior Charlotte Roarty (Interlaken, NJ/High Technology/Shore Regional) and New Jersey City University freshman Sophia Jurina (Munich, Germany/Carl-Spitzweg-Gymnasium) have been named the New Jersey Athletic Conference Women’s Tennis Player and Rookie of the Year respectively for the 2023 season.
Their selections highlighted the 10-member NJAC Women’s Tennis All-Conference Team which was announced on April 27. All selections were made by a vote of the league’s seven head coaches and were based on conference-only match results.
Roarty was named the NJAC Player of the Year for the third straight year after posting a perfect 6-0 record in top-flight NJAC singles play and owns a 15-2 overall singles record this spring. She is also currently ranked as the No. 3 singles player in Region 2. Roarty once again teamed with Jenny Landells to produce a perfect 6-0 mark in top-flight NJAC doubles play this season and the duo is also ranked No. 3 in Region 2 doubles. Earlier this year, the duo advanced to the ITA Northeast Regional semifinals. In her four seasons in Ewing, Roarty has recorded a combined 47-0 record in NJAC singles and doubles play.
A three-time NJAC Rookie of the Week selection, Jurina wrapped up her rookie season with a 6-0 record in NJAC singles play between the No. 3 and No. 4 spots. She won two matches by 6-0, 6-0 scores and all her matches in straight sets. She currently owns a 10-3 overall singles record. Jurina went 5-1 in doubles play, splitting time between No. 2 and No. 3. In three matches paired with Vanshita Malhotra at No. 2, the pair won all three including handing TCNJ its first conference doubles loss in a decade. She was also paired twice with Mar Julia and once with Lockslea Mayers at No. 3 doubles, winning two of the three matches.
TCNJ head coach Scott Dicheck was selected as the Flo Labenski Coach of the Year by his peers for the 13th time in his career. He led the Lions to the 2023 NJAC regular season title with a 6-0 mark and the top seed in the NJAC Women’s Tennis Tournament. In 23 seasons at the helm of the Lions program, Dicheck has extended TCNJ’s conference win streak to 208-0, the longest known active conference streak in the nation, with 128 of those wins during his tenure.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Charlotte Roarty, TCNJ ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Sophia Jurina, NJCU FLO LABENSKI COACH OF THE YEAR: Scott Dicheck, TCNJ
ALL-CONFERENCE SINGLES | |||
Name | School | Yr. | Hometown/High School |
Aira Abalos# | TCNJ | SO | Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield |
Sarah Ahrens# | Rutgers-Camden | JR | Glendora, NJ/Triton |
Eliza Clamor# | NJCU | SR | Auckland, New Zealand/Rangitoto College |
Sarb Devi*# | Stockton | JR | Galloway, NJ/Absegami |
Lily Muir# | Stockton | JR | Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville |
Charlotte Roarty*+# | TCNJ | SR | Interlaken, NJ/High Technology/Shore Regional |
Alexa Vasile+# | TCNJ | SR | Clinton, NJ/North Hunterdon |
Giada Zorzan*# | NJCU | SR | Milan, Italy/Liceo dello Sport Marco Pantani |
ALL-CONFERENCE DOUBLES | |||
Name | School | Yr. | Hometown/High School |
Eliza Clamor | NJCU | SR | Auckland, New Zealand/Rangitoto College |
Giada Zorzan& | NJCU | SR | Milan, Italy/Liceo dello Sport Marco Pantani |
Sarb Devi | Stockton | JR | Galloway, NJ/Absegami |
Lily Muir | Stockton | JR | Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville |
Chase Eisenberg& | TCNJ | JR | Stevenson Ranch, CA/West Ranch |
Alexa Vasile%& | TCNJ | SR | Clinton, NJ/North Hunterdon |
Jenny Landells^& | TCNJ | SR | Gwynedd Valley, PA/Wissahickon |
Charlotte Roarty*+& | TCNJ | SR | Interlaken, NJ/High Technology/Shore Regional |