Physical Therapy at St. Luke’s Helps Business Owner Kick Chronic Foot Pain
Tony Pagliaroli has always embraced an active lifestyle—racing motorcycles, hiking, and taking his dogs for long walks. But two years ago, the owner of Scott Powersports in Coopersburg found himself spending countless hours on his shop’s unforgiving concrete floors – and his feet began to protest.
Persistent foot pain became a daily struggle. He tried everything: foot massages, stretching, rest, icing and high-end athletic shoes. Nothing provided lasting relief.
An initial visit to St. Luke’s Podiatry determined Tony was experiencing chronic tendonitis, and he was referred to Elizabeth “Liz” Scifers, DPT, who is a Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy and the program manager for foot and ankle care at Physical Therapy at St. Luke’s.
“I carefully analyzed Tony’s foot mechanics and designed a custom orthotic with a lateral post—built up on the outside—to correct his foot position,” says Scifers, “a simple yet precise solution, tailored to his unique needs.
The results? Immediate and transformative.
“The orthotics Liz hooked me up with have been life-changing,” Tony says. “I work on concrete all day, at least 60 hours per week, and she, along with Dr. Eric Bronfenbrenner, completely resolved my issues. I can’t say enough good things about either of them.”
To ensure continued relief, Tony leaves his shoes—equipped with his custom orthotics—at the shop, so he’s never without them during work.
“The pain was so bad, I thought I would have to sell the business. Now, with the orthotics, I have no pain. Liz knocked it out of the park.”
For Tony, relief wasn’t just about eliminating discomfort—it was about reclaiming his quality of life. His business, his passion, and his ability to move freely were no longer limited by chronic pain. Thanks to the expertise of his team at St. Luke’s, he can continue doing what he loves without his feet holding him back.
About St. Luke’s
Founded in 1872, St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) is a fully integrated, regional, non-profit network with annual net revenue of more than $4.5 billion. With 23,000+ employees at 16 hospital campuses and 350+ outpatient sites, it is the Lehigh Valley’s biggest employer.
The Network’s service area includes 11 counties in two states: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Montgomery, Monroe, Schuylkill and Luzerne counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey. St. Luke’s hospitals operate the largest network of trauma centers in Pennsylvania, with the Bethlehem Campus being home to St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital.
Dedicated to advancing medical education, St. Luke’s is the preeminent teaching hospital in central-eastern Pennsylvania. In partnership with Temple University, the Network established the Lehigh Valley’s first and only four-year medical school. It also operates the nation’s oldest School of Nursing, established in 1884, and 50+ fully accredited graduate medical educational programs with 500+ residents and fellows.
St. Luke’s has been named a Leapfrog Group and Healthgrades Top Hospital and a Newsweek World’s Best Hospital. It is the only Lehigh Valley-based health care system to earn Medicare’s five-star ratings (the highest) for quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction. In 2025, the Network earned straight A’s from Leapfrog across all of its 11 acute care hospitals. It has earned 100 Top Hospital designations from Premier 11 years in a row, including in 2021 when its flagship University Hospital was identified as THE #1 TEACHING HOSPITAL IN THE COUNTRY. Utilizing the Epic electronic medical record (EMR) system for both inpatient and outpatient services, the Network is a multi-year recipient of the Most Wired award recognizing the breadth of SLUHN’s information technology applications such as telehealth, online scheduling and online pricing information.
Information provided to TVL by:
Sam Kennedy
