Newsroom Hospital for Special Surgery

Dr. Angelie Mascarinas a Physiatrist at HSS Florida joins ESPN West Palm Tonight

Fri, 30 May 2025 15:07:00 -0400

ESPN West Palm interviewed Angelie Mascarinas, MD, physiatrist at HSS about the most common causes of back pain, ways to alleviate it, when an MRI may be necessary and available treatment options.

Listen to the full episode at podcasts.apple.com.

We Tested Over 50 Mattresses to Give You Better Rest—Here Are the Best Mattresses for Every Sleeper

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 22:20:00 -0500

Health.com reports on the best mattresses to improve sleep quality, reduce pain, and wake feeling refreshed according to experts including Angelie Mascarinas, MD, physiatrist at HSS.

Experts emphasized the importance of finding the right mattress firmness to match your sleep and medical requirements. Dr. Mascarinas weighed in on the testing methodology.

Read the full article at health.com.

Hip Pain While Sleeping? Here's What Your Body's Trying to Tell You

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 11:46:00 -0400

Livestrong.com reports on the causes of hip pain while sleeping and what you can do about it in an interview with Angelie Mascarinas, MD, physiatrist at HSS.

Hip pain when sleeping often stems from a hip condition or an injury, said Dr. Mascarinas. When that happens, "lying on your side can put pressure on the area and cause stress or discomfort," she added.

Hip bursitis, a condition that happens when the small, fluid-filled sacs that provide cushioning around the joints become inflamed, is among the most common causes of hip pain at night, Dr. Mascarinas said.

In addition, arthritis in your hip joint can make your hip stiff and uncomfortable during the day and cause aching or soreness when you sleep on it, Dr. Mascarinas explained.

To help alleviate pain while sleeping, Dr. Mascarinas recommends switching positions, tucking a pillow under your knees to take pressure off your hip flexors, adding a mattress topper or trying a pain reliever before bed.

Read the full article at livestrong.com.

20 Best Pillows to Support Your Aching Neck

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 14:02:00 -0500

SELF.com speaks to experts including Angelie Mascarinas, MD, physiatrist at HSS about the best pillows to help alleviate neck pain and get a good night's sleep.

You might need to test out a couple of different pillows to get a clearer idea of what height is right for you, but you can start with a pillow that’s between four and five and a half inches high, explained Dr. Mascarinas.

You’ll know you’ve found a pillow with a good firmness level when it allows you to relax your neck and shoulders without feeling like your head is sinking straight through it. Side sleepers should look for a medium-firm pillow said Dr. Mascarinas.

Contour pillows, which usually feature higher sides and an ergonomic dip in the middle, are marketed as a potential solution to neck pain, and Dr. Mascarinas recommends them for all types of sleepers.

Read the full article at SELF.com.

Sure Signs You Need to See a Spine Specialist

Sat, 03 Sep 2022 18:11:00 -0400

Eat This, Not That! discusses signs that indicate the need to see a spine specialist according to experts including HSS Florida physiatrist Angelie Mascarinas, MD, and HSS spine surgeon Sariah Khormaee, MD, PhD.

According to Dr. Mascarinas, “Certain issues associated with the spine (i.e. lumbar disc herniations or lumbar spine nerve compression) can cause referred pain or numbness (pins/needles sensation) into the buttocks or legs and can also cause leg weakness.”

“An unaddressed issue such as a large lumbar disc herniation can cause bowel/bladder issues if there is significant stenosis (narrowing in the spine) due to the disc herniation," she added.

She explained, “Numbness or weakness in the leg or foot can indicate nerve compression in the lumbar spine. This can be assessed by determining where there is difficulty when performing a calf raise, difficulty when walking on your heels, or if your foot drops or slaps the ground while walking.”

Dr. Mascarinas noted another sign is if pain persists for 4-6 weeks. “70% of cases of disc herniations in the general population have significant improvement of back and leg pain within 4-6 weeks. Therefore, if symptoms are not improving, a spine specialist can evaluate symptoms and perform a physical exam, obtain x-rays or more advanced imaging if indicated, and offer other treatments like medications, physical therapy, or injections that may help alleviate symptoms.”

Dr. Mascarinas said persistent back pain after a minor accident can be an issue. "Persistent back pain following a seemingly minor incident could be a sign of a lumbar fracture, and an x-ray or MRI would be helpful to confirm diagnosis. Especially for those with a history of osteopenia or osteoporosis whose bones are more fragile, minor trauma can cause lumbar fractures."

Dr. Khormaee explained signs of a rare condition, "If you have tingling or numbness in the groin area and lose the ability to go to the bathroom normally, this can be a sign of what is called cauda equina syndrome. This condition occurs when there is compression on the nerves at the base of the spinal column.”

Dr. Khormaee said agility changes in fingers and hands may be a sign to see a spine specialist. She explained, "The vertebrae in your upper back and neck connect your spinal column to your arms, hands and fingers. Changes in the area can affect your ability to carry out tasks that require the use of your hands. "People may notice that they have problems with buttons or zippers. Another thing that I sometimes hear from patients is that their handwriting has changed. Similar to the concerns seen in the lower spine, these symptoms can be caused by a number of different types of spinal problems. A spinal specialist can perform a physical exam and may offer scans such as X-rays, MRIs or CTs to determine the source of the problem."

Read the full article at Eatthis.com.

ESPN West Palm – 2/17/22

Thu, 17 Feb 2022 17:58:00 -0500

ESPN West Palm interviewed Angelie Mascarinas, MD, physiatrist at HSS Florida, on air about her approach to patient care, techniques she uses to treat conditions and pain, and her areas of expertise.

Dr. Mascarinas explained, “As a physiatrist, basically it’s non-surgical orthopedics, so treating musculoskeletal conditions that I focus on in the spine: back pain, neck pain, disc herniations or sciatica. I also treat painful joints in hip, shoulder or knee – osteoarthritic conditions.”

She continued, “My day-to-day is seeing patients in the clinic and other days I perform spinal procedures with fluoroscopic guidance or X-ray guidance, such as epidural injections, or ablation of facet joints to help with chronic back pain.”

In terms of her approach to patient care, Dr. Mascarinas said starts with an interview. “I get to know them, what’s been bothering them, how it all started, things that may have triggered their pain, was it an injury or an exercise program that may have been ramping up in volume that may have triggered an overuse injury. I like to do a thorough physical exam, a lot of the times you can find there’s muscle weakness or tightness or even a leg length discrepancy that can predispose one area to be getting stress that can lead to a painful joint.”

The segment aired on February 17, 2022.

The 6 Worst Habits for Your Joints

Mon, 03 Jan 2022 16:12:00 -0500

AARP discusses the worst habits for joints and includes guidance and lifestyle tips to keep joints healthy according to experts including Angelie Mascarinas, MD, physiatrist at HSS Florida.

Dr. Mascarinas underscored the damage that smoking can have on joints. She noted that smoking “may increase pain sensitivity. In other words, arthritis pain can be perceived as more severe in smokers, so the [pain-relieving] effects of arthritis medications may seem less effective to smokers.”

Dr. Mascarinas recommended 30 minutes of joint-friendly exercise five days a week. “Moderate, low-impact activities like walking, water aerobics and swimming are easy on the joints. If you have osteoarthritis, avoid deep squats and deep lunges, running, repetitive jumping, and activities with quick turns and sudden stops like basketball and tennis,” she noted.

To reduce joint inflammation, Dr. Mascarinas suggested incorporating foods like olive oil, berries and fish and foods that are high in beta-carotene, fiber, magnesium and omega-3s into a diet. She recommended “limiting pro-inflammatory foods like red meat, sugar and dairy can also decrease joint pain.”

Read the full article at AARP.org.