Whether you are cycling outdoors in the warm spring weather, participating in a spin class, or competing at the professional level in cycling, it’s important to take steps to prevent injury. Cycling is an excellent low-impact activity that improves overall fitness, cardiovascular health, and core and leg strength without placing too much stress on your joints. However, cycling injuries can occur due to overuse, improper bike setup, and lack of a proper warm-up and cool down. Check out our 8 tips to prevent injury when cycling this spring!

April is #FootHealthAwarenessMonth. Plantar fasciitis is a common foot condition that causes foot and heel pain. Physical therapy offers an effective and non-invasive treatment for plantar fasciitis to reduce pain and restore function to the foot and heel. Check out our infographic on plantar fasciitis to learn more!

April is #ParkinsonsDiseaseAwarenessMonth. Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative condition that can negatively impact an individual’s physical and cognitive abilities, including mobility limitations, balance issues, and gait problems. Physical therapy helps Parkinson’s disease patients manage the disease and delay progression of symptoms using a customized exercise program, including the innovative treatment of therapeutic boxing. Physical therapy helps Parkinson’s disease patients enhance mobility, balance, and coordination and improve quality of life and functional independence.

Pain neuroscience education offers patients a deeper understanding of the mechanism of pain in the body and our body’s processing of pain. Pain is a survival mechanism to protect an area of the body that the brain perceives as damaged. Physical therapy combined with pain neuroscience education provides patients an active role in their recovery and pain management and helps to reduce pain and restore patients to the highest possible level of activity, function, and quality of life.

With the start of spring and warmer weather, it’s that time of year to get outside and build and tend your garden. Gardening has many health benefits, including reduced depression and anxiety, increased life satisfaction and quality of life, and consistent physical activity. However, gardening is a physically demanding activity and certain gardening tasks, like weeding, raking, digging, and mulching can place strain and stress on joints and muscles, particularly the back, neck, shoulders, knees, and wrists. Check out our 10 gardening tips to prevent injury this spring!

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. One of the most common brain injuries is a concussion, a mild traumatic brain injury that can lead to physical, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms. Effective, timely, and well-monitored treatment after a concussion is critical for a full recovery and safe return to sport. Physical therapists are qualified to manage concussions through evidence-based treatment protocols and a personalized rehabilitation program that includes vestibular rehabilitation, manual therapy, balance training, and a graded, progressive exercise program.  

Rehabilitation is an essential component of comprehensive care for individuals with multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, inflammatory condition of the central nervous system that is characterized by relapses and remission of symptoms with a variable progression of disability over time. Physical therapy helps patients manage the disease from diagnosis through relapse and remission stages, using gait and balance training and monitored exercise therapy to improve and enhance functional mobility.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is one of the most common types of knee pain, causing pain at the front of the knee and under and around the kneecap. Known as runner’s knee, it often occurs in athletes following a sudden increase and intensity in training. Physical therapy provides effective treatment to address PFPS and improve function and mobility through a customized exercise therapy program. Check out our infographic on patellofemoral pain syndrome to learn more!

Diastasis Recti is a common condition that can affect women during and after pregnancy. It involves the separation of the rectus abdominis muscle, causing the connective tissue to stretch and resulting in weakness in the midsection and a visible, palpable gap in the abdominal muscle. Physical therapy offers safe, effective treatment for diastasis recti to improve strength, control, and function of the abdominal muscles. On the blog, physical therapist, Jen, and PTA, Patti, demonstrate safe exercises to address diastasis recti.

March is #NationalNutritionMonth, a month to focus on building a balanced, nutrient-dense diet personalized to your specific needs, tastes, and health goals. As physical therapists working with patients as they recover from surgery and injury, we recognize that nutrition can play an important role in your recovery. Adequate nutrition during recovery from an injury can help to control inflammation, provide the necessary nutrients to rebuild and restore injured tissue, decrease the risk of muscle atrophy, and preserve muscle strength.

Lymphedema is a condition that results in chronic swelling due to an abnormal collection of fluid just below the skin, limiting mobility and causing aching in the affected limb. Physical therapy provides effective treatment and management of lymphedema through complete decongestive therapy. In today’s blog, Mangiarelli Rehabilitation Certified Lymphedema Therapist, Sue, explains what lymphedema is and how it is treated through complete decongestive therapy (CDT).

Today, Mangiarelli Rehabilitation physical therapist, Bobby, demonstrates three exercises to improve ankle mobility. The ankle is a hinge joint connecting the foot and lower leg that allows our foot to move through a wide range of motion and perform daily activities of walking, squatting, and climbing stairs. Ankle mobility is critical to not only accommodate movement, acceleration, and sudden changes of direction in daily tasks and sports, but also takes stress off of and prevents injury in the knees, legs, and hips.

Wrist and hand injuries are common as the complex structure of the wrist and hand are susceptible to irritation from overuse at work or sport or from excessive force placed on the wrist or hand when breaking a fall. Physical therapy is an effective treatment for wrist and hand injuries, helping control swelling and restoring range of motion, strength, and ability in the wrist and hand through manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, and functional training.

Back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek physical therapy. Nearly 80% of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their life. However, there are numerous ways to support spinal health and prevent back pain, such as regular exercise, an ergonomic workspace, physical therapy, and proper lifting techniques. Check out our latest blog for our 10 Tips for a Healthy Back!

The jaw joint is one of the most complex joints in the human body, allowing you to open your mouth, chew, talk, and yawn. Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) is a disorder of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which is a hinge joint that connects the jaw to the skull in front of each ear. Physical therapy offers a non-invasive treatment option for TMD that can ease pain, restore normal jaw movement, and lessen daily stress on the jaw.

Total joint replacement surgery is a major surgery requiring careful preparation and an effective post-surgical rehabilitation program to ensure pain-free function and mobility of the joint. Total joint replacement surgery removed the entirety of the damaged joint, replacing it with artificial parts to maintain joint function. Physical therapy plays a critical role in successful rehabilitation of the new joint and restoring movement, strength, flexibility, and range of motion to the joint for a timely return to daily activities, work, and sport.

February is #NationalHeartMonth, a month to highlight the importance of cardiovascular health and effective ways to prevent and address cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States; however, it is preventable through lifestyle choices, including exercise which prevents the onset and development of cardiovascular disease. Physical therapists help individuals exercise safely and effectively, designing a customized exercise program to prevent cardiovascular disease and using exercise as a therapeutic tool to improve the fitness and aerobic capacity of cardiovascular disease patients.

Turf toe is a common injury among athletes who compete on artificial turf. Turf toe occurs when the big toe is forced into extreme positions of hyperextension, causing a sprain in the main joint of the big toe. Turf toe can happen when an athlete pushes off to sprint or is tackled with the front of the foot fixed and jammed into the ground. Physical therapy is key to avert and limit stiffness in the big toe and safely heal and strengthen the injured area.

Competitive swimming can place swimmers at a higher risk of shoulder pain due to the repetitive overhead motion required. The majority of swimming injuries are related to the shoulder, although injuries to the neck, back, and knee are also common. Physical therapy addresses these injuries through sport-specific training and a comprehensive rehabilitation program to improve strength, endurance, mobility, and stability.

How do you know whether you’re suffering from a pulled muscle or a pinched nerve? Both a pulled muscle or a pinched nerve may cause severe pain and limit your mobility, function, and ability to complete daily tasks. Being able to ascertain the difference between a pinched nerve and a pulled muscle is critical to ensure you receive the correct treatment and return to your activities quickly and safely.