Mangiarelli Rehabilitation is debunking seven myths about physical therapy today on the blog. Myth #1: You need a referral from a doctor to receive physical therapy care. Fact #1: A physical therapist can treat a patient without a referral script from a doctor. Learn more about physical therapy insurance coverage, why you do not need an MRI prior to physical therapy in most cases, how physical therapy can be just as effective as surgery for certain conditions, and much more!

Arthritis is a chronic pain condition that involves swelling and tenderness in one or more joints. It is the leading cause of disability for American adults, affecting 54 million adults each year. Aquatic therapy is a safe, low-impact physical therapy option that allows a patient to exercise and build aerobic capacity with reduced pain. Aquatic therapy at the Mangiarelli Rehabilitation clinic heated pool involves specific exercises and aerobics performed in heated water.

Chronic pain is a condition that can dramatically affect and limit an individual’s activities, physical function, work, and daily life. For too long, chronic pain was treated with pharmacological methods and prescriptions for opioids became pervasive. In 2016, the CDC recommended that the preferred treatment for chronic pain is non-pharmacological methods, particularly physical therapy and exercise interventions. Physical therapy is an effective treatment for chronic pain, using exercise therapy, manual therapy, aquatic therapy, and dry needling to manage and reduce pain.

The ACL is a primary ligament located in the knee joint. ACL injuries can occur through contact (helmet to the knee) or non-contact injury (sudden pivot or change of direction). Symptoms of an ACL injury include pain, an audible pop in the knee, swelling, and limited range of motion. Rehabilitation for an ACL injury typically is 9 to 16 months. Mangiarelli Rehabilitation physical therapist, Bobby, works with athletes to improve their range of motion and help them safely return to their sport through an intensive rehabilitation process.

A concussion is a mild brain injury that requires a thorough and skilled treatment plan for optimal recovery. Concussions can occur during sports and other recreational activities or from car accidents, falls, or work accidents. Physical therapists can effectively manage concussion injuries through evidence-based treatment and a careful, personalized rehabilitation plan.

Nearly 800,000 people experience a stroke in the United States each year. Physical therapy plays a pivotal role in stroke rehabilitation. It helps a survivor regain movement, decrease disability, improve range of motion and function of affected limbs, relearn basic daily activities, and walk with coordination and balance. At Mangiarelli Rehabilitation, it is our aim to provide you with high quality and personalized stroke rehabilitative care throughout the recovery process.

Check out our May 2020 Newsletter with features on Telehealth Services Offered at Mangiarelli Rehab, A Spotlight on Parkinson's Disease Awareness Month, Dry Needling as a Physical Therapy Treatment, and Mangiarelli Rehabilitation's New Website.

Parkinson’s disease is a lifelong condition from the onset of the disease, often around age 60. A customized physical therapy treatment plan can help manage the condition and maintain physical and cognitive function that can be affected by the disease. Physical therapy helps combat movement issues, difficulty walking, and impaired balance and coordination. Physical therapy can also improve posture, strength, and flexibility and decrease pain and stiffness.

Your body is built for movement. The more that you move, the better your body will function. Movement improves the overall function of the body, energy, mental health, brain health, and disease prevention. Adults should engage in physical activity 150 minutes a week, or thirty minutes a day, five days a week. At Mangiarelli Rehabilitation, we know how important it is for your health that you stay active during this time of staying at home. We offer 7 Tips to Stay Active At Home in our blog today!

Susan Davis is a Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) and Certified Lymphedema Therapist (CLT). She earned her Associate Degree from Penn State as a Physical Therapist Assistant and works in all areas of outpatient rehabilitation. She has additional training in aquatic therapy and lymphedema.

Sue’s favorite part of her job is the people! She enjoys working with the patients, wellness clients, and co-workers. She says, “As a privately-owned clinic, there is a closeness that isn’t there with a corporate-owned facility. The same staff has been at the clinic for years because it’s a great place to work! Patients get better and join the wellness program in order to stay healthy. It’s a very positive atmosphere.”

Lymphedema is an abnormal build-up of protein-rich fluid under the skin. It is a common, progressive, and serious condition. Symptoms include aching or feeling of heaviness in the arm or leg, swelling in the extremities, mobility limitations, and repeated infections. A certified lymphedema physical therapist is an important component of the medical team managing the condition. At Mangiarelli Rehabilitation, our certified lymphedema physical therapist performs Complete Decongestive Therapy (CDT) to treat lymphedema; this includes manual lymphatic drainage, skincare, decongestive exercises, and compression therapy.

Patti Ciferno is a physical therapy assistant at Mangiarelli Rehabilitation. She specializes in myofascial release, a manual therapy that addresses soft tissue dysfunction: trigger points, scar tissue, and pain. She also specializes in core and pelvic floor strengthening along with proper postural alignment and aquatic therapy. Her favorite part of her job is working with those patients that come into therapy in so much pain and as a physical therapy assistant, being able to find what gets them out of pain. Treating patients to make them stronger and have relief from pain is one of her favorite aspects of her job.

A work injury can cause an abrupt and unexpected change in your life and creates a sense of uncertainty about your future. At Mangiarelli Rehabilitation, we are here to walk through this uncertain time with you, help you achieve optimal recovery, and safely support you in your return to work in a timely manner. We work closely with your physician, case manager, and all those involved with your care and recovery. The team works together to minimize your limitations and decrease your time away from work. Physical therapy along with your doctor’s medical intervention can help to reduce symptoms and pain.

Paula Mangiarelli is a physical therapist and owner and director of Mangiarelli Rehabilitation. She specializes in industrial, injured worker rehabilitation and chronic pain. She is certified in dry needling. Paula started Mangiarelli Rehabilitation because she wanted to have a clinic where a therapist could provide specialized care. Her focus for Mangiarelli Rehabilitation is excellence as well as compassion. Her vision is that each patient who comes to the clinic feels they have received the best care available and a clinic that has multiple therapists who specialize and in doing so, provide patients with a number of options for care.

Dry needling, or intramuscular manual therapy, is a physical therapy treatment that treats acute and chronic pain. It is a valid manual therapy technique that can speed up the recovery process, improve a patient’s ability to move with decreased pain, and enhance healing after an injury. It is used to increase range of motion that is limited due to muscle tightness. It involves the physical therapist pushing thin filiform sterile needles through the skin of the patient into trigger points to stimulate the tissue.

Sarah Boyle is a physical therapist at Mangiarelli Rehabilitation, specializing in orthopedic injuries and post-surgery rehabilitation. She treats pain, neuromuscular disorders, and patients who exhibit impaired balance. Her favorite part of her job is the relationship she develops with patients, witnessing the progression of improvement, and seeing patients meet their goals and improve their overall quality of life.

The Mangiarelli Rehabilitation April 2020 Newsletter features what sets Mangiarelli Rehabilitation apart as a physical therapy clinic, a spotlight on our aquatic therapy program, a note on COVID-19 and Mangiarelli Rehabilitation’s response, and an update on renovations and construction at our clinic

Nearly 80% of working Americans experience symptoms of back pain at some point in their lives. Early intervention for musculoskeletal pain like back pain has been shown to decrease health costs and improve recovery outcomes for the patient. Physical therapy not only will decrease medical costs for a patient with back pain, but also help restore movement and teach the patient how to minimize and manage pain in the future.

Bobby Mangiarelli is a physical therapist at Mangiarelli Rehabilitation, specializing in sports injury rehabilitation and neurological rehabilitation. His favorite part of his job is building a relationship with the patient and seeing them achieve their goals, whether that’s being able to play with their grandkids or get back on the competitive sports field.

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that can impair movement, balance, and coordination. At Mangiarelli Rehabilitation, we offer boxing exercise as a physical therapy treatment for Parkinson’s disease, which improves coordination, agility, and hand-eye coordination. Boxing treatment addresses the symptoms of tremors, balance issues, gait mobility, and postural rigidity and instability by encouraging agility of movement in multiple directions, flexibility of the spine, and coordination of movement at faster speeds.