Running has numerous benefits, including increased cardiovascular fitness and stronger muscles and joints. However, running injuries are a fairly common occurrence due to the repetitive stress that the act of running can place on certain joints and muscle groups. Physical therapists can help runners manage common injuries like runner’s knee and plantar fasciitis with personalized treatment that includes pain management, exercise rehabilitation, manual therapy, and body mechanic instruction.

A shoulder labral tear involves partial or total separation of the labrum from the shoulder socket, often due to excessive trauma to the joint from overuse or direct injury. The labrum is a ring of cartilage that surrounds the rim of the shoulder socket, providing stability to the shoulder joint and a cushion to the shoulder during activity. Physical therapy can help those with shoulder labral tears regain strength, stability, and range of motion in the shoulder joint through manual therapy, postural training, and a stretching and strengthening exercise program.

Golfer’s elbow is an overuse injury that develops when the tendons on the inside of the forearm become inflamed and painful. It occurs due to repetitive use of the forearm, hand, wrist, and elbow, affecting golfers, baseball players, and tennis players. Physical therapy provides timely and effective treatment for golfer’s elbow to reduce pain, restore function and strength to the elbow, forearm, and wrist, and address body mechanics to prevent the condition from recurring. In today’s blog, Mangiarelli Rehabilitation physical therapist, Bobby, demonstrates exercises for golfer’s elbow to strengthen the wrist, forearm, and elbow.

Baseball is America’s favorite pastime, a sport beloved and played by those of all ages from Little League and high school through college and the Major Leagues. As we start the baseball season, it’s critical to address common baseball injuries, particularly to the shoulder and elbow, that can result from overuse in a timely and effective manner. Physical therapy provides effective treatment for common baseball injuries to help players return to their previous level of function, improve body and throwing mechanics, and return players to sport as quickly and safely as possible.

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.

Check out our April Newsletter that highlights a video of physical therapy exercises for postpartum diastasis recti with our therapists Jen & Patti; celebrating #ParkinsonsDiseaseAwarenessMonth and how physical therapy can support Parkinson's disease patients; physical therapy's role in multiple sclerosis treatment; and the Mangiarelli Rehabilitation's Spring Donation Drive.

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).

Check out our March 2021 Newsletter with updates on total joint replacement rehabilitation, treatment for wrist and hand injuries, how to improve your ankle mobility with physical therapist Bobby, and celebrating #NationalNurtritionMonth.

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.

Groin pain is often related to a strain or tear of the groin muscles, a complex of muscles that support movement of the hip joint. Groin injury is common in athletes, resulting from quick starts and stops, sudden trauma on the field, and repetitive overuse. Physical therapy can provide effective treatment for groin injuries, reducing pain and gradually improving muscle strength, mobility, and agility through a customized rehabilitation program.

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.