Regular exercise is an essential component of healthy aging, helping seniors maintain independence and improve their physical and mental health. Exercise has numerous benefits for older adults, including improving muscle strength, building bone density, enhancing mobility and balance, and slowing age-related cognitive decline. Experts recommend that older adults engage in moderate-intensity aerobic exercise 150 minutes a week, strength train twice a week, and engage in weekly balance and flexibility training.

Return to work and return to sport programs share the same goal: that the worker and athlete can safely return to work or athletic competition and can meet the demands of the job or sport with sufficient strength, power, and endurance. Physical therapists play a key role in helping injured workers and athletes recover from injury and prepare for a successful return to the job or sports field through a gradual, progressive RTW or RTS training program and objective testing. Rehabilitation for return to work (RTW) and return to sport (RTS) is customized to the patient’s specific needs, duties, and necessary skills to ensure the patient can succeed upon their return to work or sport.

Quadriceps strains are common in sports like soccer, football, and rugby that require sudden, forceful eccentric contractions of the quadriceps when performing a rapid or powerful knee extension, such as when kicking, jumping, or sprinting. The quadriceps are a group of four powerful muscles that are located at the front of the upper thigh that are responsible for knee extension. Through a structured rehabilitation program, physical therapy can help athletes recover from a quadriceps strain safely, helping them regain normal muscle length, strength, and control, reduce pain, and improve running and kicking technique to reduce the risk of future injury.

Check out our September newsletter which highlights physical therapy for hip impingement, treating shin splints during soccer season, exercises to improve your posture, and the benefits of rebounder therapy.

Mangiarelli Rehabilitation physical therapist Sarah demonstrates several stretches and exercises you can do to improve your posture. Good posture refers to proper alignment of the body in both static and dynamic positions, holding the body against gravity with the least strain and tension on your muscles, joints, and ligaments. Proper posture keeps your bones and joints in optimal alignment and decreases wear and tear on them. Physical therapy can help you improve your posture through targeted stretching, strengthening, manual therapy, and posture training.

A shoulder separation, or AC joint injury, involves a strain or tear of the ligaments of the joint that result in some form of separation between the clavicle and acromion. Shoulder separations are common among young male athletes who participate in high-contact sports like football and rugby. Physical therapy is an effective treatment for AC joint shoulder separations, helping to manage pain, restore shoulder mobility and strength, and return to sport and work safely through a progressive four-phase rehabilitation program.

Knee bursitis involves inflammation of one or more bursae of the knee joint, causing pain, swelling, and limited mobility in the knee. Bursae are fluid-filled sacs that serve as cushions to reduce friction between bone and skin or bone and tendon. Knee bursitis can develop from a direct blow to the knee or from repetitive stress movements or pressure on the knee over time. Physical therapy for knee bursitis can help reduce pain, swelling, and stiffness in the knee and restore mobility in the knee through targeted therapeutic exercise and manual therapy.

Medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) injury involves a strain or tearing of the MPFL, typically due to a traumatic kneecap dislocation. The MPFL is a ligament located on the inside of the knee joint, connecting the kneecap and thighbone and providing stability to the kneecap. Physical therapy helps those with MPFL injuries restore knee strength and function and provides post-surgery rehabilitation if surgery is necessary.

Carrying a backpack can have significant biomechanical, physiological, and discomfort impacts on the wearer, placing undue stress on the body, changing posture, and leading to back, neck, and shoulder pain. It’s essential that parents take steps to prevent backpack-related musculoskeletal pain in their children this school year. Check out our ergonomic tips for backpack safety!

Shin splints are a common soccer injury that involves inflammation of the tibia and surrounding muscles, which strain where they connect to the tibia and develop micro-tears, causing pain through the lower leg. Shin splints often occur early in the season during intense conditioning due to a rapid increase in the frequency and duration of exercise that places too much stress on the shin bone and muscles. Physical therapy can help soccer players manage shin splint-related pain, restore function and strength in the lower leg, and help athletes return to sport safely.

Hip impingement is a structural or mechanical disorder of the hip that involves a change in the shape of the surface of the hip joint, leading to stiffness, pain, and damage to tissue and bone. Hip impingement can result from excessive contact between the ball and socket of the hip joint, a structural variation in the shape of the bones of the hip, or changes in muscle length and activation at the hip. Physical therapy helps patients with hip impingement regain movement, flexibility, and strength in the hip and return to regular activities and sports safely through a hip strengthening and core stabilization exercise program.

Check out our August 2022 Newsletter, which highlights physical therapy for shoulder osteoarthritis, back-to-school ergonomics, how to improve your golf swing, and 12 tips for running in the heat.

On the blog, Mangiarelli Rehabilitation physical therapist Bobby demonstrates exercises to relieve acute low back pain. Low back pain is the most common condition treated by physical therapists, affecting 30% of Americans each year. Low back pain can involve dull, burning, throbbing, sharp, or shooting pain in the lumbar spine and through the buttocks and leg. Physical therapy is the first line of treatment for low back pain. A physical therapist can improve and restore mobility in the low back as well as reduce low back pain without expensive surgery or pain medications.

Check out our staff spotlight of our medical records technician, Sharon. Sharon works with our office manager Drena to serve our physical therapy patients through pre-registering and scheduling patients, scanning reports, and preparing patient charts. She joined our staff in March 2022. Welcome to Mangiarelli Rehabilitation Sharon!

Elbow bursitis involves inflammation of the tip of the elbow due to irritation of the olecranon bursa, leading to pain, swelling, stiffness, and limited range of motion at the elbow. Elbow bursitis can develop after a direct hit to the elbow during a sport or most commonly from prolonged pressure on and repetitive use of the elbow. A physical therapist can help reduce elbow bursitis-associated pain, swelling, and stiffness, speed recovery and restore movement and range of motion in the elbow and upper extremity.

Check out our infographic on physical therapy for piriformis syndrome! Piriformis syndrome develops due to tightening of the piriformis muscle, which can irritate and compress the sciatic nerve and cause pain through the buttocks, low back, and back of the leg. Physical therapy can isolate the true origin of the piriformis syndrome pain, help relieve pain, and restore normal movement and range of motion in the affected area through stretching, manual therapy, and targeted strengthening.

Running in the summer heat places tremendous stress on your body, raising your body temperature, increasing your heart rate, and causing you to sweat more. It is essential to take proper steps to ensure safe summer runs that enhance your running skill without overtaxing your body or leading to heat-related illness. Check out our 12 tips for running safely in the heat!

Shoulder osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage that lines the shoulder joint is worn or torn away, causing pain, swelling, and reduced function in the shoulder. Shoulder osteoarthritis most commonly affects those over age 50, particularly older women. Physical therapy can help those with shoulder osteoarthritis manage and decrease pain, prevent progression of the disease, and restore movement and function in the shoulder. If the osteoarthritis is severe, surgery may be recommended to restore function followed by intensive rehabilitative care.

Hiking is a fun outdoor activity to engage in with family and friends throughout the summer and has numerous health benefits. However, hiking can be arduous, placing significant physical stress on the body as you navigate varied terrain and high temperatures. Check out our tips for preventing common hiking injuries like knee pain, ankle sprains, and heat exhaustion and what to do to ensure a safe hike this summer!

Check out our July 2022 Newsletter that highlights physical therapy treatment for cervicogenic headaches, how to prevent shoulder injuries in baseball pitchers, using the rebounder in physical therapy treatment, and tips for safe summer runs.