Women who undergo treatment for breast cancer are at a heightened risk of developing lymphedema as breast cancer surgery and radiation therapy can disrupt the functioning of the lymphatic system. Lymphedema is a build-up of fluid under the skin due to inadequate drainage of the lymphatic system that leads to swelling in the affected area. Physical therapists play a key role in helping women manage breast cancer-related lymphedema, utilizing complete decongestive therapy to relieve pain, improve mobility and range of motion, and enhance overall quality of life.

Check our our infographic debunking 5 common physical therapy myths! October is National Physical Therapy Month, a month to celebrate and recognize the dedication of each of our physical therapists and physical therapy assistants at Mangiarelli Rehabilitation and provide education about the field of physical therapy. At Mangiarelli Rehabilitation, our focus is to provide evidence-based, patient-centered rehabilitative care customized to each patient’s specific needs, condition, and goals. However, there are a number of myths and misconceptions about physical therapy.

Check out our October 2023 Newsletter, highlighting Mangiarelli Rehab sponsoring & participating in the SVDP Friends of the Poor Walk, three exercises for piriformis syndrome, fall donation drive with SVDP, and a staff spotlight on Mangiarelli Rehab PTA Lyle.

Mangiarelli Rehabilitation physical therapist Sarah demonstrates three exercises to address piriformis syndrome. Piriformis syndrome is a condition that develops due to tightening of the piriformis muscle, which can irritate and compress the sciatic nerve and lead to significant pain in the buttocks, hip, lower back, and back of the leg. The piriformis muscle is a small muscle located in the gluteal region under which the sciatic nerve passes that stabilizes the hip and enables lower extremity movement. Physical therapists can relieve piriformis syndrome pain and restore normal movement and range of motion in the affected area through targeted strengthening exercises, manual therapy, and neural mobilization.

During autumn, many of us engage in outdoor tasks to prepare our homes and yards for the winter, including raking copious amounts of leaves. Raking leaves can be quite physically demanding, requiring repetitive movements like pushing, pulling, lifting, twisting, and turning that can place biomechanical stress on the low back, shoulders, and neck. It’s important to take steps to prevent injury while raking leaves and prepare your body for the physical demands of raking. Check out our 6 tips to prevent leaf raking injuries this autumn!

Pain neuroscience describes pain as an output of the brain in which the nervous system functions as an alarm for the brain about pain in the body and the brain interprets these signals to decide whether pain would be beneficial for healing, causing the nerves to increase their sensitivity in the injured area. In a patient with chronic pain, the nervous system remains hypervigilant, signaling to the brain that an area of the body is injured and painful, even when the tissue is no longer damaged. Combining physical therapy exercise and pain neuroscience education (PNE) helps chronic pain patients desensitize the sensitive chronic pain area through graded movement and understand the mechanism of pain in their body.

A Lisfranc injury occurs from a sudden trauma such as a fall, hard contact, or twisting of the foot that damages the bones or overstresses the ligaments of the Lisfranc joint. The Lisfranc joint is a complex joint in the midfoot where the metatarsal bones connect to the rest of your foot, joined by ligaments that stabilize the arch of the foot and transfer loads from the lower leg to the foot. Physical therapy after a Lisfranc injury can help manage pain and swelling, improve lower extremity mobility and strength, restore normal walking ability, and ensure a safe return to activity and sports competition.

A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that occurs when a sudden force causes the brain to crash into the skull, typically from a direct hit to the head or from a whiplash-type motion that can cause cognitive, sensory, and physical symptoms. Concussions are particularly high in the sport of football, resulting from helmet-to-helmet contact or whiplash-type motion from tackling. Physical therapists play a critical role in concussion management, utilizing an evidence-based, personalized, and gradual therapeutic exercise program to help athletes recover safely without exacerbating concussive symptoms.

Check out our latest staff spotlight of our new physical therapy assistant, Lyle Almburg. Lyle specializes in sports injury rehabilitation, joint replacement rehabilitation, and strength and balance training. His favorite part of his job is restoring function and assisting people in accomplishing their goals.

The month of September is Healthy Aging Month, a month to promote ways individuals can stay healthy as they age. One of the best ways to support healthy aging is regular exercise under the guidance of a physical therapist. Physical therapists are experts in movement and exercise prescription, creating customized exercise programs to maintain and improve older adults’ balance, strength, and coordination and prevent falls.

Check out our September 2023 Newsletter, highlighting: debunking 6 myths about arthritis, physical therapy for an AC joint sprain, back-to-school backpack safety, and staff spotlight on our new PTA, Renee.

Little league shoulder is an overuse injury seen in young baseball players that results from repetitive stress placed on the shoulder and humeral growth plates from overhead throwing. Over time, without sufficient rest time for healing of the tissues, the repetitive stress of throwing can cause the growth plate to become injured, inflamed, and even fracture in severe cases. Physical therapists play a key role in helping young athletes with little league shoulder recover, addressing muscle weaknesses, range of motion restrictions, and throwing mechanics with a targeted sport-specific therapeutic exercise program.

Osgood-Schlatter disease is an inflammatory condition of the knee caused by repetitive trauma to the patellar tendon during growth spurts that is common among active adolescents. Osgood-Schlatter disease is a common cause of knee pain in growing and active pre-teens and teens, affecting 1 in 10 adolescents. Osgood-Schlatter disease can be managed conservatively and effectively with physical therapy. Physical therapy can help teens with OS ease pain, increase muscle strength, and restore function for a safe return to sport.

Arthritis, a chronic, progressive condition characterized by inflammation of the joints, is the leading cause of disability in the United States, affecting more than 50 million people. Physical therapists can help reduce arthritic symptoms, slow the progression of the disease, and create a customized, comprehensive program to help arthritis patients move safely and improve function, strength, and range of motion in the affected joints. However, there are numerous misconceptions about who is affected by arthritis and how to treat it effectively. Check out our post debunking 6 myths about arthritis!

Sacroiliac joint dysfunction (SI joint) involves injury to the sacroiliac joint that typically presents as low back pain on one side of the body. The main function of the SI joints is to provide a stable yet flexible support to the upper body while distributing the load from the lower extremities throughout the rest of the body. SI joint dysfunction can arise due to an acute trauma to the joint, pregnancy and childbirth, or conditions like arthritis and scoliosis. Physical therapy can address SI joint pain, help to stabilize the joint, and improve function through targeted stretching and strengthening exercises and manual therapy.

Check out our latest staff spotlight of our new physical therapy assistant, Renee Pachol. Renee works with our physical therapists to provide individualized physical therapy treatment to our patients. Her favorite part of her job is seeing smiles on patients as they improve, meet their goals, and gain independence.

Mangiarelli Rehabilitation physical therapist Bobby demonstrates 3 exercises you can do to prevent stiffness and regain mobility after an AC joint sprain. An AC joint sprain typically occurs due to a sudden fall on the shoulder that can push the shoulder blade away from the collarbone, straining or tearing the ligaments of the AC joint. Physical therapy is the first line of treatment for AC joint sprains and is highly effective in restoring shoulder mobility, strength, and function following an AC injury.

Check out our 7 tips for back-to-school backpack safety! Backpacks, when worn correctly, are designed to distribute the weight of the load evenly across the body’s muscles. However, many children carry backpacks incorrectly or that are too heavy. Carrying a backpack can have significant biomechanical and physiological impacts on the wearer during a critical time in a child’s growth, placing undue stress on the body, changing posture, and contributing to injuries of the back, neck, and shoulders

Fall sports conditioning serves as a foundation upon which the sports season’s success is built and can help to reduce the number of in-season injuries. Fall sports conditioning involves a program of weight training and aerobic sport-specific conditioning that allows the athlete to slowly acclimate to the demands of the sport by gradually increasing the intensity and volume of their training over time. Check out our 8 tips for safe fall sports conditioning!

Check out our August 2023 Newsletter, highlighting physical therapy for rotator cuff tears, best exercise to address ankle stiffness, physical therapy for vertigo, and aquatic therapy balance training.