After a stroke, physical therapy is essential to regain strength, balance, coordination, and muscle control. A stroke occurs when the blood flow to an area of the brain is cut off, depriving the brain cells of oxygen. This leads to the impairment of abilities that that area of the brain controls. Through a targeted and customized exercise program, physical therapists help stroke survivors optimize function, independence, and quality of life.

Having a baby is a joyful, special event in the life of a mother. However, the process of delivery and recovery post-delivery can be challenging, particularly if a mother has undergone a c-section delivery. Women may experience pain at the c-section incision site, low back pain, urinary continence, and pelvic floor muscle weakness following a c-section. Physical therapists can provide women customized physical therapy treatment to address these issues, relieving incision pain through soft tissue mobilization techniques and strengthening the core, back, and pelvic floor muscles through an exercise program.

May is National Osteoporosis Awareness Month. Osteoporosis is a bone condition that causes thin, fragile bones, leading to an increased risk of bone fractures. Osteoporosis is a preventable disease that largely impacts women, who account for 80% of individuals with the condition. Exercise plays a critical role in preventing and managing osteoporosis. Exercise improves bone density, building stronger bones, helping maintain bone health, and slowing and preventing bone loss. If diagnosed with osteoporosis, it is crucial to safely engage in targeted exercise with your physical therapist, including balance training, weight-bearing aerobics, and strength training.

Achilles tendonitis is an inflammation of the Achilles tendon, often due to repetitive stress on the tendon or a sudden increase in the amount or intensity of exercise that places too much stress on the Achilles tendon. Physical therapy helps decrease pain and swelling of the tendon, strengthens the affected area, improves flexibility and mobility, and helps individuals return to activity safely. Check out our infographic to learn more!

On the blog, physical therapist Jen demonstrates several exercises to improve your balance. Balance is critical to your daily life, allowing you to walk, climb up and downstairs, and prevent falls. Good balance allows you to maintain a stable, upright position when standing, walking and sitting. Improving your balance has many benefits including increased body awareness, joint stability, coordination, posture, and athletic performance as well as reduced risk of injury and falling. Physical therapy can help you improve your balance safely and address underlying issues causing your balance problems.

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.

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).