At Mangiarelli Rehabilitation, aquatic therapy takes place in our warm water therapeutic pool with our aquatic therapy specialist, Sue. Aquatic therapy provides a safe and effective environment to build strength, improve mobility and balance, and enhance function with minimal stress on your joints. On the blog, our aquatic therapist, Sue, explains what aquatic therapy involves, ways it can benefit you as a patient, and how it can improve your strength and reduce pain.

Skiing is one of the most popular winter sports, demanding significant strength, agility, and coordination while moving down the snowy slopes. The most common ski injury is to the knee, accounting for 30% of ski injuries and often resulting in an ACL or MCL tear. A physical therapist can help you prepare for the slopes through a customized strength and conditioning program, addressing muscle imbalances and targeting specific muscle groups to increase stability and muscle control. Should an injury, physical therapists accompany you every step of the rehabilitation process to help you return to skiing safely.

February is American Heart Month, a month to focus on ways to lower your risk of heart disease and improve your overall heart health. One of the best ways to improve your heart health is through regular exercise, incorporating both aerobic exercise and strength training. Regular physical activity plays a key role in preventing cardiovascular disease and helping you regain aerobic capacity following a cardiac event. As you begin your exercise journey toward better heart health, a physical therapist can help you by designing a customized, progressive exercise program.

One of the highlights of the winter Olympics for many is the figure skating competition. Figure skating places extreme demands on the skaters, requiring a high degree of technical skill paired with artistic poise. Common figure skating injuries, like ankle sprains, patellofemoral pain syndrome, and hip and back pain, can result from a traumatic incident on the ice or from overuse. Physical therapists can help figure skaters prepare for competition through targeted strengthening and aerobic conditioning off the ice and support skaters through a comprehensive rehabilitation program should an injury occur.

Neck pain is a common musculoskeletal condition that can cause pain, numbness, and stiffness in the neck, upper back, and shoulders. Physical therapy is one of the most effective treatments for neck pain. Physical therapists reduce neck pain, restore range of motion and function in the neck, and strengthen the neck’s postural flexibility through a customized treatment program. Check out our infographic to learn more!

Physical therapy is an effective treatment for rotator cuff tendinitis and the management of rotator cuff tears to address pain and restore range of motion, muscle strength, and coordination. Rotator cuff tendinitis involves inflammation of the rotator cuff tendons, which causes shoulder pain and swelling and can lead to a partial or full tear of rotator cuff tendons. Physical therapy is recommended as the first line of treatment for rotator cuff injuries and is critical if surgery is necessary.

Dry needling is an effective physical therapy treatment for musculoskeletal pain. Using thin filiform needles, a physical therapist inserts the needle into a taut band of muscle, called a trigger point, to release tension, minimize pain, and restore range of motion and mobility. Dry needling is used to treat a variety of conditions, including fibromyalgia, headaches, muscle and joint pain, and low back pain. Dry needling has a number of benefits such as reducing pain, increasing blood flow, and improving function and movement. It’s minimally invasive, cost-effective, and reduces reliance on pain medications.

Have you recently had COVID and are recovering? Are you feeling physically deconditioned or experiencing generalized weakness and muscle fatigue after Covid? You may be experienced Post-Covid Syndrome, or “Long Covid.” Post-Covid Syndrome refers to lingering physical symptoms that you can experience after acute Covid infection that limit your function and independence. Physical therapists play a critical role in helping you recover from the long-term effects of Covid, regain function, strength, and mobility, and return to daily activities confidently.

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis affecting the spine, often due to age-related wear and tear and mechanical changes in the spinal discs. Spinal osteoarthritis leads to pain in the back and neck and stiffness and loss of mobility in the spine. Physical therapy can help to reduce spinal osteoarthritis symptoms, slow progression of the disease, and instruct patients how to safely exercise.

Check out our infographic on physical therapy for sciatica pain! Physical therapy is the most effective treatment for sciatica pain. Sciatica is nerve pain that originates in the low back and radiates down the length of the leg due to irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve. Physical therapists treat sciatica pain through targeted strengthening of the low back, hips, and gluteal muscles, a progressive exercise program, manual therapy, and aquatic therapy.

Swimming is a low-impact full-body workout that improves muscle strength and tone and cardiovascular fitness with minimal weight-bearing stress on your joints. However, the shoulder is particularly vulnerable to injury due to the repetitive nature of the swim stroke. It is essential to maintain correct biomechanics and proper technique throughout the swim stroke to reduce the risk of a shoulder injury. Check out our tips to improve your swim stroke and avoid injury with physical therapy!

Tech neck is a repetitive stress injury to the neck caused by prolonged use of technology in which the head is bent downward, straining the muscles of the neck, shoulders, and upper back. Bending the neck forward when using technology places an excessive load on the neck, leading to pain, tightness, and limited range of motion. Physical therapists address tech neck through a customized stretching and strengthening exercise program, manual therapy, and posture reeducation.

January is National Winter Sports Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Month. Winter sports are played with high velocity and impact potential on the hard surfaces of snow and ice, which can lead to injury. Winter sports account for over 23,500 concussions in the United States each year. It is essential to take proper precautions to protect winter sports athletes and prevent concussions. Should a concussion occur, proper medical care is critical; physical therapists play an important role in winter sports-related concussion management and treatment.

What is the difference between manual therapy and massage therapy? Often manual therapy and massage are used interchangeably despite the fact that there are fundamental differences. Physical therapists provide manual therapy, which is a hands-on treatment technique to regain movement, activate muscles, and reduce pain and inflammation. Manual therapy includes soft tissue and joint mobilizations, myofascial release, muscle energy techniques, manual traction, cupping, dry needling, lymphedema, thrust manipulation, and strain-counter-strain techniques.

Piriformis pain syndrome can develop due to tightening of the piriformis muscle, which can irritate or compress your sciatic nerve causing significant pain in the buttocks, hip, lower back, and back of the leg. The piriformis muscle is a flat, band-like muscle located in the buttocks directly above the sciatic nerve that stabilizes the hip joint 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 movement reeducation. 

A total hip replacement surgery is a common orthopedic surgery performed due to arthritis or certain hip fractures to relieve severe pain, improve hip mobility, and restore function. A hip replacement involves removing damaged bone and cartilage from the hip joint and replacing it with prosthetic parts. Physical therapists play an important role in pre-surgery preparation and post-hip replacement rehabilitation, helping to improve mobility, manage pain, regain strength, and restore function in your new hip.

Frozen shoulder is a condition that causes pain and stiffness in the shoulder joint and can significantly reduce shoulder mobility. Frozen shoulder occurs when the shoulder capsule tissues thicken and become stiff, tight, and inflamed. This can occur after surgery due to enforced immobility of the shoulder, trauma to the joint, or joint inflammation. Physical therapy is recommended as the first line of treatment for frozen shoulder to increase shoulder mobility and regain range of motion. Check out our infographic to learn more!

Neck pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions, affecting 30 to 50% of adults each year. While there can be numerous causes of neck pain, the most common source of neck pain is mechanical neck pain resulting from muscle strain or joint issues. Physical therapy is the most effective treatment for neck pain, reducing pain and stiffness, improving range of motion, and strengthening the postural flexibility of the neck through therapeutic exercise and manual therapy.

Ballet is a full-body art form that demands precise technique with incredible muscular strength and stamina and extreme flexibility and range of motion. Ballet dancers engage in long hours of training and performance involving repetitive movements that contribute to injuries, particularly in the ankle, foot, leg, hip, and low back. Physical therapists can provide ballet dancers with specialized and customized treatment to help dancers fully recover from injury and effectively restore range of motion, strength, function, and motor control in order to safely return to performance with endurance and power.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic autoimmune disease that affects the soft tissues around joints, causing joint inflammation and pain and limiting joint function. Early detection of the condition and treatment is key, which includes drug therapies and targeted exercise. Physical therapists help rheumatoid arthritis patients manage pain and improve muscle strength and joint function and range of motion through a therapeutic aerobic and strengthening exercise program.