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.

Mangiarelli Rehabilitation physical therapist, Sarah, demonstrates three exercises you can do to stabilize and strengthen your shoulder. The shoulder is a complex joint that allows for a significant amount of mobility and is stabilized by the surrounding shoulder musculature on and around the shoulder blade. Shoulder instability involves increased laxity of the shoulder joint in which the joint can “slip” in and out of the socket. A physical therapist can address shoulder instability and increase shoulder strength and stability through an exercise program that targets the rotator cuff muscles, scapular muscles, and lower and upper back muscles.

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).

In celebration of National Physical Therapy Month, we are highlighting 10 benefits of physical therapy in our latest infographic. Physical therapy offers patients personalized medical care specific to their needs, helps patients reduce pain and avoid opioids, recover from a stroke, and treat sports injuries. Learn how physical therapy helps manage age-related health issues, neuromuscular conditions, and women’s health conditions on the blog!

Plantar fasciitis affects two million Americans each year. It is a common condition that causes foot and heel pain, affecting those of all ages, athletes and non-athletes, men and women. Plantar fasciitis is a condition that frequently develops due to repeated activities that strain the plantar fascia of the foot. Physical therapy helps patients effectively manage and overcome plantar fasciitis, reduce pain, and restore walking ability. 

Osteoporosis is a bone-weakening condition that increases the risk of bone fractures. Exercise, particularly weight-bearing exercise, is essential for preventing and treating osteoporosis. Physical therapy can help manage osteoporosis, maintaining bone density and preventing bone loss through a targeted exercise program.

At Mangiarelli Rehabilitation, we understand that a stroke can be a life-altering event in your family and in your life. As physical therapists, we are here to accompany you and your loved one through your stroke recovery. We work to help you restore function of affected limbs, regain movement and strength, and improve balance and coordination. Check out our Stroke Recovery Infographic to learn more!

An exclusive interview with the owner of Mangiarelli Rehabilitation, physical therapist Paula Mangiarelli, on the blog today! Mangiarelli Rehabilitation was started in 2010 and has since expanded to 10 staff members and a 6,500 square foot facility. Our mission is to provide rehabilitation services with the highest level of skill, evidence-based knowledge, great customer service, and compassionate care. Learn more about how Mangiarelli Rehabilitation began and the new updates and renovations we have made to continue to provide outstanding physical therapy to our patients.

The Mangiarelli Rehabilitation July 2020 Newsletter covers low back pain relief, why rehabilitation after surgery matters, what personalized physical therapy looks like at Mangiarelli Rehabilitation, and the 2020 Tribune Chronicle’s Reader’s Choice Awards.

At Mangiarelli Rehabilitation, we provide personalized physical therapy to each patient. We ensure each patient receives an individualized treatment plan based on their needs, ability, and condition so that our patients reach their max potential in the safest and most successful way. We customize each patient’s treatment plan for safe and effective rehabilitation to full recovery. Learn what personalized physical therapy looks like at our clinic & check out our infographic for 8 questions to ask to ensure you receive personalized physical therapy care.

In the United States each year, there are over six million car accidents with two million people injured. It is essential to receive proper medical attention soon after a car accident, even if your injuries and pain appear to be mild. By undergoing medical evaluation by your physician and starting physical therapy treatment shortly after the accident, you can address pain, injury, and function issues. Car accident injuries are serious incidents that can have a long-lasting effect on your health. Start rehabilitative treatment shortly after a car accident to help you reduce pain and manage injury safely and effectively.

Low back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek physical therapy. At any given time, 25% of Americans report having experienced low back pain in the last three months. Physical therapy is a non-surgical, non-invasive treatment option for low back pain. A physical therapist can help improve and restore mobility and reduce your low back pain without the high costs of imaging scans, surgery, and medications. Staying active is an important aspect of successfully addressing your back pain. 

Vertigo and vestibular dysfunction affect a person’s quality of life and ability to perform daily activities. Vestibular dysfunction results in symptoms of lightheadedness, dizziness, vertigo, impaired postural control, and imbalance. Vertigo intensifies the feeling of dizziness into a spinning, tilting sensation. Using vestibular rehabilitation therapy, physical therapists treat a patient with vertigo or vestibular dysfunction, alleviate symptoms, improve balance, and reduce fall risk.

Pre-surgical rehabilitation helps you prepare for surgery and leads to better surgical outcomes and a faster recovery. Post-surgical rehabilitation is essential to ensure proper healing, regain movement and strength, and return to pre-surgery and pre-injury activity levels. Our physical therapists can provide you with exceptional pre-and post-surgical rehabilitative care and help you return to your daily life and activity stronger and healthier!

Mangiarelli Rehabilitation is debunking seven myths about physical therapy today on the blog. Myth #1: You need a referral from a doctor to receive physical therapy care. Fact #1: A physical therapist can treat a patient without a referral script from a doctor. Learn more about physical therapy insurance coverage, why you do not need an MRI prior to physical therapy in most cases, how physical therapy can be just as effective as surgery for certain conditions, and much more!

A concussion is a mild brain injury that requires a thorough and skilled treatment plan for optimal recovery. Concussions can occur during sports and other recreational activities or from car accidents, falls, or work accidents. Physical therapists can effectively manage concussion injuries through evidence-based treatment and a careful, personalized rehabilitation plan.

Parkinson’s disease is a lifelong condition from the onset of the disease, often around age 60. A customized physical therapy treatment plan can help manage the condition and maintain physical and cognitive function that can be affected by the disease. Physical therapy helps combat movement issues, difficulty walking, and impaired balance and coordination. Physical therapy can also improve posture, strength, and flexibility and decrease pain and stiffness.

Lymphedema is an abnormal build-up of protein-rich fluid under the skin. It is a common, progressive, and serious condition. Symptoms include aching or feeling of heaviness in the arm or leg, swelling in the extremities, mobility limitations, and repeated infections. A certified lymphedema physical therapist is an important component of the medical team managing the condition. At Mangiarelli Rehabilitation, our certified lymphedema physical therapist performs Complete Decongestive Therapy (CDT) to treat lymphedema; this includes manual lymphatic drainage, skincare, decongestive exercises, and compression therapy.

A woman’s body undergoes tremendous changes throughout the course of her lifetime, particularly during childbearing and childbirth. These changes can lead to pain and muscle dysfunction of the pelvic floor. Too often, women are dismissed when they raise concerns over incontinence, chronic pelvic pain, or painful intercourse and continue to suffer these symptoms untreated for months and even years. Women no longer have to suffer in silence. Physical therapy is an effective treatment to address pelvic floor dysfunction and other women’s health conditions.