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.

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.

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.

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.

To improve your golf swing, it is essential to improve your thoracic mobility. Thoracic mobility refers to the rotational capacity of your thoracic spine which is comprised of 12 vertebrae in the mid-back that are specifically designed for rotation, flexion, and extension of the torso. Adequate motion in the thoracic spine helps to minimize compensatory motion in the golf swing, create a longer back swing, and generate power in the golf swing and clubhead speed. On the blog, Mangiarelli Rehabilitation physical therapist Mike demonstrates exercises you can do to improve your thoracic mobility and golf swing.

Check out our infographic on physical therapy for a sports hernia. A sports hernia is a soft tissue injury that occurs in the groin, pelvis, or lower abdomen involving a strain or tear in a muscle, tendon, or ligament deep in the abdominal wall. Physical therapists play a critical role in helping an athlete recover from and return to sport safely after a sports hernia through an active rehabilitation program focused on strengthening the hip and abdominal muscles.

Total shoulder replacement surgery involves removing the damaged ball and socket of the shoulder joint and replacing it with a functional metal joint to eliminate pain and restore function to the shoulder. Nearly 70,000 Americans undergo shoulder replacement surgery each year. Physical therapy after a total shoulder replacement is critical to regaining full function, strength, mobility, and range of motion in the shoulder joint. The physical therapist not only helps the patient manage pain and swelling post-surgery but also guides the patient through a progressive shoulder and scapular strengthening program for optimal recovery.

Before returning to sprinting after a sports injury, it is essential to progressively regain strength, agility, and speed under the guidance of a qualified sports physical therapist. To prepare for a return to sprinting, a physical therapist begins with isometric and eccentric strength training followed by plyometric and agility training before progressing to a sprint training program. Returning to sprinting is an objective in the later stages of rehabilitation for lower extremity injuries. It is critical that athletes achieve interval sprinting at top speed in the controlled, predictable environment of the physical therapy clinic before engaging in competition and returning to sport. 

Cervicogenic headaches are caused by musculoskeletal dysfunction in the neck that refers pain to the head through the nervous system. Cervicogenic headaches commonly affect one side of the head and can result from a traumatic injury to the cervical spine and neck muscles such as whiplash or due to muscle tension or strain from forward head posture. Physical therapy can reduce pain and address the underlying cause of cervicogenic headaches for sustainable headache management.

Overhead throwing is an extremely complex movement that places significant stress on the shoulder joint of a pitcher. The shoulder is a hypermobile joint that is susceptible to injury from the repetitive high stress of pitching. Upper extremity injuries comprise more than half of all baseball injuries, the majority of which are shoulder injuries and affect pitchers more than position players. Physical therapy can effectively treat baseball-related shoulder injuries and help pitchers prevent injury through a throwing mechanics assessment and pre-season conditioning program. A successful rehabilitation program is multi-phased, gradually re-introducing the functional demands of the pitcher’s position for a safe return to sport.

A rebounder is a mini trampoline that uses bounce and movement to improve balance, posture, core strength, and endurance. Rebounder therapy involves exercises performed on the trampoline and can be used to treat sports injuries, shoulder and ankle injuries, stroke, and Parkinson’s disease. In the video below, Mangiarelli Rehabilitation physical therapist Bobby explains how the rebounder is used at our clinic and demonstrates several exercises you can perform with the rebounder during physical therapy.

Check out our infographic on shoulder labral tear treatment with physical therapy! A shoulder labral tear occurs when the labrum is disrupted, frayed, or torn, leading to shoulder pain and shoulder joint instability. Physical therapy can help those with shoulder labral tears regain strength, stability, and range of motion in the shoulder joint.

The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) works together with the ACL to stabilize the knee during movement. The PCL is located near the back of the knee joint and attaches to the back of the femur and tibia behind the ACL. PCL injuries are less common than ACL injuries but can occur due to blunt trauma during a sport or car accident or extreme hyperextension of the knee. Physical therapists can help those with PCL injuries and those healing after PCL surgery manage pain and stiffness, address instability, and restore function and strength to the knee through a progressive rehabilitation program.

In the United States, a stroke occurs every 40 seconds and can have long-lasting effects on a person’s movement, coordination, vision, speech, cognition, and emotional processing. A stroke occurs when blood flow in the brain is blocked or bleeds. It is therefore imperative that stroke survivors receive intensive rehabilitative care in the 3 months post-stroke to maximize their recovery and improve their quality of life. Physical therapists play a critical role in stroke recovery, helping stroke survivors maximize their functional abilities, relearn basic skills, and improve quality of life.

Stress causes a cascade of physical responses in the body, triggering the fight or flight response. While acute stress can be beneficial to react to a stressful situation, chronic stress can have far-reaching negative effects on your physical and mental health, impacting your nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, reproductive, immune, and gastrointestinal systems. Once the stress cycle has been activated, it is essential to move through the stress response and complete the stress cycle to prevent chronic stress. One of the best ways to complete the stress cycle and bring your body back to a calm state is exercise.