Mangiarelli Rehabilitation physical therapist Sarah demonstrates three exercises to reduce plantar fasciitis pain and restore function. Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of foot and heel pain that develops due to repeated activities that strain the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue that rungs along the bottom of the foot and supports the arch of the foot. Physical therapy is highly effective in treating plantar fasciitis, using manual therapy and therapeutic exercise to reduce pain, restore function and strength in the foot, and improve foot mechanics.

Softball is a dynamic modified form of baseball that is played on a smaller field with a larger, softer ball with underarm windmill pitching. The windmill pitch is an underhand throw that places significant stress on the shoulder and elbow of the athlete, which can lead to overuse injuries like shoulder and wrist tendinitis, rotator cuff tears, and elbow injuries. Physical therapists can help softball players prepare for the season with a targeted strength and conditioning program as well as treat in-season softball injuries with manual therapy, targeted strengthening and therapeutic exercise, and functional sport-specific training.

Lacrosse is a high-energy, full-body sport that combines quick sprints, agility, and coordination of the upper and lower extremities. Lacrosse injuries are more common in the lower extremities, particularly ankle sprains, ACL tears, shin splints, or hamstring or quadriceps muscle strains. Physical therapy can help lacrosse players not only address and recover from injuries during the lacrosse season, but also help prevent injury through a customized strength and conditioning program.

Throwing injuries to the shoulder among baseball players are very common, often due to overuse and repetitive high stress of overhead throwing. Rehabilitation after a shoulder injury involves a gradual restoration of range of motion, strength, muscular endurance, dynamic stabilization, and neuromuscular control via targeted therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, rebounder therapy, and aquatic therapy. When preparing for a return to throwing, using the rebounder can be a highly effective way to prepare the shoulder gradually and safely for the dynamic act of throwing. Mangiarelli Rehabilitation physical therapist Bobby demonstrates a return to throwing progression using the rebounder to rehabilitate after a shoulder injury.

A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that can result in disrupted neurological function and cause a wide range of physical, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms. The sport of soccer poses a significant risk for concussions and head injuries. During soccer, the head is at risk of contact with the ground, with soccer goalposts, with the ball, and with other players’ heads, elbows, knees, or feet. Physical therapists can effectively manage concussion injuries through evidence-based treatment and a careful, personalized rehabilitation program.

Plantar fasciitis is a common foot condition that develops when repeated activities strain the plantar fascia of the foot, which is a thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot and supports the arch of the foot. When individuals perform repetitive weight-bearing and impact-loading activities over days, months, and years, this can lead to microtears and chronic inflammation of the plantar fascia. Physical therapy is highly effective in treating plantar fasciitis, helping reduce pain, restore function and strength in the foot, improve foot mechanics, and address the root cause of the condition.

The Lisfranc joint is a complex joint in the midfoot where the metatarsal bones connect to the rest of the foot, providing stability to the foot, supporting the arch of the foot, and allowing you to walk and run with ease. A Lisfranc injury involves a fracture or dislocation of the metatarsal and tarsal bones of the midfoot or a sprain of the ligaments of the midfoot, leading to significant pain, dysfunction, and difficulty walking or running. Physical therapy after a Lisfranc injury and surgery can help you manage pain and swelling, improve lower extremity mobility and strength, restore normal walking ability, and safely return to activity and sports competition.

Ankle sprains are one of the most common sports injuries that occur when the foot twists beyond its normal range of movement, causing the ankle's ligaments to overstretch or tear. If you do not receive timely and effective treatment after your first ankle sprain, the risk of recurrent ankle sprains and chronic ankle instability is high. It’s essential to work with a physical therapist to address an ankle sprain and restore ankle joint biomechanics, strength, and balance safely before returning to sport or activity.

A calf strain involves injury to or tearing of the muscles in the back of your leg below the knee, primarily the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. Calf strains are common among athletes who perform stop-and-go movements with quick bursts of speed, such as sprinters, football players, and soccer and tennis players. Physical therapy can help reduce pain, restore muscle strength and flexibility, and increase the speed of recovery through a progressive rehabilitation program to prepare the athlete for a safe return to sport.

Boxing is a high-impact sport requiring full-body movement, coordination, agility, endurance, and power, combining upper-body power punching with lower-body footwork. Due to the high intensity of the sport, upper body injuries are common, including concussions, wrist and elbow strains, boxer’s fracture, or shoulder rotator cuff or labrum tears. Physical therapists can help boxers prevent injury through a customized strength and conditioning program and recover from and return to the boxing ring safely after injury.

Spondylolysis is a lumbar stress fracture in the pars interarticularis, the bony bridge that connects the upper and lower facet joints of the vertebrae. Spondylolysis is a common cause of low back pain in adolescent athletes, caused by repetitive loading, backward bending, and twisting of the lower back. Physical therapy can successfully manage spondylolysis in adolescent athletes, helping to reduce pain, improve strength and function in the low back, and safely return athletes to sports competition.

Snowboarding is an intense winter sport requiring excellent balance, coordination, and agility while descending packed snow-covered slopes at high speed. Due to the high speeds and momentum gained when snowboarding, injuries due to falling are common and most often involve injury to the upper body, such as wrist fractures, separated shoulders, ligament and tendon tears in the shoulder, and concussions. A physical therapist can help a snowboarder not only recover from injury and safely return to the slopes but also prepare for the snowboarding season through a targeted strength and conditioning program.

Check out our January 2023 Newsletter, highlighting tips for managing arthritis this winter, wellness program update, winter donation thank you, and meniscus tear recovery with physical therapy.

Meniscus tears are one of the most common sports injuries and most frequent knee injuries. The meniscus can tear during any movement that puts excessive pressure on the knee or pushes the meniscus past its normal rotational range of motion, such as when twisting, squatting, or making quick positional changes. Physical therapy can help those experiencing meniscus tears facilitate optimal healing, restore full functionality, and achieve complete recovery through targeted strengthening and extensive rehabilitation should surgery be necessary, for a safe return to sport and activity.

Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (PTDD) is one of the most common problems of the foot and ankle that occurs when the posterior tibial tendon is inflamed or torn, leading to an acquired flat foot. PTDD most often results from overuse due to repetitive loading on the tendon that causes microtrauma, inflammation, and eventually a tear of the posterior tibial tendon. Physical therapy can restore flexibility and strength in the foot and ankle, alleviate pain, and help patients return to the highest level of function.

A lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injury occurs when the ligament on the outer side of the knee is overstretched and tears, causing pain, swelling, and knee instability. The LCL, which is a thick band of tissue connecting the thighbone and shinbone, can be injured if the knee is hit on the inside, pushing the knee outward or if the knee straightens too quickly or forcefully, hyperextending and straining the outside of the knee. Most LCL injuries heal with conservative non-operative physical therapy treatment. Physical therapy can reduce LCL injury pain, restore strength and range of motion in the knee, and safely return athletes to their sport through a progressive therapeutic exercise program.

Female athlete triad involves three interrelated conditions: energy availability, bone mineral density, and the menstrual cycle. Energy availability is the cornerstone of the triad as low energy and nutrient deficiencies can lead to the development of low bone density and changes in the menstrual cycle in female athletes. Physical therapy can help to prevent or resolve female athlete triad, screening for triad risk as they treat female athletes, identify signs, address triad-related injuries, and educate athletes on proper health and fitness for their overall health and athletic training.

Ankle impingement can occur when either soft or bony tissues are compressed within the ankle joint at the extreme end of a motion, such as pointing the foot sharply downward. This condition commonly affects gymnasts, dancers, runners, and football, soccer, and volleyball players as these activities require either a repetitive kicking motion or repeated extremes of ankle motion in dorsiflexion or plantarflexion. Physical therapy can reduce ankle impingement pain, heal and strengthen the ankle complex, improve overall balance, and help athletes and dancers return to sport and dance safely.

Check out our infographic on physical therapy for a shoulder separation. Shoulder separations occur when one or more of the ligaments that hold the clavicle and the scapula that form the AC joint become strained or torn. This is a common shoulder injury in football due to the high-contact and tackling nature of the sport. Physical therapy can effectively treat shoulder separations, helping athletes manage pain, restore shoulder mobility, and strength, and return to sport safely.

Tennis elbow is one of the most common elbow injuries that results from overuse of the muscles of your arm and forearm. It occurs in the tendons that attach your muscles to the rounded projection of bone on the outside of the elbow, causing radiating pain from the outside of the elbow to the forearm and wrist. Tennis elbow normally develops gradually over weeks and months due to repetitive use of the wrist, hand, arm, and elbow over time. Physical therapy is an effective treatment for tennis elbow, helping patients build muscle strength, regain function in the elbow and forearm, and manage pain.