Check out our December Newsletter, highlighting managing diabetes through targeted exercise, hip stabilization exercises, slowing Alzheimer's disease progression with physical therapy, and our winter donation drive with Dorothy Day House of Youngstown.

Running a marathon is one of the most challenging and demanding athletic feats, requiring significant physical and mental strength as you push your body to its maximum limits. The hours, days, and weeks after a marathon are crucial for recovery and to reduce injury. Physical therapists can help marathon runners recover effectively, minimize soreness, and ensure a safe return to running. Check out our 14 tips for post-marathon recovery.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease in the elderly associated with dementia, memory loss, severe cognitive impairments, and eventually physical limitations. Alzheimer’s disease develops due to microscopic changes that take place in the brain that damages brain cells and nerves and leads to the physical and cognitive symptoms of the condition. Physical therapy can slow Alzheimer’s disease progression and help individuals maintain physical and cognitive function as much as possible through a targeted exercise program.

The hip is one of the largest, most dynamic joints in the body, designed to stabilize and mobilize the lower extremity. Hip stability means the musculature of each side of the hips works equally with every movement you take with muscles that aren’t too loose or too tight. Physical therapists can help you improve your hip strength and stability through targeted hip stabilization exercises. Mangiarelli Rehabilitation physical therapist Sarah demonstrates three hip stabilization exercises to strengthen the front, back, and side of the hip.

Biceps tendonitis involves inflammation of and injury to the biceps tendon, often due to repetitive overloading and overuse from sports activities that cause microtears in the fibers of the tendon. Biceps tendonitis is more common among athletes who play sports that place repetitive stress on the biceps tendon through repetitive overhead motions. Physical therapy can effectively address biceps tendonitis, decreasing pain and inflammation, improving shoulder range of motion and strength, and improving functional mobility of the arm and shoulder through a targeted exercise program.

Exercise plays a critical role in diabetes management and the prevention of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is a condition characterized by the body’s inability to manage blood sugar levels properly. The body either does not produce enough insulin or does not respond normally to insulin, causing glucose levels in the blood to become too high. Physical therapists can help diabetic patients improve their physical fitness and engage in exercise safely through a targeted exercise program.

Basketball is a high-intensity sport, requiring running multi-directionally, shuffling the body laterally, jumping, and quick starts and stops. The intense physical demands of basketball heighten the risk of injury. Physical therapists work with basketball players to not only prepare them for a successful basketball season through a customized strength and conditioning program, but also address any in-season injuries and help athletes regain strength, mobility, balance, and function for a safe return to sport.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease that involves inflammation of the synovial lining of joints, causing swelling, pain, stiffness, and eventual erosion of the affected joints over time. Physical therapy plays a key role in helping patients with RA maintain muscle strength, flexibility, and joint range of motion as well as prevent long-term disabilities through a targeted exercise program. Physical therapy works together with medical drug treatments to improve the quality of life, optimize overall fitness and cardiovascular health, and maintain the ability to perform daily activities in those with rheumatoid arthritis.

Check out our November 2023 newsletter, highlighting managing Achilles tendinopathy with physical therapy, managing lymphedema after breast cancer, 3 posture training exercises to improve postural alignment, and understanding the science of pain.

Gluteal tendinopathy involves inflammation and degeneration of the gluteal tendon due to overuse and excessive loading of the tendon, causing severe lateral hip pain. The key to tendon healing is appropriate, gradual loading to restore tendon strength and resilience to stressors. Physical therapy can decrease gluteal tendinopathy pain, appropriately load and strengthen the gluteal tendon, and improve the individual’s function and mobility through a progressive gluteal strengthening exercise program.

Improving an athlete’s sports performance with physical therapy can reduce the incidence of sports-related injuries by improving sports technique and body mechanics as well as enhancing the athlete’s strength, mobility, and power. Physical therapists can create a personalized sports conditioning and performance program to help athletes perform at an elite level. Check out 10 ways physical therapy can improve your sports performance!

Achilles tendinopathy is a common athletic injury caused by repetitive stress and overuse of the Achilles tendon, causing inflammation and irritation of the tendon. It most often occurs due to a sudden increase in training volume or intensity without adequate recovery time. Physical therapy exercise rehabilitation is the best intervention to address Achilles tendinopathy, restore strength and function in the lower extremity, and ensure a safe return to sports competition. Mangiarelli Rehabilitation physical therapist Bobby demonstrates 4 exercises you can do to address Achilles tendinopathy.

Osteoporosis is a bone disease characterized by low bone mineral density, decreased bone strength, and changes in bone structure that causes thin, brittle bones and an increased risk of bone fractures. Physical therapy plays a critical role in managing osteoporosis, helping those with osteoporosis maintain and build bone density through a customized therapeutic exercise program. Research has shown that aerobic and resistance exercise effectively stimulate bone osteogenesis in osteoporosis patients, improving bone density and reducing fall risk.

Mangiarelli Rehabilitation physical therapy assistant Patti demonstrates three exercises to improve posture. Good posture refers to proper alignment of the body in static and dynamic positions, holding the body against gravity with the least strain and tension on your muscles, joints, and ligaments. Physical therapists can assess and address any postural impairments, designing a personalized posture training program involving stretching, targeted strengthening, body mechanics instruction, and manual therapy.

FHL tendonitis is a common injury among ballet dancers that involves inflammation of the FHL tendon, often due to repetitive forceful movements or prolonged plantar flexion (toe pointing/dancing en pointe). The FHL tendon connects the calf muscle to the big toe, helping to flex the big toe and acting as a major stabilizer of the foot arch. Physical therapy can help dancers manage and address FHL tendonitis by strengthening the tendon and restoring range of motion and proper biomechanics in the foot and ankle complex through manual therapy, stretching, and therapeutic exercise.

Women who undergo treatment for breast cancer are at a heightened risk of developing lymphedema as breast cancer surgery and radiation therapy can disrupt the functioning of the lymphatic system. Lymphedema is a build-up of fluid under the skin due to inadequate drainage of the lymphatic system that leads to swelling in the affected area. Physical therapists play a key role in helping women manage breast cancer-related lymphedema, utilizing complete decongestive therapy to relieve pain, improve mobility and range of motion, and enhance overall quality of life.

Check our our infographic debunking 5 common physical therapy myths! October is National Physical Therapy Month, a month to celebrate and recognize the dedication of each of our physical therapists and physical therapy assistants at Mangiarelli Rehabilitation and provide education about the field of physical therapy. At Mangiarelli Rehabilitation, our focus is to provide evidence-based, patient-centered rehabilitative care customized to each patient’s specific needs, condition, and goals. However, there are a number of myths and misconceptions about physical therapy.

Check out our October 2023 Newsletter, highlighting Mangiarelli Rehab sponsoring & participating in the SVDP Friends of the Poor Walk, three exercises for piriformis syndrome, fall donation drive with SVDP, and a staff spotlight on Mangiarelli Rehab PTA Lyle.

Mangiarelli Rehabilitation physical therapist Sarah demonstrates three exercises to address piriformis syndrome. Piriformis syndrome is a condition that develops due to tightening of the piriformis muscle, which can irritate and compress the sciatic nerve and lead to significant pain in the buttocks, hip, lower back, and back of the leg. The piriformis muscle is a small muscle located in the gluteal region under which the sciatic nerve passes that stabilizes the hip 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 neural mobilization.

During autumn, many of us engage in outdoor tasks to prepare our homes and yards for the winter, including raking copious amounts of leaves. Raking leaves can be quite physically demanding, requiring repetitive movements like pushing, pulling, lifting, twisting, and turning that can place biomechanical stress on the low back, shoulders, and neck. It’s important to take steps to prevent injury while raking leaves and prepare your body for the physical demands of raking. Check out our 6 tips to prevent leaf raking injuries this autumn!