In honor of National Nutrition Month in March, we at Mangiarelli Rehabilitation recognize the role that nutrition can play in managing osteoarthritis symptoms. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and involves the breakdown of cartilage around joints, causing inflammation, pain, and swelling. A balanced, nutritious eating plan that includes whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean protein, and is rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids provides the body the nutrients it needs to prevent further damage to joints and improve OA symptoms. Combining targeted physical therapy with a whole-food nutritious diet can improve osteoarthritic symptoms and enhance OA patients’ overall quality of life, function, and mobility.

Check out our March 2024 Newsletter, highlighting addressing shin splints during track & field season, how physical therapy can help address frailty syndrome, spring donation drive, and 7 benefits of exercise for heart health.

Shin splints are a common running overuse injury that involves inflammation of the tibia and surrounding muscles and tissues caused by repetitive stress placed on the lower leg. Shin splints commonly occur at the start of track and field season, when an athlete overexerts themselves or increases the frequency, duration, and intensity of their training too quickly such that the body cannot adjust to the stressor, leading to injury. Physical therapists can help athletes with shin splints recover pain-free movement, return to sport safely, and prevent future re-injury through a targeted exercise rehabilitation program.

Rugby is a demanding high-intensity sport with a high risk of injury, combining the running and endurance of soccer with the contact and tackling of American football. Common injuries include concussions, jersey finger, muscle strains of the hamstrings or quadriceps, ACL or MCL tears, ankle sprains, shin splints, and shoulder joint injuries. Physical therapists can help rugby players prevent and manage sports-related injuries through a targeted exercise strength and conditioning program.

Regular exercise is one of the best ways to improve your heart health, prevent cardiovascular disease like heart disease or a heart attack, and help you recover after a cardiac event. A physical therapist plays a critical role in helping you exercise safely to improve your heart health and regain cardiovascular endurance and capacity progressively through a personalized and targeted exercise program. Check out our infographic to learn about the 7 benefits of exercise for heart health!

Frailty is a common syndrome among older adults that involves loss of muscle strength, exhaustion, low levels of physical activity, and an increased risk of falling. Inactivity and the subsequent sarcopenia, or a decrease in the amount and quality of muscle, is a major cause of frailty in older adults. Physical therapy can play a critical role in helping those with frailty restore overall mobility, strength, and aerobic capacity through a customized therapeutic exercise, strengthening, and balance training program. Check out our infographic on how physical therapy can help address frailty syndrome to learn more!

Check out our February 2024 Newsletter, highlighting: the importance of balance training to prevent falls in older adults, addressing ski-related MCL injuries with physical therapy, hamstring injury treatment, and physical therapy for Lisfranc injury.

Hamstring injuries are common in activities that involve high-speed running, jumping, kicking, or explosive lower extremity movements combined with rapid changes in direction. A hamstring injury involves a strain or tear of one of the three hamstring muscles, causing pain, swelling, and difficulty walking and running. Physical therapy plays a critical role in helping athletes recover after a hamstring injury, return to sport safely, and regain function, mobility, and strength in the hamstring muscle complex through a targeted therapeutic exercise, functional training, and return to sport program.

Maintaining and improving balance is critical as you age to prevent falls. Aging can contribute to visual, vestibular, and muscular weakness issues that can negatively impact your ability to maintain balance and lead to a fall. Each year, nearly 25% of older adults fall. Physical therapists can play a critical role in preventing falls and improving balance, function, and strength in older adults through a personalized fall prevention balance training program. A balance training program for older adults has been shown to reduce the risk of falls by 23% and enhance older adults’ independence and mobility.

MCL sprains or tears are the most common ski-related knee injury, accounting for up to 20% of all ski injuries and 60% of all ski-related knee injuries. An MCL injury can occur while skiing when pressure or hard contact from a collision or fall impacts the outside of the knee, straining or tearing the ligament. Physical therapy is the preferred treatment for the majority of MCL injuries, restoring function, mobility, stability, and strength to the MCL and knee joint through a targeted therapeutic exercise program.

Hockey is a high-intensity collision sport that requires athletes to skate a narrow contact surface (blade of the skate) on a low friction surface (ice) while moving in all planes of motion. The intensity of the sport can lead to a variety of injuries, such as concussions, shoulder separations, wrist fractures, MCL sprains, high ankle sprains, or FAI or hip adductor muscle strains. Physical therapy can help hockey players recover after injury and help hockey players prepare for the hockey season and reduce the risk of injury through a personalize strength and conditioning program.

A Lisfranc injury can involve a sprain or tearing of the ligaments of the midfoot or a fracture or dislocation of the metatarsal and tarsal bones of the midfoot, leading to significant pain, dysfunction, and difficulty walking or running. The Lisfranc joint is located at the junction of the forefoot and midfoot, where the metatarsal bones connect to the rest of the foot. Physical therapy after a Lisfranc injury can help you manage pain and swelling, improve lower extremity mobility and strength, restore normal walking ability, and ensure a safe return to activity and sports competition.

Check out our January 2024 Newsletter, highlighting managing shoulder labral tears with physical therapy, benefits of core strengthening for athletic performance, setting SMART fitness goals, and winter donation drive thank you.

Are you setting resolutions for the new year? Too often, we name aspirational resolutions without having a clear plan to achieve them. This year, try using the SMART goal setting framework to help you create specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timebound fitness goals for 2024. Check out our infographic to learn more!

Winter sports involve dynamic athletic activities engaged in in cold weather and packed snow and ice, heightening the risk of injury significantly. Common winter sports injuries include knee ligament and meniscus tears, wrist fractures and sprains, concussions, and shoulder injuries like dislocations or rotator cuff tears. Physical therapists can help winter sports participants recover effectively from injury and return to winter sports. Check out our 10 tips for winter sports injury prevention!

A shoulder labral tear can result from the labrum becoming frayed over time due to intense repetitive activity or from an acute trauma like a direct blow, fall, or dislocation. The shoulder labrum is a ring of fibro-cartilage tissue that surrounds the rim of the glenoid on the scapula, providing stability to the shoulder joint. Physical therapy plays a crucial role in the management and rehabilitation of shoulder labral tears and can help athletes with shoulder labral tears regain strength, stability, function, and range of motion in the shoulder joint for a safe return to sport.

Core strengthening has numerous benefits for an athlete’s fitness level and sports performance. The core muscles are the foundation of movement for the entire body, comprised of the abdominals, back muscles, diaphragm, hip muscles, and pelvic floor muscles. A physical therapist can assess an athlete’s core strength and design a core strengthening exercise program to enhance the strength, control, and endurance of their core muscles. Mangiarelli Rehabilitation physical therapy assistant Patti demonstrates several advanced core strengthening exercises on the blog.

The holiday season is upon us! Many of us are participating in holiday work events, shopping, traveling, and gatherings with family and friends. The holiday season brings with it an often hectic pace and highly palatable and sugary foods, which can derail your healthy eating plan and regular exercise routine. Check out our infographic highlighting 10 holiday health and fitness tips to help you enjoy the holiday season while maintaining a healthy lifestyle and preventing injury!

Swimming is a dynamic sport that requires full body movement and coordination and a significant amount of power and endurance, placing significant stress on the shoulder joint. The intensity of competitive swimming training can increase the risk of common overuse injuries like swimmer’s shoulder, knee injury, or low back pain. Physical therapy can help swimmers prevent and address injuries through sport-specific training and a comprehensive rehabilitation program to improve strength, endurance, mobility, and shoulder stability. Check out our 5 tips to prevent injury in competitive swimming!

A MPFL injury involves a strain or tearing of the medial patellofemoral ligament, typically due to a traumatic kneecap dislocation during sports competition. The MPFL is a part of a complex of soft tissues that stabilize the knee and is a ligament that attaches the inside part of the kneecap to the femur. Physical therapy plays an important role in helping athletes recover from MPFL injury and surgery, helping to restore knee strength, mobility, and function and minimize the risk of recurrent patellar dislocation and instability.