Sports Medicine & Injury Rehabilitation

Mangiarelli Rehabilitation offers orthopedic sports medicine for athletes in Trumbull and Mahoning County. Sports injury rehabilitation is a safe, therapeutic approach that helps athletes:

  • treat pain effectively

  • achieve peak performance with targeted exercises to return to pre-injury function

  • improve mobility

  • reduce risk of further sport-related injuries or recurrent injury

We recently added Astroturf to our clinic where athletes can simulate sport-specific drills on artificial turf as they would during practice or a sports competition.

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We also added the BTE PrimusRS testing equipment, which allows our therapists to determine an athlete’s ability, progress, and safe return to sport based on objective measurements from time of injury to return to sport.

We work with grade school, high school, college athletes, and beyond from every type of sport including football, golf, cross country, basketball, swimming and diving, wrestling, baseball, softball, track and field, tennis, and more.

Are you an athlete that was recently injured and unsure about next steps?

Our physical therapists offer free consultations for student-athletes, providing a guided evaluation of what your rehabilitation will look like.

We provide recommendations concerning whether surgery is needed or not, which physicians could serve your needs, and what interventions could benefit you in your recovery process.

Call today to request your free sports injury consultation!

 

Benefits of Sports Rehabilitation

  • Comprehensive injury assessment to determine the cause of injury and baseline of functional capacities

  • Development of evidence-based physical therapy program for optimal recovery

  • Coordination of therapy sessions with other training activities to reduce re-injury risk

  • Restore function

  • Improve mobility

  • Relieve pain and spasms

  • Prevent or limit physical disabilities

  • Increase coordination and balance

  • Regain strength

  • Instruction to avoid recurrent injuries

  • Decrease inflammation

  • Improve healing of tissue

  • Sport-specific exercises to achieve pre-injury functionalities

 

Concussions

 

A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that can occur during sports in which the brain is violently shaken due to a direct hit or rapid movement changes. Symptoms can include headache, dizziness, sensitivity to light and sounds, and double or blurred vision.

Physical Therapy’s Role

A physical therapist can effectively manage concussion injuries through evidence-based treatment and a careful, personalized rehabilitation plan.

Receiving rehabilitative care post-concussion can decrease time to medical clearance and leads to a faster, safer recovery.

Physical Therapy Treatment

The physical therapist runs a variety of tests to evaluate an individual’s symptoms and create a customized plan of care.

Physical therapy treatment includes vestibular rehabilitation, vision rehabilitation, graded aerobic exercise, balance testing and training, and manual therapy.

ACL Rehabilitation

 

The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is a primary ligament in the knee joint that keeps the knee stable. A non-contact ACL injury commonly occurs during sports that involve sudden stops, pivots, and changes in direction. A contact injury of the ACL occurs due to direct force to the ligament, e.g. a helmet to knee.

ACL injuries can be treated through surgery or non-surgery. For athletes, the operative route is generally recommended. ACL rehabilitation normally takes up to 9 to 16 months for full recovery.

At Mangiarelli Rehabilitation, our physical therapist work with the athlete to improve range of motion and control swelling by the six-week mark. As the knee heals, our therapists work to strengthen the knee, progressively loading the knee joint to handle more stress safely.

By months three and four of rehabilitation, a patient starts running and jumping in a controlled environment and may utilize aquatic therapy as part of their rehabilitation. The athlete must pass a series of tests in the clinic prior to return to sport to ensure a safe transition back to the competitive athletic field.

Meniscus Tear Rehabilitation

A meniscal tear is a common injury in athletes that involves the tearing of the knee’s cartilage. The meniscus is a disc of cartilage that cushions and stabilizes the knee and allows for fluid movements in various directions. A meniscal tear can occur from a particular movement, such as twisting and turning quickly on a bent knee when the foot is planted on the ground. Symptoms include sharp intense pain in the knee, a pop or tearing sensation in the knee at the time of injury, swelling within the first 24 hours after injury, and a catching/locking sensation in the knee.

Physical therapy is critical following a meniscal tear and surgery in order to heal properly and restore strength and movement to the knee for a safe return to sport. Physical therapy treatment includes ice and compression to reduce swelling and control pain, manual therapy joint mobilizations, and strengthening exercises to build and maintain strength and restore full movement in the knee. Physical therapy helps the athlete regain strength, endurance, flexibility, and coordination in order to maximize their return to sport and prevent re-injury.

Return to Sport Testing

 

Return to sport testing objectively measures an athlete’s progress and helps to determine the effectiveness of rehabilitation and when an athlete can safely return to sport without the risk of injury.

In order to safely return to sport, the athlete must return to prior function in functional movement patterns, muscle flexibility, strength, power, endurance, speed and agility, balance and proprioception, and aerobic and anaerobic conditioning.

Research supports that returning to sport should be based on meeting key performance criteria, not allowing the patient to return to sport purely based on timeframe.

At Mangiarelli Rehabilitation, our sports medicine physical therapists provide a thorough, evidence-based functional return to sport test for athletes of all ages.

Return to sport testing is most commonly performed after ACL reconstruction and rehabilitation. At our clinic, the testing protocol begins with the BTE PrimusRS testing equipment to test isometric strength.

Once passed, the athlete progresses to varying hop and jump tests on our Astroturf and a running mechanic test. After passing this evidence-based and safe RTS protocol, the athlete is the safest they can be to return to sport and minimize the risk of reinjury.