National Physical Therapy Month
This October, Island Sports Physical Therapy urges you to celebrate National Physical Therapy Month! This month’s goal is to spread awareness about the many benefits of physical therapy and how it can help those suffering from chronic pain avoid taking medications or getting extensive surgeries. People who suffer from injuries or chronic pain often consider medications and surgery as the best options, but physical therapy can often be more effective in treating their pain. National Physical Therapy month is recognized as a way to inform more people about the many benefits of opting for physical therapy as opposed to other unnecessary treatment options. Additionally, this month celebrates the hard work that physical therapists do for those in pain all across the nation.
In honor of National Physical Therapy Month, we want to highlight some of the benefits that can result from physical therapy. Many of these benefits can only be obtained through physical therapy, as opposed to other options. Among the many benefits of physical therapy are:
- Avoiding surgery: Although surgery is often unavoidable, physical therapy can, in some cases, help you avoid surgery. Physical therapy helps to eliminate pain, prevent further injury, assist in healing, and improve your overall physical health. Physical therapy can also heal injured tissues, preventing you from going under the knife. Even if you have surgery, physical therapy can help you recover and become active again.
- Natural pain relief: Physical therapy is a natural alternative to pain relief, unlike many opioids or pain-relieving medications that can become addicting. People who experience pain also take anti-inflammatory medications or pain killers because it is believed to be the least intrusive approach. However, physical therapists can help you locate the source and cause of your pain. Physical therapists can show you several exercises that can help you mobilize your joints and muscles.
- Preventing future injury: Physical therapists assess your weaknesses during each session. By doing this, physical therapists can create an exercise plan that’s tailored to your needs. As they analyze your weaknesses, a physical therapist can predict how likely you will be prone to injury and where the injury is likely to occur.
- Improved athletic performance: Physical therapy can improve your performance while playing sports. Aside from providing pain relief for athletes, physical therapy can increase your muscle strength and endurance. Physical therapy can also improve mobility, balance, flexibility, and circulation in the body.
With all of the benefits associated with Physical Therapy, it is no surprise that there is an entire month dedicated to the craft. At Island Sports Physical Therapy, we will be celebrating physical therapy this month and beyond, and we hope that you will too!
Post-Stroke Physical Therapy
Did you know that more than 795,000 Americans suffer from a stroke each year? Well, recovering from a stroke can be just as daunting as that number sounds. Rehabilitation after a stroke can often be a lengthy process. Most stroke patients are trying to recover parts of their brain that have been impaired. It can affect not only their speech but also their cognitive, sensory, and motor skills, as well. Putting in the work is vital for stroke patients, but also having the right support can make a huge difference. If you have been searching for physical therapy in East Meadow, contact Island Sports Physical Therapy. We offer a wide range of services, as well as rehabilitation physical therapy for stroke patients. This can make a huge difference in your recovery process.
How does the brain recover after a stroke?
There are several possible ways that stroke patients can regain function in their brain:
- Changing the way certain tasks are performed and completed.
- If blood flow were restored to certain parts of the brain, cells would be able to begin functioning the same way, again, over time.
- Certain parts of the brain may step in and provide support for the areas that were affected or damaged by a stroke.
The skills you can recover
The overall goal of rehabilitation is to regain the normal function that a patient had before the event of a stroke. Some of the skills you can work to achieve through rehab include:
- Speech Skills – Strokes can often cause a language impairment called Aphasia. This condition affects how one speaks and formulates sentences. Aphasia can also make physically speaking very difficult.
- Speech and language therapists can help those suffering from aphasia regain control of their muscles. This can, in turn, help them be able to talk more clearly and coherently.
- Cognitive Skills – Stroke patients can also experience loss of judgment, impaired thinking and reasoning abilities, and memory loss.
- It can also alter some of an individual’s personality traits. Patients recovering from a stroke can seem more withdrawn or quiet than their usual self, or vice-versa.
- With the loss of judgment comes the ability to act more careless or recklessly. This poses a safety hazard to both themselves and others. Physical therapy and occupational therapists can help stroke patients regain their cognitive abilities through specific exercises and repetition.
- Motor Skills – After undergoing a stroke, it can cause certain muscles on one side of the body to be affected. This can make an individual’s sense of coordination weak and even make it difficult for them to perform simple functions, such as walking.
- Physical therapy can help strengthen these muscles, therefore increasing overall balance and coordination.
- Sensory Skills – Sensory inputs can also be affected after a stroke such as the ability to feel hot/cold surfaces or pressure. This can also pose a safety hazard, making physical therapy extremely helpful. Therapists can work with you to help you adjust to the changes and increase your sensory function.
How can Physical Therapy in East Meadow help me?
If you or someone you know needs physical therapy in East Meadow, post-stroke, Island Sports Physical Therapy might be the place for you. We offer services ranging from post-stroke physical therapy to education and fitness plans to help get you acclimated back to your old self. Contact us today to see how Island Sports Physical Therapy can help you!
Good Heart Health
The heart is the center of the cardiovascular system and is responsible for most of the functions keeping us alive, therefore making sure it’s in tip-top shape is crucial. There are many ways in which we can sustain good heart health. Whether it’s through diet and exercise or following up with a cardiologist. These are all measures we can take to help promote a healthy heart and lifestyle for years to come.
Physical Therapy and a Healthy Heart
Physical therapy has been proven to play a key role in sustaining good heart health. By incorporating both strategic diet plans and workout regimes to boost cardiovascular health, it can help prevent and strengthen one’s heart. If you are looking to help boost your own heart health, check out physical therapy in East Meadow at Island Sports Physical Therapy. Here, we can help provide you with the tools and knowledge necessary to help keep your heart in the best shape possible!
Diet
A cardiac diet typically consists of a meal plan with wholesome and fresh foods. It also places emphasis on making sure to eat moderate portions throughout the day. Here is a list of some cardiac-friendly foods:
- Spinach
- Oats
- Salmon
- Pistachios
- Blueberries
- Broccoli
- Asparagus
- Tuna
- Olive and Peanut Oils (in moderation, of course)
These foods are typically low in fat and sodium, all while containing higher amounts of protein and fiber. By eating lower-fat and unprocessed foods this can help keep cholesterol levels and blood pressure low. Some of the main foods to avoid are processed or “packaged” snacks, canned vegetables, and foods containing high amounts of trans/saturated fats, sodium, or sugar. Determining what to eat and what not to eat can be difficult at times. Physical Therapists can help ease this process by assessing a patient’s current diet and determining what needs to be substituted or eliminated.
Exercise
It’s called “cardio” for a reason. Exercise is one of the main ways a person can better their heart health. It’s recommended that a person does 30 minutes of exercise at least five times a week. This can mean a brisk walk or even resistance training at the gym. The main goal of exercising for cardiac health is to get the heart rate up. By doing just a little each day, it can have major health benefits on your heart. Here’s a list of exercises you can do to help get that heart rate up:
- Cardio- walking, jogging, running, biking or swimming
- Stretching
- Strength Training – incorporating weights or bodyweight (yoga)
Physical Therapy in East Meadow
If you’ve been searching for physical therapy in East Meadow, visit Island Sports Physical Therapy. These skilled physical therapists can help assess your current weight/diet plan and help you make adjustments to improve your heart health. They can also suggest a workout regime specific to your needs. Don’t wait! Start your journey to better heart health today!
Physical Therapy for Rowing
Contrary to what may be initially anticipated, rowing can be a highly intense sport and it certainly requires the use of various muscle groups. Are you sore from rowing and need to seek physical therapy to help strengthen your muscles? Island Sports Physical Therapy in Huntington, NY can provide you with strengthening programs that adequately get your necessary muscle groups prepared for hitting the water. Please feel free to contact us if you would like to make an appointment for your injuries or sore muscles. For readers who are interested in the sport of rowing, please continue looking through this article.
What is rowing?
Rowing is a strenuous sport that has participants race through a body of water with the help of a boat and an oar. The rower uses the oar to glide themselves across the water by consistently moving forward and backward with their arms. Rowers typically race one another to the finish line and can race for miles on end. Historically speaking, rowing had originated back in Egypt, Greece, and Rome as a mode of transportation. As time went on, it eventually became a sport in England during the 17th and 18th centuries. With the turn of the 19th century, rowing then became popularized across the globe, including in the U.S. Rowing is not known as a contact sport, but it can cause injuries to the rower if they don’t stretch or exercise properly.
Injuries
Despite the lack of physical contact, rowing can still cause injury to the body through ordinary wear and tear. The rower is maintaining proper positioning by sitting in the boat and using various muscle groups to help accomplish their goal of winning the race. With extensive hours of training, injuries are inevitable, especially if the rowers don’t take care of their body’s properly. Some injuries that can occur from rowing may include the following:
- Lower back pain.
- Knee pain.
- Extensor Tenosynovitis of the wrist (occurs mostly at the beginning of spring and causes major swelling and pain in the wrist).
- Stress fractures in the ribs.
What’s a blessing and a curse about rowing is that it requires the use of many different muscle groups all at once. Muscles around your body are steadily being used as a result of the back and forth motion. Some of the muscle groups that are used while rowing includes the following:
- Erector Spinae.
- Rectus-Abdominis.
- Triceps.
- Rhomboids.
- Deltoids.
- Trapezius.
- Pectoralis Major.
- Wrist Extensors and Flexors.
- Quadriceps.
- Glutes.
- Hamstrings.
- Gastrocnemius.
- Soleus.
Maintaining your key strength within these muscle groups is essential for making you an elite competitor in this sport. By getting physical therapy in Huntington, NY, you can rest assured that your body is at peak physical condition when it’s time to head back out onto the boat with your teammates. Physical therapists can also target the specific muscle groups that are required in rowing, promoting strength in your back, shoulders, and other areas.
Our specialists at Island Sports Physical Therapy in Huntington, NY can ensure that if you are in pain from rowing, they can assist you and get you ready for the next race.
Are you a multi-sport athlete? Due to the immediate jumps from season to season, you’re likely going to experience an injury every so often. Thankfully, a key component of physical therapy is that it’s able to provide athletes with increased levels of injury prevention. In addition, other unique benefits of undergoing physical therapy in Huntington, NY can also be accommodated. At Island Sports Physical Therapy, we offer several services for various different athletes who require assistance getting back on the field or court, including Sports Medicine Long Island. Contact us today to make an appointment to improve your health and strengthen your body, preparing you for the grueling stretch run.
Benefits of Sports Medicine Long Island
If you’re an athlete that is always playing in long games and or constantly moving, it is important to make sure that everything in your musculoskeletal system is working properly. When it comes to sports, injuries are an unfortunate inevitability. Making sure you take care of your body and muscles through maintenance is crucial for any athlete. Fortunately, there are many benefits of visiting a physical therapist that is personally trained in sports medicine. Some of these benefits can include the following:
- Pain reduction and the ability to protect the body from discomfort.
- Promoting endurance through the use of building muscle.
- Alternative to surgery (depending on the injury).
- Enhanced mobility and movements skills (essential for any athlete).
With the help of physical therapy, patients can be provided with a concise plan of attack for their specific injury. Physical therapists specialize in many different techniques, allowing them to target areas of the body that have been experiencing discomfort. Athletes who endure symptoms related to chronic pain may find relief with the help of a physical therapist. Naturally, attempting to participate in any sport-related activity can be made an arduous task if you’re consistently feeling uncomfortable and in pain.
Services
For physical therapy in Huntington, NY, ISPT offers a multitude of services for patients of all sports and most age groups. Sports medicine has become an essential aspect of our practice, allowing us to make sure that each patient’s health is the top priority. Some of the services that are offered at Island Sports Therapy include:
- Orthopedics.
- Spinal Rehabilitation.
- Sports Specific Therapy.
- Geriatric Rehabilitation.
- Children’s Injuries.
- Fitness Programming.
- Sports Medicine Long Island
Our practice prides itself on our ability to help athletes maintain a strong foundation and enhance their ability to prevent injuries. Sports injuries are quite common for the average athlete. With the help of our therapy program, we can factor in what sport you play and what areas of the body undergo the most stress as a result of the muscle groups that are used. In other words, we can develop an entirely customized routine for whatever athletes walk through our doors.
Sports Injuries Treated With Sports Medicine Long Island
The unfortunate truth is that the competitor within ourselves can force us to play through, and experience, an injury. While playing sports, or even engaging in any physical activity, you need to make sure that you are aware of what you are doing to your body. External factors such as the environment in which you’re playing also need to be taken into consideration. For a list of some of the most common sports injuries, please consider the following:
- Sprained Ankle.
- Strained Hamstring.
- Pulled Groin.
- Shin Splints.
- Knee Injuries.
A common theme with these lower-body injuries is that they can be experienced after engaging in sharp turns or a sudden change of motion. Think of a running back in football making an awkward cut to avoid a defender. For some athletes, this can feel as though it’s an unnatural movement. With the help of sports medicine, we can provide you with stretching techniques that allow your knees and other joints to be more flexible, thus promoting injury prevention.
Sports Medicine Long Island
If you are experiencing any of these injuries, it is important to make sure you receive quality physical therapy in Huntington, NY here at Island Sports Physical Therapy. Getting back into the game, pain-free is our primary goal as a practice.
Sports PT
With spring right on the horizon, athletes are preparing themselves for the upcoming spring sports season. Living a very active lifestyle can put a burden on your body at times, especially for those who play contact sports such as lacrosse. By making an appointment with Island Sports Physical Therapy in Huntington, NY, our expert staff can provide you with fitness programming tailored to your specific sport. Physical therapy can be an outstanding resource for athletes who are looking to make sure that they’re ready for the upcoming season.
Benefits of Sports Specific PT
There are many benefits of visiting a physical therapist if you are an athlete. Even if you do not feel as though you are injured, it’s still a good plan to undergo an evaluation from your physical therapist. By doing so, you’ll be able to reassure that you are maintaining a healthy lifestyle for sports or even daily physical activities. Physical therapists work with patients who are healing from various injuries, which can be common for athletes. Most athletes understand the physical demands that sports require from them. With multiple practices throughout the week, and several games to follow, seeing a physical therapist will help you out immensely.
Looking at specific sports, spring sports in most districts tend to feature both lacrosse and baseball/softball. In the case of baseball, pitchers tend to suffer regular shoulder pain and soreness as a result of the unorthodox pitching motions they employ. Looking at lacrosse, running up and down the field constantly can undoubtedly have plenty of strain on the knees and other parts of the legs.
Why Choose PT?
At Island Sports Physical Therapy in Huntington, NY, our staff can specialize our fitness programs to your specific sport and get you fully prepared for the upcoming season. Should you feel as though you’re nursing an injury, physical therapy can be even more prevalent for you. Don’t wait, take care of this issue immediately before it becomes a lingering problem. Injuries that are not reported can only become worse, instead, get yourself the right treatment. Our staff can recommend proper stretching techniques that will target the problem areas. As an athlete, this will help minimize pain and build up your endurance. Longevity and staying on the field is your responsibility as an athlete don’t allow yourself to struggle.
Consider Island Sports Physical Therapy in Huntington, NY for answering any questions regarding your injury. Our team will work with you to build up your strength and decrease your chances of suffering a sports-related injury. Contact our office today for further information.
Frozen Shoulder
The unique anatomy and sensitive muscles surrounding the shoulder causes it to be prone to injury. Therefore, it is not uncommon to experience occasional and mild discomfort in the surrounding areas. However, developing symptoms such as pain and stiffness can be associated with a condition known as frozen shoulder. Typically, frozen shoulder develops gradually, provoking immobility. At first, pain may be more apparent throughout the night; you may feel limited in terms of movement. A shoulder can be considered “frozen” when one begins to experience more stiffness than pain. To ensure discomfort ends, it is suggested to seek professional treatment. At Island Sports Physical Therapy in Nesconset, our experts will assess and treat your shoulder injury with specialized joint mobilization techniques to relieve discomfort.
What is Joint Mobilization?
Joint mobilization refers to a manual physical therapy technique in which the surrounding muscles of distressed joints are worked through a series of passive movements and gentle exercises. Such exercises entail joint manipulation, which forces the muscles to mobilize and loosen. Once the muscles are more relaxed, discomfort typically tends to subside. Island Sports Physical Therapy in Nesconset is an ideal location to seek frozen shoulder care and joint mobilization treatment.
How can Joint Mobilization help Frozen Shoulder?
Joints are the connection between two bones and are cushioned by cartilage. With injury and age, cartilage is more likely to become worn and inevitably deteriorate. Since it’s caused by the increased stiffness of cartilage surrounding the shoulder, frozen shoulder is likely to develop as a result. Joint mobilization can exercise and build the proper muscle necessary to repair the cartilage surrounding the shoulder joints. Island Sports Physical Therapy in Nesconset can connect you with specialists to treat irritated and achy joints.
How does Joint Mobilization work?
Island Sports Physical Therapy in Nesconset performs a series of unique exercises specifically catering to shoulder pain and stiffness. Treatment entails joint manipulation to relax and relieve distressed cartilage. For any questions or concerns regarding this procedure, feel free to discuss with our physical therapists.
Contact Us
Make an appointment with Island Sports Physical Therapy today for a consultation and further information regarding our services and treatments for frozen shoulder and other ailments.
Physical Therapy in Glen Cove
Experiencing chronic pain on a daily basis can make ordinary tasks much more challenging. Patients who are forced to put up with chronic pain typically tend to worry that the discomfort may never subside. For the thousands of working Americans that experience chronic pain, it can complicate simple tasks and inhibit their ability to focus. At Island Sports Physical Therapy in Glen Cove, we are focused on making our patients feel pain-free with low-risk solutions. For chronic pain, surgery may become an inevitable requirement, but it can take weeks to recover from and can give you hefty bills that take years to pay back. Physical therapy is a more sensible solution and can be much more price efficient.
Having a job while enduring chronic pain is highly strenuous and can undoubtedly become bothersome to deal with. In some cases, patients chose to work at home if they experience such pain because going to an average desk job can be too much of a challenge. Research has suggested that 1 in 4 working people experience work-related pains. Naturally, 9 out of 10 of those people choose to commute to work rather than stay at home. Continue reading for some tips to improve your chronic pain and make the best of your working life:
Talk To Your Boss
Instead of suffering in silence, make sure to tell your boss what you’re feeling. Taking an extra 10-minute break or leaving the office for a couple of minutes can be simple solutions to make you more comfortable at work. They’ll understand if your discomfort has become unbearable, and will be willing to work with you to make sure your situation is optimal.
Customize Your Workspace
Equipping your desk with supplies to make you feel more at-home is an essential part in decreasing your chronic pain. If you are a person experiencing back pain, you might find it helpful to leave a seat cushion at your desk. Other items such as stress balls, small massagers, and heating packs can all be easily hidden and kept away from other people.
Go To Physical Therapy
Medications can be addictive and dangerous, whereas physical therapy is a low-risk solution to chronic pain. At Island Sports Physical Therapy in Glen Cove, we create customized treatments to help clients receive a method that’s right for them. Our physical therapists can show you stretches to help improve movement and reduce your pain.
Island Sports Physical Therapy in Glen Cove is dedicated to helping our patients live a pain-free life. Physical Therapy is an excellent option for people seeking a customized treatment plan with minimal risk involved. Contact our office today to make an appointment or to learn more about how we can help improve your quality of life.
Physical Therapy in Nesconset
Preparing yourself to embark on a run may seem like a precarious task, but this exercise holds many benefits. Before you decide to stay in and watch T.V., consider all of the prosperities that running can offer you instead. When plotting a routine, remember to formulate a plan that will allow you to be consistent. Without strict discipline, you’re more likely to brush your regular running habits off to the side in favor of more relaxing activity. Despite what you may have been lead to believe, running is not a quick solution for weight loss. Researchers say going for a longer; the slower run is more beneficial than just doing an abrupt 10-minute mile. At Island Sports Physical Therapy in Nesconset, we can help you create a running schedule that will jump-start your weight loss journey. Continue reading for recommended tips and suggestions.
Continue reading How Frequently Should You Be Going For Runs?
Building Upper Body Muscle
Often, patients are fixated on the possibility of building strong and lean muscle mass in the upper body. Naturally, this could be due to the desire to develop strength, prepare for an athletic competition, or improve balance and agility to help prevent injury. Physical therapy can play a critical role in the promotion of muscle mass. At Island Sports Physical Therapy, offering physical therapy in Huntington Station, NY, our therapists are here to help you reach your individual fitness goals and muscular potential. There are several initiatives you can take to build muscle mass in an effective and maximizing manner.