Staying Active During The Holidays

With the imminent holiday season fastly approaching upon us, plenty of people across the nation need to make preparations in order to ensure that this season is the best one to date. Commonly, several of us tend to gather copious amounts of stress during this time of year, due to the fast-paced nature and sudden necessity of completing the daunting tasks that have been added to our to-do lists.  Coordinating party planning, organizing holiday decorations, purchasing gifts for loved ones, the list essentially appears to be insurmountable. However, taking your time and developing a patient approach can be the key to formulating a plan for this upcoming season.  Our physical therapy in Huntington will get you feeling great this holiday season.

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physical therapy in Huntington, NY

Keeping Your Body Healthy During The Wrestling Season

The wrestling season is long, grueling, and tiresome. But for those who are dedicated and passionate about this great sport, must keep their health in mind so they can sustain themselves throughout the year. Wrestlers often face various injuries as they power through their season, and it is important they seek prevention methods, as well as treatment if such an event occurs. If you’re a wrestler and you’re seeking the assistance of physical therapy in Huntington, NY, then Island Sports Physical Therapy is here to help you stay healthy this season.  

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physical therapy in Huntington

You don’t realize how many instances you need to use your shoulder for until you’re suddenly dealing with shoulder pain. When this occurs, even the smallest daily actions can bring you pain and discomfort. Island Sports Physical Therapy offers premium physical therapy in Huntington, so you don’t have to live another day with debilitating, untreated shoulder pain.

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physical therapy in Huntington, NY

How Physical Therapy Can Help Reduce Lower Back Pain

Physical Therapy & Back Pain

Back pain is very common and can develop in all types of people, whether their lifestyle requires a lot of labor or if they sit at a desk. Back pain can be avoidable and preventable with physical therapy. At Island Sports Physical Therapy, we offer all types of treatments specific to each client’s needs. Physical therapy helps to relieve pain, promote healing, build strength, and restore function and movement. If you are looking for physical therapy in Huntington, NY, give us a call today to set up an appointment.

Common forms of physical therapy

The two most common forms of physical therapy are passive and active. Passive physical therapy includes the use of heating pads, ice packs, and electric stimulation. Active physical therapy includes specific exercises and stretches. For most lower back pain treatment, exercise is the focus of pain management, relief, and prevention.

Benefits from physical therapy

The lumbar spine (lower back) is very dependant on the abdominal muscles and lower back musculature. So essentially, if the pain in the lower back isn’t treated properly, it can lead to pain in other muscles of the body. A physical therapy exercise program can reduce the chances of receiving pain again and can help prevent future injuries and discomfort. Not only can it potentially help heal and reduce back pain, but it may even make those muscles stronger.

Physical therapy works differently for everyone

This is an important fact to remember when considering physical therapy. Every individual has different types of bodies, muscle movements and patterns, and also habits. Physical therapy in Huntington, NY, has the ability to monitor each patient in a unique fashion and cater themselves to their own specific needs. We specialize in treatments for children and adults, allowing us to expand our patient population.

Physical therapy before and after back surgery

Depending on the severity of the pain, surgery may be the only viable option for healing. Physical therapy is strongly recommended after surgery, but it can be utilized before the surgery as well. This may significantly shorten the patient’s recovery time by providing strength and stability.

Even if your back pain does not require surgery or does not seem too severe, physical therapy is still an option to reduce the discomfort and to avoid experiencing it again in the future. If you would like more information on our services and are looking for physical therapy in Huntington, NY, give us a call today to schedule an appointment!

Physical Therapy in East Meadow

Running Injuries

Running as a sport can put extreme stress on certain parts of the body. Most running injuries are caused by an individual trying to push their body too far. Some common running injuries include runner’s knee, stress fractures, shin splints, and pulled muscles. While all of these injuries are painful, they can also be easily treated through physical therapy. Injuries are common during any sport but it’s important to determine your injury as early on as possible so that treatment can begin. If you are suffering from a running injury, contact Island Sports Physical Therapy in Huntington today!

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physical therapy in Huntington, NY

Men’s Health Month

Did you know that June is National Men’s Health Month? At Island Sports Physical Therapy, we are here to educate you on everything you need to know about men’s health. It’s important to provide additional awareness of preventable health problems to get early detection and treatment of certain injuries and diseases such as heart disease, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. Physical therapy in Huntington, NY can make sure you understand your overall health and what preventative steps you can take.

Common Injuries to be Aware of:

  • Plantar Fasciitis – this injury is caused by repeated stress on the feet. This is most common for runners and occurs when the tendon that runs along the arch of the foot becomes strained.
  • Groin Pulls – this is a common injury for athletes playing hockey, soccer, football, or baseball. Groin pulls occur when too much strain is placed on your muscles in your groin and thigh area.
  • ACL Tears – this is one of the most severe injuries and typically requires surgery. This usually occurs from hyperextension or sudden deceleration which causes stress on the ACL ligament. Not being properly trained and having a weakened hamstring can put you at a higher risk for a tear.

These are only a few injuries to be aware of and depending on your sport and your health it is important to be fully trained and aware of the preventative steps you can take. If you want to avoid a future injury, or if you are recovering from a previous one, it’s important to know the following:

  • Warm-up before your workout, to increase your blood flow and flexibility.
  • Early detection is always important, so if you suspect that you might have an injury, reporting it could be what you need to prevent the injury from worsening.
  • If you are feeling tired while playing, take a rest. Working out while fatigued can cause further injury and increases your risks.
  • Avoid doing too much too soon, as this can put further stress on your body, especially if you have not played in a while.

Should you suffer from any type of injury, physical therapy in Huntington, NY is here to help. We offer many services for physical therapy for athletes, and we will make sure you get the proper therapy that is right for you and your injury. We can show you specific exercises that can increase your mobility, help you regain strength, and work toward your rehabilitation goals. National Men’s Health Month is important at Island Sports Physical Therapy and we want to make sure you understand your health and educate you on how you can take better care of yourself. Learning more about your body and how to take care of it is the first step. Contact us today!

physical therapy in Huntington

physical therapy in Huntington

Treating an ACL Tear With Physical Therapy in Huntington

An ACL tear is something that can affect many athletes and has the possibility of taking months to recover from. An ACL tear happens when the ligament in the knee is subject to a rapid or sudden change in movement, especially if one’s foot is planted while the knee is in motion. This accounts for why so many football and soccer players usually suffer from ACL tears and other leg related injuries. Physical therapy in Huntington, East Northport, Nesconset, Coram, East Meadow, and Glen Cove is not only able to treat ACL injuries with the utmost care, but they can build leg-strength back to its full potential.

While an ACL tear can affect ligaments and may take time to recover from, there’s also other types of damage that the injury can cause, such as damage to articular cartilage, meniscus and other ligaments. Since ACL injuries are so important to treat, there’s a severity scale for injured ligaments:

  • Grade 1 Sprains: while the ligament is slightly stretched, it still able to keep the knee joint stable.
  • Grade 2 Sprains: the ligament stretches far enough that it becomes loose and is usually correlated with a partial ligament tear.
  • Grade 3 Sprains: the most serious tear that can be sustained, a Grade 3 sprain is the complete tear of the ligament, where it’s been split into separate pieces, and the knee joint isn’t stable.

After suffering an ACL tear, recovering properly can not only help your knee rehabilitation process but can build the strength of your knee to reduce the chance of future ligament damage. Island Sports Physical Therapy in Huntington have countless treatments that will help you retain confidence in your road to recovery.

  • Bracing – After an operation for an ACL tear, a brace is usually given in order to reduce the knee movement following the surgery. This is helpful in assuring the knee doesn’t retain any new damage.
  • Icing – cold applications, such as an ice sleeve, around your knee will reduce the swelling around the injury.
  • Movement exercise – following surgery, a physical therapist will begin to help you with your knees range of motion and regaining the full movement of your knee. These exercises help increase blood flow around the injured area, reducing swelling as a result.
  • Strength Exercises – around a month after the injury, a physical therapist will use weight exercises to build your ability to put weight on your knee and build the strength of the injured knee.

Treatment for an ACL tear is vital for recuperating from the injury. Physical therapy in Huntington will work with patients every step of the way to get them back to doing what they enjoy. However, it’s important to be patient with the healing process, so that re-tearing a ligament doesn’t happen.

Island Sports Physical Therapy in Huntington has the ability to help with all leg injuries and uses various treatments by any means to help people recover. Contact them today for more information.

rotator cuff physical therapy

rotator cuff physical therapy

Physical Therapy in Huntington

The shoulder is an essential joint for sports players. Used in overhead reaching motions, the shoulder is most used in tennis, baseball, and swimming. What makes the associated movements possible is the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff is a series of muscles and tendons that keep your arm in your shoulder socket. The most infamous injury associated with the shoulder is the rotator cuff tear. This tear occurs when force is placed on the rotator cuff muscles to accelerate the arms, such as the front stroke in swimming, or pitching in baseball, and then suddenly decelerated. If you are looking for rotator cuff physical therapy in Huntington, East Northport, Nesconset, East Meadow, Glen Cove, and Coram, contact us today!

To get back to playing your sport you must follow the stages of recovery:

Acute

  • During this phase, the shoulder must be immobilized. In some cases, a sling is used. Usually, this injury will require rotator cuff physical therapy. A licensed physical therapist in Huntington at Island Sports Physical Therapy will use ultrasound and other techniques to help start the healing process. After properly icing the shoulder, a physical therapist will begin teaching you mobility exercises and strengthening exercises.

Recovery

  • Once your shoulder is operating at 3/4ths efficiency the recovery phase can begin. This phase focuses entirely on strengthening exercises that work the four main muscles in the rotator cuff. Exercises in this stage will focus on correcting the ranges of motion.

Functional

  • The functional phase is designed to facilitate your return to athletic competition and involves exercises designed to increase explosiveness and regain coordination. For a baseball player, these exercises will involve throwing light/small balls. Eventually, the exercises will increase in intensity and involve real baseballs.

After your recovery phases have been completed you should get back into practice by completing your standard practices and make not of any shoulder pain experienced. If you experience no pain your Huntington physical therapist will clear you for official participation. If you are in search of rotator cuff physical therapy to facilitate your recovery, contact Island Sports Physical Therapy in Huntington, East Northport, Nesconset, East Meadow, Glen Cove, and Coram today.

Physical Therapy in Huntington

A stress fracture occurs when tiny cracks become visible in your bones. These cracks can appear from performing repetitive movements where force is significantly placed on a single bone as well as sudden increases in intensity. In other words, sports such as track and field, tennis, gymnastics, and basketball will put more pressure on the affected area. This type of fracture typically occurs in the lower extremities, from the pelvis down, with the most occurring stress fractures repeating on the foot.

The most significant signs of a stress factor is a pain when performing a movement and ease of pain when at rest. To be positive with your self-diagnosis, the doctors at Island Sports Physical Therapy in Huntington can take x-rays of the area where the pain is experienced and will easily determine the cause of your pain.

If the doctors determine a stress fracture, do not fret, there are treatment options available for you. The most important step is to cease performing the activity/movement that gave you the stress fracture in the first place. Typical rest periods due to stress fractures require rest periods of 6 to 8 weeks. If you return to activity too soon, the stress fracture could be worsened, therefore, making the recovery time longer.

If you experienced a stress fracture in the past, live near Huntington NY, and are interested in preventing future stress fractures, contact Long Island Sports care. Our wide range of physical therapy options can help you prevent those painful fractures. Improving diet, modifying the level of activity, and special equipment, such as orthopedic inserts or shock absorbing shoes, can be used to prevent stress fractures. For more tips about preventing stress fractures, click this link.

If you are interested in physical therapy for a stress fracture contact Island Sports Physical Therapy in Suffolk County today! We look forward to hearing from you!

sports hernia

sports hernia

Physical Therapy in Huntington

A sports hernia is the strain or tear of soft tissue (muscle, tendon, ligament) anywhere in the lower abdomen or groin area. It’s most commonly caused when an athlete makes a sudden change in direction or plants their feet and intensely twists the body. The oblique muscles in the lower abdomen are the most frequently affected soft tissue when a sports hernia occurs. The more physically demanding sports such as ice hockey, wrestling, soccer, and football will cause the most sports hernias.

There are several symptoms a person suffering from a sports hernia may experience including immediate and intense groin pain at the time of injury, sensitivity or bruising in the upper thigh and/or abdomen, and pain accompanied by twisting movements. After rest, the groin pain may subside but resurfaces during sports activity or physical exertion. Sports hernias have the same symptoms as other types of groin injuries, making an accurate diagnosis difficult sometimes. In some cases, athletes aren’t aware they have a sports hernia since the only symptoms they experience is chronic groin pain. If you have consistent pain in your lower abdomen, see a doctor immediately. A healthcare professional will give you a proper physical exam and a diagnostic imaging scan to determine if you have a sports hernia.

If you’re diagnosed with a sports hernia, physical therapy in Huntington may be recommended for treatment after about 2-3 weeks of rest. Therapy is different for everyone, but it usually takes 4-6 weeks to complete. Treatment focuses on stretching the lower abdominal, lower extremity muscles. In addition, core strengthening exercises will often be part of therapy. A weak core increases the probability of a sports hernia during physical activity. If physical therapy is ineffective, surgery will be recommended. After a week of rest following the operation, postoperative physical therapy treatment begins. When the pain is gone, patients undergo abdominal stretching and core strengthening.

If you’re suffering from a sports hernia on Long Island, contact us with any questions or to make an appointment. Island Sports Physical Therapy in Huntington will help build a rehabilitation program that fits your needs and lifestyle and help you get back on the field as quickly as possible.