Be flexible! Many believe that strength is the key to reducing their risk of injury and maintaining a healthy body. In addition to staying fit, patient’s will often seek treatment for recent injury, such as a wrist strain or knee sprain, and ask for “strengthening” exercises to help facilitate a speedy recovery. Unfortunately, what is often neglected is a balance between both flexibility and strength within the affected region while recovering from injury, and across the enti...

Preventing Winter Sports Injuries Many people prefer to exercise outdoors particularly in the warmer months, but in the winter many people retreat to an ‘indoor only’ exercise program.  Winter is a great time to get outside and participate in a variety of sports such as skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and sledding; however, there are a few things to remember when venturing outside to prevent injuries. First and foremost, the proper winter gear is essential.  Plan on we...

Managing Tendonitis A tendon, by definition, is a flexible but strong band of fibrous tissue that attaches muscle to bone. The tendons in your body transmit the force from a muscle contraction to a bone, which creates movement. Tendonitis, literally means “inflamed tendon” and is commonly treated in Physical Therapy practice. The most prevalent forms of tendonitis are achilles tendonitis or posterior tibialis tendonitis in the foot, lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) or medial epi...

Does your insurance plan have a high copay for physical therapy services? Many people have discovered, much to their surprise, that their insurance copay for physical therapy services is significantly higher than the copay for a visit to their primary care physician.  Most health insurance plans designate physical therapist services in the “specialist” category which enables them to charge a higher copay for these services.  It is not uncommon for some insurance carriers t...

Direct Access to Physical Therapy In New York State, like most states, people can access physical therapy services directly without the need for physician referral. There are several advantages to direct access.  There is a growing body of evidence that physical therapy direct access can be part of the solution to the high costs and inefficiencies of our current health care system. First, a more direct route to the physical therapist reduces the time between an injury, or the onset of a p...