Need a Little Help Getting Active?
Try Physical Therapy
You know that regular exercise is crucial to living a healthy lifestyle. The CDC recommends adults aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity a week–about 22 minutes a day, so you don’t have to toil away in the gym for hours. But hitting those numbers can still be a challenge, especially if you struggle with persistent pain or limited mobility.
That’s where physical therapy at The Physical Therapy Institute comes in. We’re movement experts who understand all the impairments in your musculoskeletal system that can keep you from living the active, healthy lifestyle you crave. From pain management to maximizing your athletic performance, we’ll help you meet your exercise goals.
Here are just a few of the ways we can help you get healthier. Ready to get started? Call our clinic today!
We Can Reduce Pain and Restore Mobility
Many orthopedic conditions and injuries can make regular exercise feel difficult (if not impossible). Osteoarthritis, herniated discs, tennis elbow–all can make you feel like it’s easier just to sit this one out. In reality, though, all these conditions (and others) benefit from regular exercise.
Dealing with persistent pain or limited mobility? Our physical therapists offer several options for pain relief, including several manual therapy techniques, such as soft tissue manipulation, joint mobilization, or myofascial release. We use these techniques as the first step in preparing your body for regular movement.
We’ll also show you targeted, tailored exercises to reduce pain in the affected area. Joint pain often stems from muscular imbalances or postural impairments that stress the impacted joint, leading to discomfort and setting you up for more serious injuries. Strength training will help reduce your pain and get you moving again.
We Can Let You Know If You’re At Risk for an Injury
Did you know you don’t have to wait until you’re in pain to visit the team at The Physical Therapy Institute? We’re in the business of preventing injuries, not just treating them–and we can help you enter into a new workout plan without fear!
Our comprehensive physical evaluations test the following:
- Muscle strength and endurance
- Overall mobility
- Biomechanics, which looks at how your body’s systems work together to get you moving
- Balance and fall risk
- Posture
- Walking patterns
- Functional movements that you might perform for work, hobbies, or recreation
During the screens, we’ll look for potential impairments that might cause injuries down the line and suggest corrections to address them–before they become a problem.
For example, let’s say that you want to take up running after some time away. During your assessment, we noticed that you tend to bend forward at the waist when jogging. This habit means that every time your foot hits the ground, you cause more impact in your feet than necessary, which could, eventually, lead to an injury.
By catching the form mistake now–and working with our physical therapists to correct it–you lower your chances of suffering a knee injury (which could prevent you from exercising altogether).
We Can Help You Exercise with Confidence
Starting a new exercise program for the first time–or restarting one after some time away–can be deeply intimidating. You don’t know which exercises you should do. You have no idea if you’re performing movements correctly. You’re not even sure what types of exercise you would enjoy.
Our physical therapists can help with all these concerns and more. We can suggest an exercise program that suits your abilities, interests, and goals and work with you one-on-one to guide you through any unfamiliar movements or equipment. We can also suggest movement or activity modifications if something’s too difficult and offer reassurance that even small changes can have a big impact.
Our team doesn’t just help beginners, either. As you progress, you may find yourself plateauing or struggling with certain aspects of your performance. Our therapists can get to the bottom of things and develop a performance improvement plan so you can see the results you’re looking for.
Start the Journey to An Active Lifestyle Today!
No matter your needs, the physical therapists at The Physical Therapy Institute will help you get active in a way that works for you. Call us to schedule your initial consultation!
Intimidated by the Gym? Try These 3 Tips
While some people struggle to exercise regularly due to pain or busy schedules, many more find themselves holding back for one simple reason: going to the gym is intimidating.
At The Physical Therapy Institute, we strive to create a welcoming, inclusive environment for all our patients. But we also understand that going to a physical therapy clinic is quite different from going to a gym, where you often have little to no guidance about etiquette, exercise equipment, and more.
Fortunately, our physical therapists can offer a few simple tips for overcoming gym intimidation:
Take a few deep breaths.
Deep breathing exercises can help calm your nerves before entering the building. Find a quiet space (your car, an empty corner in the locker room) and take five deep, steady breaths before you start your workout.
Don’t leave your cell phone in your locker.
We often see our cell phones as needless distractions–but in the gym, that distraction can help soothe anxiety. One study found that cell phone usage during a workout filters out environmental stressors (like that super-buff guy lifting weights beside you). So consider this permission to load up your favorite podcast and plug in your earbuds!
Know before you go.
When you walk into a gym, you’re met with a maze of cardio and weight machines, free weights, and lots of mirrors. Figuring out a workout program before you step through the doors will help take some of the pressure off. Our physical therapists can help, offering guidance on specific exercises, workout plans, and equipment and gym etiquette instruction.
Gym intimidation is a genuine phenomenon–and the team at The Physical Therapy Institute is here to help combat it! Call us today to learn more.
Leah Memmo
PT • DPT
Leah graduated from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL in May 2023 with her Doctor of Physical Therapy. Since then, Leah has worked at both inpatient and outpatient settings in WV and OH. Originally, she is from Bridgeville, PA and completed her internship at the PTI during her sophomore year of undergrad. Leah has returned to live in Washington, PA with her husband and is passionate about improving the lives of patients through movement. In her free time, Leah enjoys hiking the Montour trail, eating at the strip district in Pittsburgh, going to the gym, and playing/coaching soccer.
Our Patients Get Great Results
“Kelsie is an outstanding physical therapist—11/10, highly recommend! I came to PTI after surgery to repair a torn meniscus, and Kelsie was consistently positive, relatable, and motivating, while also knowing exactly when to push me. Early on, I was hesitant and fearful about what my knee could handle, but she quickly recognized that and became my biggest cheerleader. She made every session feel like progress by creating achievable “wins”, whether that meant increasing ankle weights or pushing my range a bit further on the stim machine. Kelsie struck the perfect balance between encouragement and challenge, helping me build confidence and leave each appointment feeling accomplished—even on the sore days.” – E.G.
Recipe of the Month: Buffalo Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients:
- 16 oz. cauliflower florets
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- ⅓ cup buffalo sauce
- 8 large lettuce leaves
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- ½ cup matchstick carrots
- ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 450F.
- Toss cauliflower in oil. Spread evenly on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes, flipping midway, until tender.
- Drizzle buffalo sauce onto cauliflower and toss to coat well. Return pan to oven and bake additional 5 minutes.
- Fill lettuce cups with buffalo cauliflower and top with carrots, celery and blue cheese.
Sources
- https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm,
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6509454/
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1612197X.2020.1739108,
- https://journals.lww.com/jbisrir/fulltext/2019/09000/effectiveness_of_diaphragmatic_breathing_for.6.aspx
- https://healthyfamilyproject.com/recipes/buffalo-cauliflower-lettuce-wraps/