Physical Therapy in Farmingville

At United Rehab Physical Therapy in Farmingville, we’re devoted to treating whatever conditions and ailments you have. With our team of talented physical therapists and health professionals, there’s no treatment we can’t handle. Through our years of service, we’ve encountered plenty of injuries; here are a few of the conditions that we commonly treat:

Cervical Disc Disease

Are you having chronic neck pain radiating to the arm? This may be secondary to cervical disc disease. Spinal discs serve as a cushion to increase the mobility of the spine and protect the neural cord. The cervical portion of the spinal discs consists of seven bones called the vertebrae which are separated by discs filled with a cushion-like gel substance. Cervical disc disease occurs when the vertebrae bone become worn and torn, resulting in narrowing of the vertebrae bones and pinching of the nerve. Cervical disc disease is very common, with 25 percent prevalence in adults under 40 and 60 percent in adults over the age of 40. If you are looking for physical therapy in Farmingville to help with chronic back and neck pain, contact United Rehab Physical Therapy. With over a decade of experience serving the Long Island community, we have licensed physical and massage therapists to help you feel your best.

Common Symptoms of Cervical Disc Disease

Stiff neck with decreased range of motion
Pain, numbness, and weakness radiating down the arm from the neck or shoulder
Intermittent, chronic neck pain resistant to NSAIDs or pain-relievers such as Aleve

Physical therapy is a great non-surgical option for the treatment of cervical disc disease. Other modalities that can help control the pain are proper posture, discontinuing smoking and alcohol use, and resting the body. When looking for physical therapy in Farmingville, consider one of the many services we offer at United Rehab Physical Therapy.

How Physical Therapy Can Help You

Deep tissue massage - targets tight muscles and chronic tension surrounding the pinched cervical nerve
Hot and cold therapies - utilizes cryotherapy and ultrasound heat to help increase circulation around the muscle and stabilize the area
Spinal traction - alleviates pain caused by muscle tightness or compressed nerve. Traction can be applied either manually by the therapist or using machines.
Active physical therapy - This modality includes ergonomic exercises targeted at improving posture, optimizing body mechanics, and increasing flexibility over time in the neck.

Bursitis

Bursitis is a painful condition that affects the bursae sacs that provide a cushion for your joints. The bursae are vital in offering support to the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones surrounding your joints. Sometimes these bursae can experience inflammation when they are subject to excessive use. Treatments for bursitis often include physical therapy, and NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). United Rehab Physical Therapy offers treatment for bursitis and can give you the treatment you need. If you’re looking for physical therapy in Farmingville, United Rehab Physical Therapy can help you today.

What Causes Bursitis?

Bursitis is usually caused by repetitive, excessive movements that stress and irritate the bursae within the affected joint. If you have recently engaged in any of the following activities, you could be at risk for bursitis:

Persistent kneeling, which irritates the bursae in the knees.
Putting excessive weight on a joint such as the elbow.
Repeated lifting, throwing, or kicking.

Bursitis can negatively impact your day-to-day activities, ultimately lowering your quality of life. For physical therapy in Farmingville that provides treatment for this condition, United Rehab Physical Therapy will be able to help you.

What Are The Symptoms Associated With Bursitis?

When the bursae become inflamed, various painful and irritating symptoms can result. Some of the following is the result of irritated bursae:

Pain upon moving the joint
Redness at the affected location
Swelling
Stiffness
Dull ache

How Can Physical Therapy Treat Bursitis?

Depending on your specific needs, our physical therapist will determine a plan of action for your treatment. Typically heat and ice therapies are utilized for pain and swelling. Specific exercises may also be implemented to strengthen the muscles in order to prevent future injury. Our physical therapy in Farmingville can also teach you how to reduce stress on the joints.

Are There Any Risk Factors To Be Aware of?

There are certain factors that predispose you to bursitis, including some of the following:

Job functions
- If your job requires you to do a lot of heavy lifting as well as repetitive movements, you are at an increased risk for irritating your bursae.
Age
- As you get older, your risk for bursitis increases.
Being overweight
- If you are overweight, you are at a higher risk for developing bursitis of the hips and knees.

Vertigo

Vertigo is a sensation of imbalance where one feels an overwhelming sense of spinning and dizziness. Those with vertigo experience this sensation for several hours, sometimes even days. Contact our physical therapy in Farmingville at United Rehab Physical Therapy if you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms of vertigo.

What causes vertigo?

There are several causes for vertigo, and they can be defined depending on whether the causes are peripheral or central. Peripheral is caused by a problem within the inner ear, and central arises in the brain or spinal cord.

Some causes of vertigo include:

Meniere's disease
Vestibular neuritis or labyrinthitis
Ear infections

What are the symptoms of vertigo?

Vertigo patients describe vertigo as feeling like they are:

Unbalanced
Spinning
Swaying
Being pulled in one direction
Tilting

Other symptoms may include:

Nausea and/or vomiting
Nystagmus - involuntary eye movement
A headache
Sweating
Hearing loss or ringing in the ears

Symptoms can last anywhere between a few minutes to more than a few hours. If you are experiencing constant vertigo symptoms, visit our physical therapy in Farmingville for treatment options.

How do you treat vertigo?

Depending on what’s causing your vertigo, you may or may not need treatment. Vertigo tends to go away on its own because the brain, in part, adapts to the inner ear changes. In some cases, treatment is the only way of relieving it.

Some treatment options our physical therapy in Farmingville may include are:

Vestibular rehabilitation - This form of therapy is aimed to strengthen the vestibular system which is responsible for sending the brain signals regarding head and body movements. This form of treatment is recommended for individuals with recurrent bouts of vertigo.

Medication - In cases of inner-ear infections, your doctor may prescribe medication to reduce swelling and cure the infection. Sometimes, it’s recommended to relieve nausea.

Epley maneuver - This is a form of exercise done to treat benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, a type of vertigo.

Frozen Shoulder

Are your shoulder joints stiff? Do you have trouble performing daily tasks due to pain in your shoulders? You may be experiencing early symptoms of frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis. At United Rehab Physical Therapy, our physical therapy in Farmingville will help treat your frozen shoulder and educate you on the necessary ways to care for your condition.

What is frozen shoulder?

Frozen shoulder is a condition where the shoulder joint doesn’t have space to move properly, therefore leaving the joint stiff with a limited range of mobility. The shoulder capsule becomes tighter and develops adhesions which contribute to the joint’s low range in motion.

Who’s at risk?

Most people who have experienced frozen shoulder will develop it after an injury. However, there several potential causes of this condition. A few risk factors that may expose you to frozen shoulder are listed below:

Diabetes significantly increases your chances of developing a frozen shoulder.

Individuals with thyroid disorders are also at an elevated risk.

Those who wear a shoulder sling for extended periods post-surgery heighten their chance for getting frozen shoulder.

Frozen shoulder may also occur if your shoulder must remain in place for an extended period due to a recent operation or stroke.

Stages of Frozen Shoulder

There are three stages of frozen shoulder called “freezing,” “frozen,” and “thawing.” Each of these stages will have varying recovery times. However, a frozen shoulder may take up to three years to completely heal. The three stages are listed below:

Freezing: Pain will gradually become more intense, making the shoulder joint more difficult to move. This stage lasts a minimum of 6 weeks and a maximum of 9 months.
Frozen: Pain either remains the same as it was in the first stage or gradually declines. The shoulder has limited mobility and remains stiff during this stage which can last from a minimum of 4 months to 6 months.
Thawing: It becomes easier to move your shoulder and mobility may return to normal. Although the pain fades, it may revisit occasionally. The thawing stage ranges from 6 months to 2 years.

Treatments

Although there are many treatments, physical therapy is the most common way to heal a frozen shoulder. The goal of physical therapy is to stretch out the joint and make progress towards regaining any lost motion. Along with stretching, it is important to complete at-home exercises to reach recovery as quickly as possible. At United Rehab Physical Therapy, our physical therapy in Farmingville will work with you through gentle exercises that will help regain mobility in the shoulder. Here are a few simple at-home exercises you can perform:

Crossover arm stretch
Forward flexion
External rotation

If you feel that you’re experiencing pain or stiffness in your shoulder, you may be developing frozen shoulder. At United Rehab Physical Therapy, our physical therapy in Farmingville will ensure that you receive the proper treatment.

Torn ACL

If you have torn your ACL, our physical therapy in Farmingville at United Rehab Physical Therapy will give you the best treatment to properly recover. If you are unsure if you tore your ACL, you should seek immediate help. Prolonging medical treatment for a torn ACL could result in permanent damage to the knee.

Immediately following the ACL tear, you will experience a “pop sound.” Within the first few hours of the injury, you’ll start to see inflammation around the knee. Along with the increased swelling, you’ll also feel pain and discomfort in the damaged area. As the injury continues to progress, there will be a loss in mobility, stability, and flexibility in the area.

Physical Therapy for ACL Tears

Treatment after surgery - at our physical therapy in Farmingville, we create a personalized plan for post-surgery treatment to help regain mobility and ease discomfort.

Icing and bracing - we use ice and bracing treatments to help limit knee movement and to control swelling of the injured area.

Electrical stimulation - electrical stimulation can be used to restore muscle strength. This type of treatment can reduce pain and inflammation, as well as increase blood flow in a damaged area.

Stretching - different stretching techniques will be used in order to regain mobility in the injured area.

Strengthening exercises - after experiencing an ACL tear, your knee will have to be retrained in order to build back any strength lost from the recovery process. At United Rehab Physical Therapy, we can build you back up to where you need to be.

Balance exercises - trying to get back on your feet post-ACL tear can certainly be stressful, especially if you’re looking to avoid getting hurt again. Our physical therapy in Farmingville will assure that you get the best treatment, and we will make sure you’re comfortable with the recovery.

How could we help?

Here at United Rehab Physical Therapy, our physical therapy in Farmingville will use a hands-on approach to create a personalized plan in order to give you the best care. Our motto is “Live Life Pain-Free,” and we are here to help our patients reach that motto as quickly and safely as possible. For more information on how we can help you recover from an injury, contact us today!

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a common disease that can affect anyone at any age causing the thinning and weakening of the bones. Another word used to describe osteoporosis is “porous bone.” An osteoporotic patient’s bone structure becomes very thin and “porous,” often resulting from poor nutrition and aging of the bones. Because of this, it does make it difficult for the bone to withstand the normal force that is applied in typical everyday activities. If you’re in need of help, our physical therapy in Farmingville at United Rehab Physical Therapy can get you on the path to recovery today.

Having osteoporosis means your bones have lost its healthy density developing an abnormal tissue structure. As the bone becomes less dense, they gradually weaken until they fall victim to frequent breaks or fractures. It is highly recommended for those who are 50 years or older and have broken a bone, to consult with our physical therapy in Farmingville in order to strengthen the supporting muscle tissues.

Osteoporosis can be caused by the following factors:

Having a thin and small body frame
Genetics
Hormone imbalance - specifically estrogen in women and androgen in men
Lack of exercise
Calcium deficient diet
Poor nutrition and poor health

With certain exercises and treatment programs, we can help reduce osteoporotic pain and prevent bone fractures.

Prevention of Osteoporosis

By following a certain lifestyle, osteoporosis is a very preventable disease. To live this type of lifestyle, a proper diet, vitamin supplementation, and exercise can work wonders. For those that would like to prevent and reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis, knowing the factors, especially the ones listed above, is extremely important. It is highly advised that you consult with our physical therapy in Farmingville to evaluate your options if you are at risk.

Physical Therapy for Osteoporosis

Our goal with treatment for osteoporosis is to increase your strength and reduce chronic pain associated with this disease. Our program consists of customized exercises with our physical therapy in Farmingville. These exercises will help to educate on ways to prevent injury as well as body conditioning. Exercises like balance training will help to reduce the risk of falling. The exercises also focus on proper posture to protect the spine from future fractures. We also educate our patients on ways to adjust their environment to protect their bone health.

Osteoporosis is a widespread disease that affects millions of people per year. If you or someone you know is dealing with this disease and is looking for effective physical therapy in Farmingville, United Rehab Physical Therapy can help. Contact our office to schedule an appointment.

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a long-term condition that is accompanied by widespread pain. The condition can be characterized by fatigue, memory issues, mood issues, sleep disturbance, and musculoskeletal pain. The source of pain and fatigue of fibromyalgia can be hard to locate, as it often spreads throughout the whole body. If you’re looking for a physical therapy in Farmingville, our staff at United Rehab Physical Therapy can give you the treatment you need today.

People that suffer from fibromyalgia sometimes feel muscular pain, often in the form of constant or semi-constant aches above and below the waist. The human body has about 18 tender points that hurt when pressure is applied to them if you have fibromyalgia. Some of these tender points can be found in places like the inner knee, the upper chest, the tops and sides of the hips, the back of the head, and between the shoulder blades.

Fibromyalgia Symptoms

Our physical therapist in Suffolk County wants to get to the root cause of your symptoms because the primary symptoms of fibromyalgia can also be found in other disorders as well. Fibromyalgia affects the entire body, often including discomfort in the nerves, soreness in the muscles, weakness in the limbs, chronic sleep disturbances, and tingling of the skin. Some other fibromyalgia symptoms include chronic paresthesia marked by physical fatigue, dermatological disorders, interstitial cystitis, myoclonic twitches, headaches, hypoglycemia, and irritable bowel.

Fibromyalgia can start as a result of trauma or illness, although there is no strong correlation between any specific trigger and the initiation of fibromyalgia. Some external factors that make the fibromyalgia symptoms visible include:

• Extreme cold weather

• Increase of stress

• Hunger, starvation, or malnutrition

• Consumption of alcohol

• Exhaustive physical activity

• Lack of deep sleep

Fibromyalgia Treatment

Treatment for fibromyalgia must be specifically tailored for each patient. Our physical therapy in Farmingville at United Rehab Physical Therapy can help play an active role in your recovery. To help avoid fibromyalgia at home, maintaining a healthy diet low in fat and high in fiber, with vegetables, fresh fruits, and plenty of whole grains, is extremely important for overall health. Although some people with fibromyalgia report feeling better when they eat or avoid certain foods, there is no scientifically proven diet to avoid.

While there is still much to learn, these new findings suggest several options for fibromyalgia therapy, including antioxidants to limit oxidative damage and nutrients that inhibit pain receptors and transmitters in the muscles. However, the drugs prescribed to treat symptoms of fibromyalgia have adverse side effects and are not recommended for long-term use. This is why physical therapy is the smartest decision you can make for your recovery. Our physical therapy in Farmingville create personalized exercises for fibromyalgia patients that helps reduce and ease symptoms. The combination of stretching and range of motion exercises helps reduce muscle stiffness and fatigue, while also improving flexibility and joint movement. We also use methods such as deep tissue massages or the application of cold and hot compresses.