Andrew Ferrara was a three-sport high school athlete when he suffered a football injury that permanently sidelined his athletic career. He herniated two discs in his back as a teen. At the time, the surgery to repair it was risky. So instead, he wore a brace to stabilize his [...]
When Ray Tipperreiter of New Egypt woke up on Superbowl Sunday to find his driveway covered in snow, he fired up the snowblower and got to work so he could relax and enjoy the game later. However, when he tried to clear a clog in the machine, he severely [...]
While on vacation at his parents’ house in Durango, Mexico in April 2020, Victor Mendoza-Gutierrez was enjoying a typical ride on his motorcycle—until the driver of a car to his left ignored a stop sign at the intersection. Victor was unable to stop in time and the car slammed [...]
The coronavirus pandemic has changed us in many ways, including how our bodies function. Whether you’ve spent months quarantining to help flatten the curve or you’ve isolated to recover from COVID-19, it has limited our ability to move. Muscle strength decreases 1-3% per day for each day of inactivity [...]
On the last day of a 39-year career in New York City, Joe Santos was ready to enjoy his retirement. But just several hours later, as he was folding laundry at his home in Freehold, his left arm and left leg began tingling and became difficult to move—and he [...]
As a woman living with multiple sclerosis (MS) for more than 25 years, Rachel Wichansky of Freehold never had “riding a horse” on her to-do list—that is, until she signed up for a new CentraState program, CentraStrides for MS. “It was something new to challenge my [...]
Years after Toms River resident John Cicolella served our country in Vietnam, he began to experience severe jaw, back, and shoulder pain and excruciating headaches. Now, after years of debilitating pain, he is back to riding his motorcycle, thanks to physical therapy. John, 68, spent two years in Vietnam, [...]
You better put down those barbells for this one: Exercise can be bad for you. Yes, it’s true—that is if you have undiagnosed bone loss, also known as osteopenia or osteoporosis. “Doing the wrong kinds of exercises when your bones are weak and compromised can put you at risk [...]
The best way to stay safe from icy falls this winter is to… walk like a penguin. That’s right! Follow these 7 ways to stay upright and prevent yourself from falling: Position center of gravity directly over feet Toes pointed slightly outward Knees relaxed Bend forward slightly Keep hands [...]
Monroe High School senior Sami Hughes, 16, was diagnosed with scoliosis during a routine screening in elementary school. She wore a series of back braces for three years to correct the curvature in her spine, but the treatment wasn’t a permanent fix. When back pain threatened to sideline her [...]
