[P]rehab author
Tommy Mandala is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Sports & Orthopedics, and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist in New York City. He…
Tommy Mandala is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Sports & Orthopedics, and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist in New York City. He is the founder of ALL IN ACL, a digital coaching platform dedicated exclusively to helping ACLers return to the life they had before their injury with full confidence in their knee. Prior to that, he worked in the sports clinic at Hospital for Special Surgery, the #1 Orthopedic Hospital in the country. While there, he had the opportunity to hone his skills as an ACL specialist working closely with world-renowned surgeons and evaluating patients from all over the world. He completed his sports residency training at the University of Delaware where he had opportunities to work with many of their Division I sports teams as well as the Philadelphia 76’ers NBA G-league affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats. He also trained at Champion Sports Medicine in Birmingham, Alabama where he had the opportunity to learn from researchers in the American Sports Medicine Institute. Currently, Tommy works exclusively with ACLers through his digital coaching model. While many of these clients are athletes, Tommy works with ACLers of all different abilities helping them to build the strength they need to overcome this unique injury. One of his favorite aspects of his job is taking active clients who have never been a “gym person” before and showing them the amazing things that happen when they learn to strength train.
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29 articles
If you spend an afternoon at your local gym long enough, you will inevitably see someone deadlifting in a way that could make your own back hurt! Chances are, you may have even strained your low back trying to master this complex exercise. Yet, you’ve also heard the deadlift…
An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury can feel overwhelming. One minute you are skiing with your family or jumping up to grab a rebound, and the next minute you are hearing the echoes of that classic “pop” and wondering how you will ever get back to the activities you love.…
The statistics we often hear about anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) re-injury rates are pretty scary. While the statistics vary: anywhere from 30-50% of patients who go through ACL reconstruction will suffer a second injury to their ACL or meniscus within 5 years. This makes both…
We have all done it. Watched our friend, teammate, or favorite player go down and grab their knee. We’ve wondered aloud if it is the vaunted ACL tear and if there is any additional damage to go along with it. The ACL or anterior cruciate ligament gets most of the attention and is…
The quadriceps are one of the most powerful muscle groups in the entire body. They are made up of 4 different muscles which come together to form the quadriceps tendon, which in turn encompasses the kneecap and becomes the patella tendon which inserts on the shin or tibia. This…
The goals after a knee injury & knee surgery are very similar. In both cases, clinicians & patients want to achieve a full & symmetrical range of motion; full & symmetrical quadriceps strength, normalized & symmetrical movement patterns, and a quiet knee. This is particularly…
The gluteus medius or glute med for short is a muscle on the lateral portion of the hip that is crucial for a variety of activities of daily living. When we try to perform higher-level activities like weight lifting and sports activities, this muscle becomes even more important!…
The Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL) is the less commonly known cousin of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL). For this reason those who suffer an LCL injury can often find themselves feeling at a loss for guidance. The LCL, however, plays an important role in the stabilizing…
Sciatica, is a term that is often used to describe any type of low back, hip or leg pain. You may have heard people describe back or hip pain as their “sciatic acting up again”. Despite its prevalence, many people suffering from hip, buttock, and leg pain are often shocked to…
Nearly everyone has heard of the term Plantar Fasciitis. In popular culture, any kind of foot pain is often lumped in with the loose term plantar fasciitis. On the other hand, its lesser-known cousin, posterior tibial tendinopathy is rarely discussed in conversations amongst…
Your kneecap hurts, you don’t know why, but it just does. It hurts worse going downstairs, bothers you when you squat and you feel like it is nagging you every time you go for a run. You can’t seem to figure out why, some days it hurts more than others but it has been a problem…
Hamstring strains are one of the most frustrating injuries you can endure. Why? They linger. And worse, they often come back. If your favorite fantasy football player suffers a hamstring strain early in the season, you worry that it will stay with him and hamper his numbers all…
Pickleball has been the fastest-growing sport in America for each of the last 3 years. As millions of people of all ages pick up this sport for the time there are a whole host of physical and psychological benefits. As obesity continues to be a problem both in the United States…
Your right kneecap bothers you when you run. It’s not terrible but it just feels different than the left side. It also makes more sounds than the other side when you are squatting or getting up from the couch. Most days, it isn’t a big deal but sometimes it even bothers you going…
The first goal of anyone who has ACL surgery is to get their range of motion back. ACLers almost always wake up feeling tighter than they were when they went into surgery. This is completely normal, as surgery (even arthroscopic surgery) is a trauma to your knee that will lead to…
What is Snapping Hip Syndrome? Snapping Hip Syndrome can be divided into 3 categories: External Snapping Hip Syndrome Internal Snapping Hip Syndrome Intra-Articular Snapping Hip Syndrome External snapping hip is by far the most common and creates a snapping sensation along the…
There is a problem with ACL Rehab. If you tore your ACL, were you told that surgery was your only option? Were you told that after having surgery to address a torn ACL your risk of re-tear is twice as high as the population at large? Were you told that returning to sport within a…
An ACL injury affects you mentally as much as it does physically. Many ACLers feel like they’ve suddenly had a weight dropped on them as they try to navigate the thousands of decisions required to make a successful recovery. In starting to research their recovery, they often…
Returning to running after an ACL injury is a watershed moment. It is a huge milestone that many ACLers look forward to for months during their recovery. Prior to surgery the doctor and PT explain it very simply: “You can start running again at 3-4 months and you can return to…
Are VMO exercises real? Is the vastus medialis oblique legit? For years surgeons, physical therapists, and amateur bodybuilders have been trying to activate, strengthen, and grow their vastus medialis oblique (VMO). Many people with pain at their kneecap or who are recovering…
Osteoarthritis is a scary word. It can lead many active people to think they have to give up their lifestyle and hobbies because of the “wear and tear” it is causing on their knee or hip. For young active people who have had a surgery, particularly a knee surgery, doctors often…
The list of benefits from running are endless: improved cardiovascular health, lower risk of metabolic diseases, lower risk of a variety of the leading illnesses, improved cognitive function, increased ability to handle stress & anxiety, improved mental health, as well as the…
Traditional Physical Therapy is in need of an overhaul. A profession that was once built around manual treatments like massage & joint mobilizations along with modalities such as heat, ice, and electrical stimulation has evolved to recognize that movement is truly the medicine…
This article is going to be a little different than our usual format. Rather than highlighting an exercise, answering a rehab question, or breaking down complex pathology, this article is going to focus on how to build and maintain good habits. Our goal as physical therapists is…
Cortisone injections are one of the most common orthopedic treatments offered to patients today. When you go to see a doctor for a musculoskeletal injury, that doctor typically has 4 options to offer you: surgery, physical therapy, medication, or injection. When it comes to…
You probably have been told that you don’t spend enough time stretching. Whether it was by a coach, a physical therapist, or a doctor; you’ve probably heard that you could have prevented an injury by stretching more. You may have also been told that if you don’t start stretching…
You have pain when you exercise, so you stop going to the gym and see a doctor. The doctor writes you a prescription for Physical Therapy that includes "exercise therapy". Your physical therapist tells you that you need to start exercising, but not to do any exercises that cause…
The knee extension machine is present in most gyms across the United States. While many people use this machine, many others do not for fear of causing damage to their knees. Why is it that some people fear the knee extension machine? Is it safe to use? Is it a useful tool? Is it…
You hear it all the time - whenever someone talks about starting a weightlifting routine, running their first marathon, or starting an off-season workout plan, the advice is always the same: “start slowly”; “progress gradually”; “don’t do too much, too soon”. You might even hear…
