Chronic Pain physical therapists in Manhattan, New York

Chronic pain guides

• Numbness and Tingling Down the Leg? Here's What It Means and What to Do

  Numbness or tingling that runs down your leg usually means a nerve in your lower back is irritated — commonly from a herniated disc (sciatica) or, in older adults, spinal stenosis. It often comes with back or leg pain. Most cases improve with movement and physical therapy over weeks to months. But numbness in the groin, loss of bladder/bowel control, or quickly worsening leg weakness is an emergency — get care right away.

• Can't Reach Behind Your Back? Here's What It Means and What to Do

  Difficulty reaching behind your back — to tuck in a shirt, hook a bra, or grab a wallet — usually signals lost shoulder rotation, most often from frozen shoulder or rotator cuff irritation. It's rarely an emergency, but frozen shoulder in particular benefits from early, well-dosed physical therapy. If the stiffness is progressing or pain is significant, get it assessed sooner rather than later.

• Posture-Related Upper Back Pain (Postural Dysfunction): Symptoms, Causes & PT Treatment

  Posture-related upper back pain comes from holding positions too long — usually slumped at a desk or over devices — which fatigues and overloads the upper-back muscles. It's not damage, and there's no single "perfect" posture; the fix is mostly movement variety plus building strength and endurance. Physical therapy that combines habits, ergonomics, and strengthening helps most people. Pain with warning signs (chest, breathing, or neurological symptoms) needs medical evaluation.

• Torn Rotator Cuff: Symptoms, Causes & PT Treatment

  A torn rotator cuff is a tear in one of the tendons that lift and steady your arm. It can happen suddenly from an injury or gradually with age. Signs include shoulder pain, night pain, and weakness lifting the arm. Many tears — especially gradual, partial ones — are managed successfully with physical therapy and don't need surgery. Larger or sudden traumatic tears with major weakness should be evaluated promptly.