ProActive Physical Therapy

10/20/2026

🍂 Fall Into Mindful Movement with Proactive Physical Therapy! 🍁

Fall is the perfect time to get outside, enjoy the crisp air, and reconnect with your body through Mindful Movement! 🍃 Whether you’re taking a peaceful walk through colorful autumn leaves, exploring a nature trail, or simply enjoying the fresh air in your backyard, small moments of movement can make a big difference in how you feel.

At Proactive Physical Therapy, we encourage you to make the most of the season by moving with intention and listening to your body. 💚💜🧡

✨ Try these mindful movement tips this fall: 🍂 Walk with awareness: Notice the changing scenery, your breathing, and how your body feels with each step. 🌿 Warm up before heading out: Gentle stretches and mobility exercises can help prepare your muscles and joints. 🍁 Find your balance: Practice controlled movements and be mindful of uneven or slippery surfaces covered by fallen leaves. 🌬️ Breathe deeply: Take a moment to slow down, release tension, and enjoy the fresh autumn air. 🚶 Move at your own pace: Choose activities that feel comfortable for your body and gradually build up as you feel able.

Remember, movement isn't just about exercise—it's about connecting with your body, supporting your mobility, and enjoying the moments that make each season special. ❤️

Let's make this fall a season of movement, mindfulness, and feeling your best!

📍 Need help moving with more confidence, improving mobility, or staying active through the seasons? Proactive Physical Therapy is here to help you move better and live well!

10/10/2026

Another Dose of Movement today! Loft is FULL for winter! 🥶❄️🥳

10/10/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1E7yzFmFrs/?mibextid=wwXIfr

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 "𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭" 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲

​Patients with shooting sciatic or cervical radicular pain frequently beg clinicians to "crack" their spine, believing that a forceful thrust will physically push a herniated disc back into place or "un-pinch" the trapped nerve. Unfortunately, this deeply entrenched mechanical model is anatomically impossible.

​The latest clinical data has forced a major reality check on the use of High-Velocity Low-Amplitude (HVLA) thrust manipulations for active radiculopathy, definitively shifting the narrative away from structural realignment.

​👉 The Clinical Fallacy

The historical osteopathic and chiropractic model suggests that radiculopathy is caused by a spinal segment slipping "out of alignment" (a subluxation) and mechanically crushing the nerve root. Therefore, a targeted HVLA thrust is necessary to pop the vertebra back into its correct anatomical position, physically decompressing the nerve and curing the radicular pain.

​👉 The Biomechanical & Neurological Reality

A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy (JOSPT) confirms that spinal manipulations absolutely do not alter the structural position of vertebrae or mechanically decompress nerve roots. The spine is secured by massive, robust ligamentous complexes; human hands cannot permanently "realign" it.

​When a manipulation does provide temporary pain relief, it is purely a neurophysiological event. The rapid mechanical stretch of the joint capsule stimulates local mechanoreceptors, sending a massive surge of sensory input to the spinal cord. This temporarily inhibits the nociceptive (pain) signals traveling to the brain—a phenomenon called descending pain modulation. You are essentially hitting "refresh" on the nervous system, not physically un-pinching the nerve.

​👉 Evidence-Based Clinical Implications

​Safety Over Thrusts: Aggressive HVLA manipulations in the presence of an actively inflamed, chemically sensitized nerve root (acute radiculopathy) can actually provoke the dorsal root ganglion and worsen the neurological symptoms.

​Update the Language: Clinicians must stop telling patients their spine is "out of place." This language creates severe fragility, kinesiophobia, and an unhealthy dependence on passive treatments.

​Active Over Passive: Instead of relying on passive joint cracking, clinical frameworks emphasize active neural sliders and gliders to restore axoplasmic flow, combined with progressive mechanical loading (directional preference exercises) to gradually desensitize the nerve root.

​✅ Reference

Efficacy of Spine High-Velocity Low-Amplitude Thrust Manipulations in Patients With Radiculopathy: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis. Author: Giovannico G, et al. Journal: Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy .

10/03/2026

🎉 Happy Physical Therapy Month! 🎉
October is the perfect time to celebrate the incredible impact physical therapy has on helping people move better, feel stronger, and live the life they love. 💜

At Proactive Physical Therapy, we believe physical therapy is about more than treating pain — it’s about empowering you to take control of your movement, your health, and your goals.

Whether you’re recovering from an injury, managing a chronic condition, getting back to your favorite activity, or simply looking to move and feel your best, we’re here to help you stay proactive about your health. 💪

This PT Month, we’re celebrating our patients, our community, and the profession we’re proud to be a part of!

🏃‍♀️ Move better.
💪 Get stronger.
❤️ Live proactively.

Happy Physical Therapy Month from all of us at Proactive Physical Therapy!

10/03/2026

How are you going to get in your Daily Dose of MOVEMENT today? 85 bales of hay up in the loft and a double rainbow for the win!

06/07/2026

Hay day and Hike day!

How did you fit in your Daily Dose of Movement?!

Stay tuned for tips on how to stay cool, hydrated and safe in the summer heat!

Also, tick prevention!

05/02/2026

Great article on how Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (EWST) can be used to successfully treat mechanical lower back pain!

ProActive Physical Therapy now offers EWST concierge service! Check out our website or give the office a call for more information and let’s finally get rid of that nagging back pain!

www.proactivept-ri.com

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40391994/

04/10/2026

Have you gotten in your Daily Dose of Movement today?!

A beautiful day today! It doesn’t matter if you go for a walk, bike ride or groom your horse…if you’re moving, it counts!!

Wren wants me to throw all the “sticks” (or twigs 😆) for her in the preserve despite carrying one in her mouth the entire time!

Friendly PSA: this is not the time of year to wear chapstick to the barn! 🤣 Unless you want a shaggy dog (and by dog I mean horse) mustache! Abbey and Keeper thoroughly enjoyed being groomed today! All that winter coat is itchy!

03/08/2026

Just because the sun isn’t out, doesn’t mean you can’t get out! It’s a beautiful cloudy day with snow melt in full force!

The air is warm but the footing is slippery! Be sure to wear your snow shoes or yak Trax and remember fall prevention strategies!

Wren and I achieved our Daily Dose of MOVEMENT this afternoon on this Spring forward Sunday!

Come on people, get out there and MOVE! Spring is in the air! 💜🐶🎉

02/24/2026

Due to the severity of the storm and State of Emergency declaration in place, ProActive Physical Therapy will remain closed Tuesday, February 24th.

Hope to see you Wednesday!

Stay safe and please continue to head warnings. This storm was one for the history books!

A measured 34 inches of new snow at Stones Throw Acres (that fence post line is 4’6”….)! ❄️🌨️🥶💪🏻🐴🐴🐶