I arrived in New York City to commentate the US Open with extreme low back pain . Karena was quick to help me and worked around my schedule that was changing daily and not always easy to manage . I was extremely grateful at how much thought & care she put into each treatment session . Truly professional, kind , caring and fun to work with! I left 2 weeks later feeling so much better ! Thank you for everything Karena!

As a master track and field athlete, with workouts and competitions, my body endures a lot. So when I strained my hamstring, it was important for me to work with a physical therapist who could help me get back on track. While there was a physical component to my physical therapy, exercises that improved my strength and flexibility, there was an empowering component as well. Karena thoroughly explained and demonstrated how my muscles function. I am truly appreciative of the patience, care and quality service of ActiveCare Physical Therapy.

Both my mind and body owe you thanks! The countless techniques you’ve taught me over the years have helped me strengthen and tone my body. They have become a part of my daily wellness regimen. I will always be grateful. I know I can always rely on your healing hands when I need them.

Karena is a genius/magician/miracle worker when it comes to the human body. Truly impressive in all aspects of her field. She’s also warm and fun to be around, which really plays a part in the whole healing process. You’d be hard pressed to find a more talented PT in New York, or anywhere.

When I broke my ankle , Karena’s tlc helped me back on two feet in no time. Her sense of humor made my appointments something I looked forward to and always cheered me up when my injury had me feeling blue.

The tactical healing approach she used to my specific injury cut my healing time in half . Thanks Karena!

Karena and her staff are very knowledgeable and skilled in their craft. Working with Karena is every serious athlete’s dream, in getting back to training and playing at a high level, without the discomfort of an injury in a reasonable period of time. I have done rehabilitation with her after knee and shoulder surgery and was able to get back to playing volleyball ahead of schedule. Her teaching technique combined with her educating you about your body, has helped me to better take care of myself. Thanks to Karena and ActiveCare Physical Therapy I am looking forward to my next local and international tournament.

I was 13 years old the first time I touched a volleyball, and ever since then, I have been hooked. I wanted to play as much as possible, whenever possible. Being a naïve young athlete, I was convinced that I was invincible and that my body would be fine no matter how hard I swung or how much I played. That attitude got me through most of my high school career. But once I began playing in college, the years of neglect started to catch up. After a match, I was barely able to raise my hand above my head. I saw other physical therapists and athletic trainers which often were able to slightly ease the pain, but never in such a way that lasted.

After moving to NYC and finding an awesome volleyball community and playing more than ever, the chronic pain started to come back. I told myself that it was just a part of being an athlete and that there was simply nothing that I could do about it. After a 2-day tournament and a very sore shoulder, I was approached by a friend who recommended ActiveCare Physical Therapy. I told her that I would consider it, but in my head I thought that painless playing just wasn’t possible.

My first day at ACPT, I met Kelly Picciurro. After a few days of coming in with pain of a 6 or a 7 (scale out of 10) upon raising my arm, she was able to bring my pain down to a 1 or a 2 in just 30 minutes of working on me. I was amazed. In all my experience with sports medicine, I had never felt so much relief so quickly. After 3 months of seeing Kelly two or three times a week, I was coming in with no pain, and feeling stronger than ever. She clearly explained to me exactly what was going on in my shoulder and what I needed to do to keep it strong and pain free. I have since ‘graduated’ from PT, and still have been playing pain free for months. Thanks to Kelly, I now have the tools to keep my body strong and healthy for a long time to come.

To all of the skeptics that think playing without pain is not possible, check out ActiveCare Physical Therapy!

As a professional beach volleyball player, having great treatment at tournaments is essential. It has been such a treat to have Karena on the road at AVP tournaments! Her knowledge and expertise in diagnosing and treating the body allows me to relax and focus on competing and winning. I know that come game-time she will have my body in tip-top form. Thanks, Karena!

Karena helped me get my volleyball game back without surgery. She tailored a sports-specific rehab program, did physical work on my shoulder, and collaborated with my doctors. Thanks to Karena I can play multiple games with minimal pain!

Karena has adjusted virtually every part of my body, from head to toe. 21 years on the line has certainly taken its toll. If it weren’t for Karena, I wouldn’t be able to stand in the kitchen night in and night out doing what I love. She makes the pain go away, and for that I will be forever grateful.

I first met Karena while competing on the AVP pro beach volleyball tour in the summer of 2014. As a professional athlete, I am very particular about the people who work on my body. I have a scrupulous view of the advice given and the techniques used by every health care professional I come in contact with. I’m always looking for the extra edge and weary of changes that can effect my performance. Karena worked on me for 45 minutes in our first meeting and I was hooked. Not only did she bring my body to a point where it felt the best it had in weeks but she backed up and explained every method and every movement. That is huge for a cognitive person like myself. I had the fortune of being in NYC for a 4 month period following that summer and I chose to pay out of pocket and see her and the staff at Active Physical Therapy 5 days a week. I had imbalances and weakness that developed and were ignored for the larger part of 10 years stemming back to college. Karena and her staff were patient, kind, full of smiles and full of knowledge. It became a second home for me and has given my career a second start. THANK YOU SO MUCH TEAM.

Active care is top notch! I had surgery in March of 2015 to repair a torn meniscus and after doing all of my therapy there, I was able to get back to competitive weightlifting in December of 2015 and qualify for nationals.

Thanks guys! Couldn’t have done it without you!

As someone who suffers from Rheumatoid Arthritis, I see the immediate benefits of improving range of motion, developing core strength and maintaining flexibility through physical therapy. Karena Wu and the ActiveCare team immediately recognized the systemic inflammation resulting from my flare-ups and my chronic pain, and helped me live with my disease through a holistic understanding of the body’s mechanics. Having gone through several surgeries, i’ve seen the immediate positive results of PT.

In addition to owing Karena big time for my ability to wow my surgeon with my readiness for my first complete hip replacement which she attended! I thank her and Noel for seeing me thru two bouts of postural vertigo. She and her staff are healing, attentive, and caring individuals. ActiveCare is everything you could hope for in the field of physical therapy. Honest.

I arrived at ActiveCare with my right knee in bad trouble and my left knee not that much better. I left four months later walking normally, running up and down stairs, and, in short, completely fixed. I’m very impressed and extremely grateful.

Karena seems to cure the neck and back agony caused by endless hours on planes to Hong Kong, drives to clients out of state and 16 hour days looking at a computer screen. I am a ‘fit’ fifty year old, and have been into sports all my life, so never felt the need for an ‘adjustment’, but time marches on (the body), and Karena is a superb fix to ailments from work and travel obligations.

Karena’s expertise and knowledge is extensive and then surpassed by her compassion and follow through. I have worked with several PT’s over the years. Karena listens, is thorough and then follows up regularly. She is a consummate professional. I am lucky to be in her care.

After visiting several physical therapists over a two year period, ActiveCare was unmatched in the manner in which it produced positive results. The staff at ActiveCare were nothing short of impressive, from their professional abilities to their approachability. Most importantly, Karena and her staff are passionate and truly care about the well-being of every patient that walks through the door.

Karena, Kelly, and the entire team at ActiveCare are phenomenal! I had hip surgery in February 2016, and before starting physical therapy at ActiveCare in the summer of 2017, I had seen numerous physical therapists, chiropractors, and massage therapists in both Washington D.C. and NYC in an attempt to get back to the active lifestyle I love. Fortunately, ActiveCare was able to deliver. Karena and Kelly are both exceptional listeners, tailored each session to what my body needed that specific day, changed or modified home exercises as needed, were very encouraging, and eventually got me out the door and back to my active lifestyle. I’m now surfing, zip-lining, scuba diving, and taking weekly flying trapeze classes. I’m living my life again! The entire staff is friendly, caring and highly professional, and I’ve yet to come across another physical therapist that is as knowledgable as Karena. Can’t recommend highly enough!

I have always had back, pelvis and alignment issues and long haul flights do me no favours! I usually arrive in less than one piece with some part of my body in pain. After flying from Melbourne to New York (about as long haul as you can get) I had the usual assortment of problems, including calf pain, partly from former injuries, partly from pelvic misalignment. I also had some performance showcases to give of my one woman dance and poetry show www.irinakuzminsky.com so I needed help! I came across Karena Wu through an internet search for therapists with knowledge of the Maitland Technique, wandered in, and was lucky enough to get an appointment on the spot. Karena was excellent both in diagnosing my issues and the reasons behind them, helping with manipulation and massage and prescribing exercises specific to my problems. Not only did this make it possible for me to perform but I am still reaping the benefits of her treatment, diagnosis and those exercises back in Australia where I am now back on pointe and able to do the big jumps again.

I was so impressed by Karena that I got my husband to come and see her for a longstanding knee issue he has and he received the same quality of care and advice. Many thanks to Karena and I shall certainly be seeking her out when I am next in New York.

After visiting several physical therapists over a two year period, ActiveCare was unmatched in the manner in which it produced positive results. The staff at ActiveCare were nothing short of impressive, from their professional abilities to their approachability. Most importantly, Karena and her staff are passionate and truly care about the well-being of every patient that walks through the door.

I’ve been dancing for most of my life – and even though I now spend my days in a 9-5 corporate job, I still study, train and compete in ballroom dance. A few days after Labor Day, I suffered a random lower back spasm while puttering around at home. It wasn’t so bad at first. But after a week or so, my right leg became quite weak and painful, keeping me up at night and making even normal activities like climbing stairs and crossing the street very difficult. My doctor diagnosed me with a herniated disk and sent me to ActiveCare.

Karena, Rob and team were very thorough in assessing my condition and giving me a tailored treatment plan of both hands-on therapy and exercise. They knew I was eager to get back to dancing (and worried that I might not be able to) but they reassured me that gradual progress and a focus on healing properly would get me there. After the first two weeks of treatment, I was essentially pain free and after two months, I was ready to try a ballet class. I’m now in class again 4-5 days a week and back in the studio (heels and all) working toward my next competition. I’m so grateful to Karena, Rob and the ActiveCare staff for the care and personal support that helped me heal. They’re the best!

As an ultimate frisbee club player and recreational basketball player, sports are a huge part of my life. After suffering a full tear of my ACL, getting back to the playing field as efficiently and safely as possible was of utmost importance to me. Fortunately, Karena and the ActiveCare PT staff were able to provide me with the individual care and attention I needed to achieve my goal.

I underwent ACL surgery in mid-August of 2012 and began my rehab at ActiveCare in early September. With friends from the West coast coming to visit on New Year’s Day 2013, and a pickup basketball game already planned, my goal was to be able to get back on the court by the end of the year. By educating me about the specific nature of my injury and the expected trajectory of my recovery, the ActiveCare staff opened up a space in which I could have an open dialogue with my physical therapists and push myself to reach my potential each session. I successfully participated in the games on New Year’s Day and have since been playing basketball and running. I am extremely pleased to be this far along in the recovery process after just five months and owe a great deal of my success to the care I received at ActiveCare PT.

Back in 2007 I was working very long hours, rarely exercised and was slightly overweight. One night I went to play soccer and severely injured my meniscus. Three different doctors recommended surgery but I delayed it for three months until it became clear that the pin would never go away completely. This delay made the recovery much more painful and lengthy that it would have been otherwise. The muscles on my left leg were significantly weaker than those on my right leg, and there was now an imbalance on my hips because I was overstressing my right leg.

Karena accurately diagnosed my condition and carefully devised a plan to gradually get me back to normal. The plan included stretching, strength training, balancing, massages, hot/cold therapy, electroshock therapy, and even Pilates. As a result, I was able to, not only recover from my injury, but become more active than I was before the incident. My knee is now in such good shape, that I was able to become an avid runner and lose over 20 pounds. I have run 6 half marathons, and just ran my first marathon in three hours and 38 minutes!

I have seen Karena several times during the last several years for many running related injuries. The most recent injury was four years ago when I tore my left gastrocnemius muscle. As always she was helpful (and patient) as she guided me to full recovery.

As a result of that last injury and recovery I decided that one of the problems was my running shoes and I tossed them out shortly thereafter, never to use running shoes (of any kind) ever again. During the last four years I have been running completely barefoot and have run the Philadelphia Half Marathon each November since 2011. During that time I have gone from running that distance in 3:05:32 in 2011 to 1:59:31 in 2015 (at the age of 55). I give credit to Karena for helping me fully recover from that injury four years ago so that I could set and reach new goals ever since.

I started with ActiveCare after another PT was unable to treat my neurological symptoms (brought on by a poor chiropractic adjustment), and in fact ended up making them worse. Since then, ACPT and Karena have led my healing process, helping me cope with my particular challenges and work through them, in spite of their extraordinary nature.

Without the outstanding support and care I’ve received from Karena and her staff, I know I would still be struggling with my condition today. Instead, I’ve found a positive way to manage it and lessen its impact on my life.

I came to ACPT after an 8 year struggle with neck pain. The first time I came to see Karena, I came in with my tail between my legs. I had to fly home from a work trip because my neck was so awful. Nothing helped – acupuncture, cranial sacral, pain meds, I tried it all. Karena took the time to understand my problem, and after a thorough evaluation explained to me what the situation was. I felt better after a SINGLE session! I was completely floored. She explained the maintenance I had to keep up at home, and really took the time to go through the exercises to make sure I understood how to do them correctly. Not to mention Karena is so warm, funny, and a joy to spend an hour with!!!! Whenever I go to ACPT I know I will leave feeling 100x better than when I came in – what more could I want?

I was impressed by Karena Wu’s advanced degrees in physical therapy, and that she worked with patients personally and individually for long sessions. Besides being highly-skilled in knowing exactly what treatment would be best, Karena was friendly and high- spirited. I always looked forward to my sessions as though I were visiting a friend. I can recommend Karena and Active Care Physical Therapy without hesitation.

Karena Wu expeditiously diagnosed my problem, yet patiently explained the process and reasoning behind it building my confidence in the treatment. Karena’s experience and relaxed style allowed me to be aware of what my body is trying to tell me and focus on relieving my pain. I left Active Care Physical therapy feeling much better both physiologically and physically. Karena’s positive energy and vocational commitment inspires me to follow her regiment of exercises to continue to feel better in the future. Karena, you and your team Rock!

Karena Wu is a profoundly gifted physical therapist. She eliminated my pain, first in my knee and then in my back, and restored full movement and comfort. She combines brilliant diagnostics with the very best therapeutic approaches out there. PT with Karena is hard work, but she makes it fun. And she bakes amazing cookies too.

ActiveCare Physical Therapy is wonderful. After I injured my back, I went to a different physical therapy office and didn’t receive the one-on-one approach I needed. I wasn’t getting better and was often seen by 2 or 3 different aides. In my experience, continuity of care with one therapist is a major key to actually healing. Finally, after doing some research I found ActiveCare. Thank goodness because Monique is truly amazing! She’s kind, knowledgeable, and took the time to truly listen to what I needed and tailored my care accordingly. For the first time this entire year I am pain free. All the staff is awesome and I can’t recommend them enough. Don’t walk to ActiveCare run (if you can)!

I have suffered from vertigo off and on for several years now but had no idea a physical therapist could help me with the issue until my recent bout with it. I was fortunate enough to find out about Karena at ActiveCare Physical Therapy and was able to get in to see her the same day. It sounded too strange to be true that little rocks / crystals in my ears had shifted around but could be adjusted back into place with some in office movements, but it absolutely worked! I went from being barely functional, feeling drunk while walking and nauseated to NO dizziness or spinning sensation by the next day. Karena also was very patient and never rushed the process. I knew I had lucked out finding her from the minute she started treating my condition. Now I don’t have to dread the next time my vertigo flairs up (if it ever does again) – I know who to call so I can get back on my feet again.

Long before I needed treatment, I heard about physical therapist Karena Wu from my sister-in-law, who could not say enough good things about the exercises Karena gave her for her back. My orthopedist sent me to physical therapy for a mystery pain in my knees, which Karena diagnosed right away and for which she devised a series of exercises that improved things rapidly. Part of her job was to fix what a previous physical therapist had left out of my knee regime. She is always smart, upbeat and on the job, listening and thinking about good exercises. The office is small and comfortable; her staff professional and helpful. I would absolutely go to Karena again for physical therapy and have recommended her very highly to friends.

Thank you for the great P.T. that I received pre- and post-op for my total knee replacements on both knees! You contributed mightily to my successful rehab. It was quick and (almost) painless! I am back to 100% – walking an average of 5 miles and climbing 10-20 flights every day. I made a quality of life decision to have the surgeries – and my quality of life couldn’t be better! I’ve been to two other places for P.T. in the past; yours is by far the best and you are the best therapist ever! You are very smart, knowledgeable, dedicated and run a terrific practice. Your facility is open, sunny, clean and cheerful. I never minded coming for therapy. Your staff is well-trained and well-directed.

This was me at the beach last week. I was able to get up and down BY MYSELF from this low-in-the-sand beach chair. After two knee replacements and your P.T., I walk several miles a day on any surface and climb up and down stairs (8-20 flights/day) with no pain.

I wanted to thank you for all the energy and effort you put in to helping me – I have definitely benefited and learned from working with you and your team. I really enjoyed working with you all and have recommend you to several friends. It has been far and away the best physical therapy experience I have had.