ACTIVECARE PHYSICAL THERAPY ®

Heal Yourself With the Best!

ActiveCare Patient Success Stories

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!

Jennifer Cook
Attorney


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!

Shane Hunt
Beach Volleyball Athlete


Karena Wu is by far the best physical therapist I have ever encountered. Best Physical Therapy NYC does not at all fall short from the treatment they provide.

I dislocated my shoulder pretty bad (in my opinion). I was lifting weights at the gym, and doing normal weight. My left arm gave out as I was doing shoulder-press with 65 lb dumbbells, causing my arm to rotate backwards 180degrees. I was in shock that my body would give out on me, as I work out frequently, and keep myself in good shape. I went to the emergency room, and about 2 hours after the incident, my arm was relocated back in place. After I left the hospital I felt completely deceived with my own self because I was just starting to get in the rhythm of heavy lifting. I was bulking up as well… so it was very disappointing that this occurred. But, I stayed optimistic, and I care a lot about my health. I knew I was going to over come this, my concern was time and efficiency.

I looked up on Google, “Top physical therapists in the area”, and guess who came up first? That’s right, you guessed it, Karena Wu.

To be honest just from clicking on her site I felt it in my conscience, that it was the right move to make. Not being discouraged from the costs, I believed it will really benefit me to visit her. I called to schedule an appointment, and attended my first session the next day. The staff is overall very, very friendly and genuine. And, I was honestly in awe speaking with Karena. Her confidence is very disarming, and her knowledge, remedies and techniques really caused me to be worry free. After the first day, I gained so much more motion on my arm. She did deep tissue massages and also performed cupping on my shoulder and back to loosen up the contractions of my muscles from the injury. I stayed faithful and attended about 4 or 5 appointments.

After a few more mobilizations around my shoulder, and some non-intensive workouts I was feeling a WHOLE LOT better. I can play sports now regularly, including swimming and work out the way I want. I’m not 100% yet, but I’m still working at it and would say I’m around 90 right now. Karena Wu definitely over achieves. And don’t worry if you forget the workouts during your session.. she emails a link of your workouts, so you have access to it everywhere you go.

Karena Wu is a master at what she does. Don’t lose the opportunity to be whole again, visit her and the staff who work with her if you need physical therapy.

Zackery Aguilar
Bartender/Fitness Enthusiast


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.

Rosalyn Potischman
Retired Registered Nurse

 


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.

Lieutenant Patrick F. Ford
United States Marine Corps


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.

Martin Hewitt
Attorney at Law


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.

Mark Burik
Professional Beach Volleyball Player and CEO of VolleyCamp Hermosa


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.

Irina Kuzminsky
Melbourne, Australia


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!

Lauren Albert
NY, NY


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.

Nathan Mandel
BK, NY


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!

Diego P.
NY, NY


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.

Jon Rothstein
NY, NY