ClareMotion Physical Therapy

03/09/2026

Therapeutic massage guns are all the rage right now, but do they even work and if so, what do they do?

Percussive therapy is a great tool to aid in recovery and pain management. Research supports the following effects of massage guns on performance and recovery:
✅Reduced delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)
✅Faster recovery times
✅Pain reduction
✅Enhanced blood flow
✅Improved flexibility
✅Improved muscular stiffness

It’s always important to pair a “passive” modality such as the massage gun with a more “active” modality such as stretching or mobility work.

03/03/2026

Getting back to pickleball after some time off? 🏓

Before you jump straight into games, make sure your body is actually ready for the quick cuts, lunges, and reactive balance the sport demands.

In this video:
🔹 BOSU Reactive, Static, and dynamic balance work – Training on an unstable surface challenges ankle stability and proprioception so you’re more confident during quick direction changes and awkward reaches.
🔹 Slider lunges – Controlled, reaching lunges help restore hip mobility and strength so you can comfortably stretch for wide shots without straining your groin or hip flexors.
🔹 Slam ball (for fun 😅) – Practicing powerful rotational slams builds core engagement and overhead power… and gives you a safe way to “smash something” when your partner misses that easy one.

Physical therapy isn’t just for when you’re hurt. It’s one of the best ways to:

✔️ Identify ankle, hip, or core weaknesses
✔️ Improve mobility before it becomes a strain
✔️ Build sport-specific strength and power
✔️ Reduce injury risk before league play starts

If you want to play longer, move better, and stay out on the court — let’s make sure your body is ready for it.

02/28/2026

Do you suffer from headaches or jaw pain that just won’t quit? Your temporalis muscle might be contributing to your pain 👀.

Dry needling to the temporalis can help relieve tension, reduce pain, and calm those stubborn headaches - along with other treatments we use during our physical therapy sessions to help you move and feel better. 💆‍♀️✨ Don’t just mask the symptoms, treat the source!

Come check us out to feel your best!

02/28/2026

02/20/2026

Depending on where you are in your recovery, clamshells can be a great exercise. If you’re not quite ready for them or if you feel like they are too easy, turn to these exercise progressions and regressions to help!

02/17/2026

TRX training is a great way to build strength, stability, and control using your own body weight.

Exercises like squats, rows, reverse flys, and push-ups performed with a TRX work multiple muscle groups at the same time, while also challenging your core and improving balance.

Because the straps create an unstable environment, your muscles have to work harder to stay controlled—helping improve coordination, joint stability, and overall movement quality.

One of the biggest benefits of TRX is how easily it can be adjusted. By simply changing your body position, exercises can be made easier or more challenging, making it a smart option for both building strength and moving well.

02/09/2026

A proper warm-up before a lift sets the tone for everything that follows.

Using low-resistance bands to mimic your planned lifts allows you to rehearse movement patterns, activate key muscle groups, and prepare joints through the exact ranges of motion you’ll be loading later. This primes the nervous system, improves coordination, and helps the body generate force more efficiently when heavier weights are introduced.

For most lifters, 2–3 sets of 10–15 controlled reps with bands is sufficient to increase blood flow and activation without causing fatigue.

By gradually increasing demand without fatigue, banded warm-ups can reduce injury risk, improve joint control, and enhance power output during working sets—helping you lift safer and perform better.

*These videos show warm up prep for bicep curls, bent over rows, overhead press, and tricep extensions, but you can substitute any other planned lift exercise with the same technique of using bands first.*

01/26/2026

Using unstable surfaces during training is a purposeful way to challenge balance and neuromuscular control.

By introducing controlled instability, the muscles of the feet, ankles, knees, and hips must work together to maintain alignment and control. This improves dynamic balance, strengthens key stabilizers, and enhances joint awareness during functional movements such as walking, hiking, running, and changing direction.

Incorporating these exercises helps build lower-extremity stability, reduce injury risk, and improve movement efficiency in both athletic and everyday activities.

Small wobbles ➝ big gains. 💪⚖️

01/20/2026

Runner with stubborn calf or foot pain? 🏃‍♂️👟

Sometimes progress comes from trying something different—especially when pain has been lingering longer than it should.

The frequent twitches of the calf shown in the video occur when the needle hits various trigger points within the muscle.

Dry needling to the calf muscles can help:
✔️ Reduce muscle tension and trigger points
✔️ Improve blood flow and tissue healing
✔️ Decrease referred pain into the foot and ankle
✔️ Restore normal movement for running mechanics

For many runners, calf dysfunction is a hidden driver of foot pain. Addressing it directly can be a game-changer when rest, stretching, or strengthening alone haven’t been enough.

Dry needling isn’t a standalone fix—but it’s a powerful tool within physical therapy to help reset the system so rehab can actually stick.
Chronic pain doesn’t mean permanent pain. Sometimes it just means the approach needs to change.

01/15/2026

Sled Pushes & Pulls = Total-Body Power 🔥

Sled work isn’t just “leg day.” When you push or pull a sled, your core, upper body, and lower body all have to work together—the same way they do in real life.

✅ Core stability: Bracing against the load builds deep trunk strength and control
✅ Lower body power: Quads, glutes, and calves drive force into the ground
✅ Upper body strength: Shoulders, arms, and upper back stay engaged the entire time
✅ Joint-friendly loading: Minimal eccentric stress means strong gains with less soreness
✅ Real-world carryover: Walking, lifting, pushing, pulling—this is functional strength

Sleds help rebuild strength safely and progressively.
They improve performance, work capacity, and resilience.

Train movements, not just muscles.
That’s how strength transfers outside the gym.

12/25/2025

Happy Holidays from the ClareMotion Physical Therapy family! Wishing you all the joys of the holiday season🎄☃️❄️!

12/12/2025

Celebrating this absolute superstar! 🌟🏅

Huge congrats to on crushing the Rehoboth Beach Marathon and taking FIRST in her age group! 🙌🏻