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SportsCare Physical Therapy

Services

RecoveryCare

Hard training breaks you down; recovery is where you get stronger. RecoveryCare is a dedicated room at six of our New Jersey clinics with the tools that help the day after a hard session feel less like the day after — compression, percussion massage, foam rolling and guided stretching — supervised by people who know how to use them. It is designed for serious athletes and open to anyone getting active again.

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An athlete foam rolling in a gym

Why SportsCare

Why athletes use RecoveryCare

  • The tools, without the guesswork

    Compression boots, percussion massagers, TheraCanes, straps and rollers are only as good as how you use them. Our staff set the program and show you the technique.

  • Inside a physical therapy clinic

    If soreness turns out to be an injury, the people who can assess it are in the next room. A recovery studio cannot say that.

  • Honest about what recovery tools do

    They reduce soreness and stiffness and help you feel ready to train again. They do not "flush lactic acid" — that is a myth we would rather not repeat — and they are not a substitute for sleep, food and sensible training loads.

What is in the room

  1. Intermittent pneumatic compression

    Sleeves that inflate in sequence from the foot upward to move fluid and reduce the feeling of heaviness after hard sessions.

  2. Percussion massage

    Handheld massage guns applied to large muscle groups for short-term reductions in soreness and stiffness.

  3. Foam rolling and TheraCanes

    Self-myofascial release with instruction on where, how hard and how long — the three things most people get wrong.

  4. Guided stretching

    Stretching straps and a program built for your sport, supervised so it is done well.

What the evidence says

Delayed-onset muscle soreness is caused by microscopic muscle damage and the inflammation that follows, not by lactic acid — which clears from the blood within an hour of exercise. Recovery tools do not speed the repair of muscle, but several of them do reduce how sore and stiff you feel in the meantime, which matters if you train again tomorrow.

Foam rolling has the best evidence: a 2019 meta-analysis found small but real improvements in sprint performance and flexibility when used before training, and a small reduction in perceived soreness after it. Pneumatic compression and percussion massage reduce perceived soreness in most studies, with little effect on objective measures of strength recovery. None of these compares with sleep, adequate protein and a sensibly progressed training plan, and RecoveryCare is meant to sit alongside those, not replace them.

Where it is offered

RecoveryCare rooms are at six New Jersey clinics: Randolph (SportsCare Arena), Stockholm (Skylands Ice World), Ramsey, Cedar Knolls, Hoboken and East Hanover. Call the clinic for availability and rates.

FAQ

Common questions

Do I need to be a SportsCare patient to use RecoveryCare?
No. RecoveryCare is open to athletes and active people whether or not they are in physical therapy with us. Call the clinic to book a session.
Does recovery equipment actually work?
For soreness and stiffness, yes — foam rolling, compression and percussion massage reduce how sore you feel after hard training, with foam rolling having the best evidence. They do not repair muscle faster and do not replace sleep, nutrition and sensible training loads.
Is RecoveryCare covered by insurance?
Generally not; it is a wellness service rather than treatment for a diagnosed condition. Ask the clinic for session and package rates.
What if my soreness is actually an injury?
That is one advantage of a recovery room inside a physical therapy clinic. If pain is sharp, one-sided, or not improving, a physical therapist can assess it — no referral needed in New Jersey.

Sources

The clinical claims on this page are drawn from the following. Where the evidence is limited, we say so above rather than round it up.

  1. 1.A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Foam Rolling on Performance and Recovery — Frontiers in Physiology, 2019
  2. 2.Sprains and strains — NHS

Where we offer recoverycare

This program runs at 6 of our 64 clinics. Call ahead to check availability.

Talk to a therapist about recoverycare

Availability varies by clinic. Call the location nearest you and the front desk will tell you whether it is offered there and whether it suits your condition — or reach our East Hanover office at (973) 887-0115.

Find a clinic near youRequest an appointment

64 clinics across New Jersey, New York and Florida.