If you are an athlete, the chances of you sustaining a sports injury at some point in your career are significantly higher.
While some athletes are able to immediately bounce back from their injuries and return to their previous level of performance with minimal care, others require more rehabilitation and may even be forced to take a break from their sport altogether. This is where the role of physical therapy comes in. Many athletes turn to physical therapy to help them recover from their injuries and get back into the field as soon as possible as the treatment can help patients effectively regain strength and flexibility in the affected areas, as well as reduce further risk of injuries.
Physical therapy is a hands-on health profession that provides treatments to alleviate pain, promote healing and prevent further injury to the back, neck, shoulder, and more. The main aim is to restore movement and function to as close to normal as possible and can be used to treat a wide range of conditions including sports injuries, musculoskeletal disorders, neurological conditions, and respiratory conditions.
How Physical Therapy Can Help with Sports Injuries?
Physical therapy helps with sports injuries by strengthening the surrounding muscles. This can help to reduce the amount of stress that is put on the injured muscle and speed up the healing process at the same time. The treatment works by increasing blood flow to the injured muscles, which aids in removing toxins and bringing in nutrients that are necessary for healing. Additionally, physical therapy can also improve the range of motion and flexibility around the injured area, which may prevent long-term stiffness or joint pain.
Sports injuries such as tendonitis and strain are common, especially among athletes. Tendonitis is a condition in which the tendon becomes inflamed, causing pain and stiffness. A strain is a type of injury that occurs when the muscle or tendons are stretched beyond functional limits. With physical therapy, pain and inflammation associated with both conditions can be relieved by strengthening the muscles and tendons around the area of injury. This will reduce the load on the injured tendon or muscle, allowing it to recover even faster.
Physical therapists use a variety of techniques to help improve movement and restore function after an injury. These techniques may include massage, mobilization, and conditioning exercises which are often prescribed to help patients regain their strength and range of motion through the restoration of normal movement patterns and mechanics. This is especially important for athletes who may have developed bad habits or compensatory movements while the injury was sustained. By correcting these movement patterns, physical therapy can help to reduce the risk of future sports injuries.
Sports injuries can be caused by a number of things, such as overuse, direct impact, or sudden changes in direction. When these injuries occur, there is often inflammation and swelling around the injury area which usually leads to pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion. Physical therapy can help to decrease this inflammation and allow the patient to move more freely through targeted treatments and therapies such as bracing, massaging or stretching to address the root cause of the problem.
Physical therapy is an important part of any athlete’s toolkit for recovering from sports injuries and preventing future ones. Through a combination of rehabilitation exercises, injury prevention strategies, and guidance on proper warm-up and cool-down techniques, physical therapists can help athletes get back on the field quickly and safely.
SOS PHYSIO Rehab is a leading clinic for physical therapy and strives to deliver the highest level of care to our patients.