Exercise is an important part of life to become or stay healthy. For many people, sports are a fun way of burning extra calories, socializing, and getting fit. Unfortunately, this also means the occasional sports injury or a flare-up of an old injury or condition. Too much use of the same muscles may also cause a tear and lead to injury, That’s why athletes also rely on Physical Therapy for preventive measures, not just rehabilitative purposes.
The most common sports injuries that athletes experience would be sprains, strains, knee pain and injuries, and Shin splints (pain along the large bone in the front of the lower leg, known as the tibia or shin bone). So, how does Physical Therapy help in preventing these injuries among athletes?
Physical Therapy cares about athletes and can provide valuable injury prevention tips to help them reduce their injury risk, so they stay on the field and off the treatment tables. In fact, according to the National Athletic Training Association, more than half of youth sports injuries are preventable!
What Is Sports Physical Therapy?
It’s also called sports therapy, sports physical therapy is a special focus on athletes by physical therapists. General physical therapists will be able to help rehabilitate an injury. However, a sports-focused physical therapist is trained to deal with the injuries and physiological aspects of sports and exercise. They have a deeper understanding of exercise science as well as biomechanics, two subjects that are important in the prevention and full rehabilitation of sports-related injuries.
Because sports physical therapists focus specifically on athletes, they can create a unique treatment and prevention plan that takes into account the athlete’s specific sport. Just like each person’s body is individually unique and responds to a treatment plan uniquely, so too does each athlete depending on the sport.
Sports Injury Prevention
In reality, most athletes would come to see a physical therapist when they are already injured or in pain. One of the greatest benefits to physical therapists in sports medicine comes with sports injury prevention. Physical therapists have a deeper understanding of exercise science, physiology, and biomechanics. Therefore, they are highly qualified to spot muscle instability and weaknesses that can lead to an injury.
They can devise a prevention program that includes proper warm-ups and cool-downs, as well as special exercises. They not only educate athletes on proper posture and movement through tests such as gait analysis for runners, injury risk assessments, or functional tests.
Having a physical therapist as part of the sports team can also benefit the athlete in catching an injury early. They can easily spot if an athlete has changed posture or seems to be favoring part of the body. Both of these signs could indicate an oncoming injury. Spotting this early can mean the difference between missing out on a practice or game or the entire season. With a trained physical therapist, an athlete can have the opportunity to maintain muscle strength. They will also be able to improve or correct and biomechanical or functional weaknesses.
That’s why so many athletes swear by the preventive measures that physical therapy is providing for them. If you yourself are an athlete and have doubts regarding the perks of having physical therapy, now is the perfect time to have yourself evaluated.
Tribeca Physical Therapy is officially reopened for in-person physical therapy sessions and continues to offer Telehealth PT or Virtual PT. Call us at 2124068080 or message us and book your first session free.
