We recently worked with a patient, a soccer player we’ll call Jake. Jake was surging across the field mid-game when he twisted his ankle after taking a sharp turn to follow the ball. He’d suffered a bad ankle sprain and had to leave the field–but he didn’t have to quit soccer altogether, thanks to physical therapy for sports injuries.
Jake visited the team at TheraSport Physical Therapy when he realized the pain and swelling in his ankle wouldn’t go away on its own. This was definitely the right decision. While many people see ankle sprains as minor injuries, it’s essential that athletes fully rehabilitate to restore strength and mobility in their ankles. Otherwise, they’re much more likely to suffer more ankle sprains in the future.
We provided Jake with a personalized treatment plan, helping him manage his pain and restore his ankle’s strength and range of motion. Within a few weeks, Jake was back on the field, feeling stronger and more confident than before.
When you play sports, an injury is always a risk. But physical therapy plays an essential role in helping you effectively recover and rehabilitate so, like Jake, you can jump back in the game.
Today, we want to explore some key reasons you should visit our physical therapists if you’ve suffered a sports injury. Want more personalized guidance? Schedule an appointment at our New Jersey clinic!
Five Reasons to Try Physical Therapy for Sports Injuries
Comprehensive Pain Management
- When you’re in pain, everything else becomes harder–including injury rehabilitation. Our PTs use various drug-free techniques like manual therapy, gentle stretches, and treatment modalities to alleviate pain so you can begin working through your treatment plan.
Targeted Mobility Work
- Sports injuries often limit your ability to move the affected joint, so we usually begin with targeted mobility work consisting of careful, guided stretches and other exercises.
Guided Help Restoring Strength
- It’s common for muscles to weaken after an injury due to inactivity, so physical therapy focuses on strengthening the muscles around the injured area. While this certainly helps with injury recovery, it also stabilizes the affected joint, helping to reduce your chances of another injury in the future.
Functional Training in Sports-Specific Activities
- Restoring your strength and mobility is only part of the process, however. We’ll help train you on the day-to-day movements that have been impacted by your injury–and that includes sports-specific movements, too. We’ll help ensure you’re ready to safely return to your chosen sport.
Injury Prevention
- An important part of physical therapy for sports injuries is giving you the tools and information you need to avoid future injuries. For example, we can assess and correct any biomechanical impairments or loss of proprioception that might lead to injury and provide tips about proper techniques, balance drills, gait, and warm-up and cool-down routines.
No Matter the Sports Injury, We’re Here to Help!
Sports injuries can take all kinds of forms, ranging from sprains like the one Jake experienced to massive ACL tears that require surgery and months of rehabilitation. However, one thing they have in common is that the TheraSport Physical Therapy team will develop a personalized treatment plan to address your unique needs.
Many sports injuries resolve with physical therapy alone. But even if you do have to undergo surgery, physical therapy plays a crucial role in helping you fully rehabilitate and maximize your outcomes.
There’s no getting around it–physical therapy for sports injuries is essential! To learn more about how we help the athletes in New Jersey, schedule an appointment today.
