Sports therapy deals with the prevention and treatment of sporting and physical exercise-related injuries in athletes. The most common sports injuries treated by a sports medicine doctor include sprains, strains, tennis elbow, torn muscles, herniated discs, ankle fractures, ligament tears, tendinitis, muscle cramps, soft-tissue injuries, head injuries, whiplash, and fractures. Sports therapy is very effective at dealing with sports-related injury because it addresses the biomechanics of the sports, the force at play, the recovery process, and the individual’s individual limitations.
Types Of Injuries
Injuries to the soft tissue and muscles are often the hardest to treat because they have no structural relationship to the bones or the muscles. Thus, rehabilitation involves targeting these areas with exercise and stretches to build and recondition them. A physical therapist can use various techniques to encourage muscle reconditioning, including massage, ultrasound, and electrotherapy. They may also recommend physical therapy exercises for the injured area, including relaxation methods, exercises for flexibility and strength, and exercises specifically geared toward rebuilding the damaged areas.
Sports medicine doctors often treat sports-related injury as a symptom of an underlying problem. For example, a sprained ankle is usually a symptom of high-impact trauma, such as slipping on a wet surface during jumping. If you do not rest the injured area properly, it could lead to a recurrence of the problem, such as an ankle fracture. If the person who injured his or her foot did not use proper footwear, the foot structure could be compromised due to the lack of support. A physical therapist can help patients correctly perform the most appropriate exercises for their specific needs.
Another benefit of sports therapy is the development of rehabilitation plans. If an athlete is injured, he or she must get back into shape quickly and safely. For this reason, returning to previous form can often be difficult. Proper rehabilitation plans allow you to work in shorter intervals, while still increasing the strength and endurance you already have. This allows you to get back into the game much quicker.
How Is This Kind Of Therapy Applied?
Sports therapy is also commonly used to treat sport-related exercise injuries and minor traumatic brain injuries that affect athletes during contact sports. Sports therapy can also be used to rehabilitate athletes who are nursing an injury or are otherwise physically unable to participate in sport. In these cases, there are many benefits that can be had from regular therapy. You can improve your range of motion and reduce the amount of stiffness or pain you experience. You can get back into the sport you love much faster than if you attempted to rehab your injury on your own.
There are many other types of sports injuries that require manual therapy in order to treat. However, the methods that are most effective and safe for most patients are still primarily manual therapy techniques. This includes massage, heat wraps, light weights and even stretching exercises. This type of treatment can not only help alleviate pain and improve mobility, but it can also allow you to avoid further injury or make your current injury better. In many cases, patients who have previously done manual therapy in sports find that they need to add manual therapy to their rehabilitation schedule in order to avoid additional injury.
