What is sports rehabilitation?
Sports rehabilitation is a process used by physical therapists to determine when an athlete or active individual can get back to competing or taking part in daily activities. One of the biggest differences between sports rehabilitation and regular rehabilitation is the focus of mobility and mechanics. When you partake in regular rehabilitation, the goal is to get you healed and back to moving as you were before. The goal of sports rehabilitation goes beyond the healing process and works to get you stronger at the specific movements related to your sport. This focus on mechanics allows for additional output beyond where you were performing prior to the injury.
What would I need sports rehabilitation?
No athlete wants to be taken out of the game due to injury. Additionally, no athlete wants to be taken out of the game for a long period of time due to injury and then have to retrain the brain and body to perform at the caliber that it did before. Sports rehabilitation allows for proper healing of the injury while also strengthening and advancing your body to prevent the same injury from happening again.
Sports rehabilitation isn’t just for high school, college or professional athletes. Anyone who partakes in a physical activity to promote a healthy lifestyle (runners, walkers, swimmers, lifters, etc.) is eligible for sports rehabilitation. If you have been a runner for 20+ years and are now experiencing hip pain (or any other type of discomfort) while doing the activity you love, sports rehabilitation can help.
What results can I expect from sports rehabilitation?
Sports rehabilitation is a process that requires time, patience, and persistence. This is not a “one size fits all” treatment. Each patient will be evaluated at their first appointment and provided a treatment plan based on the type of injury as well as the severity. Once you begin treatment, it’s important to show up to all appointments and put in any outside work that may be “assigned.” As you continue through the appointment process, your physical therapist will keep you up to date on your progress as well as any changes they see fit.
Once the time comes where pain has resided and output results are being delivered, your physical therapist will conclude appointments and send you back out to start your activities again.
If you or someone you know may benefit from sports rehabilitation, schedule online with one of our physical therapists or call us at 515.875.9706.