If you combine all of the different types of sports injuries, there are over a million every year. A sports injury can take you off of the field for weeks, months, or even permanently if you don’t actively commit to recovery. A physical therapist can help.
But what can physical therapy do for your injury recovery? Let’s talk about it. Read on to learn all about why you should consider seeing a physical therapist for your sports injury.
1. An Alternative (or Complement) to Invasive Surgery
This is one of the top reasons that people choose to try physical therapy to treat sports injuries. It may remove the need for invasive surgery, or, if surgery is necessary, it can aid the recovery process.
When you start with physical therapy, you’ll see at least minor improvements. Those improvements may help enough that you can skip your surgery, or they can reduce the recovery period post-surgery.
2. Pain Relief
Even minor sports injuries are painful. If you don’t want to be off of the field for too long and you don’t want to use heavy painkillers, physical therapy might be the answer.
Physical therapists use massage techniques, dry needling, and more to help soothe injuries naturally.
3. Improved Mobility
After an injury, it’s common to feel stiff. Whether your injury is long-term and you haven’t been using your body as much or you’re managing post-exercise soreness, it can be tough to regain your mobility and get back onto the playing field!
Physical therapists, like the team at Performax, will use mobility techniques and teach you helpful restorative exercises that you can do both during your appointments and at home.
They’ll teach you safe and effective stretches that will warm up your joints and muscles in no time.
4. Future Injury Prevention
So what if you haven’t yet had a sports injury, or you’ve already recovered? A good physical therapist will help you prevent future injuries.
A physical therapist will help athletes learn how to warm up and cool down before and after exercise so they can prevent future injuries. They’ll also recognize injuries that the athlete may be predisposed to (whether it’s due to the previous injury or other physical factors) and help them take preventative measures.
They can help with alignment and proper form. If you show a physical therapist how you pitch a baseball, for example, they can give you advice that will prevent you from a shoulder overuse injury.
5. Better Future Athletic Performance
Physical therapists aren’t personal trainers, but the exercises and stretches that they teach athletes will help with athletic performance in the long run.
Athletes may discover that they have better balance and flexibility after seeing a physical therapist. While many people don’t consider these things as important as strength and agility when it comes to sports, they make a big difference in overall athletic ability and recovery speed.
Physical Therapy Is Great After a Sports Injury
A physical therapist won’t just treat sports injuries; they can also help athletes prevent them. If you have a sports injury, consider seeing a physical therapist for a quicker and easier recovery.
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