Sports injuries are common. Whether you are a professional athlete or someone who enjoys recreational games of basketball or softball injuries can occur as a result of almost any kind of competitive athletics. While some sports have greater risk for injuries than others any type of physical activity can cause injuries such as pulling a hamstring while jogging or spraining an ankle while playing beach volleyball. Recovering from a sports related injury often involves physical therapy and the education that takes place during rehabilitation can help athletes identify specific injuries, how to recover from the injury and more importantly how to avoid further injuries in the future.
A sports related injury can be from physical contact with an opponent or from any number of twist and turns you take while running or falling to the ground. The most common sports injuries include sprains, strains, knee injuries and shin splints. If an injury is severe enough it may require surgery but if there are no broken bone or ligament damage many sports injuries can be treated through physical therapy. Most therapy programs designed for athletes involve rehabilitation and rest. Rehabilitation is used to return strength and flexibility to an injured body part while rest is always recommended so an injury can properly heal. The initial treatment of a physical therapy program will be moderate since aggressive movement of an injured body part can lead to further damage.
When starting therapy to rehabilitate a sports injury, be prepared to take it slow. Athletes often have trouble with this discipline since many are trained to be fast and explosive and not many can deal with the mental strain that comes with nursing an injury. Many athletes suffer psychologically when injured since most develop a sense of immortality due to their physical prowess and being forced to the sideline because of a sprain or ligament strain is a difficult situation to accept. The worse thing an athlete can do is play through the pain and try to ignore it. The longer you exercise or compete with an injury the worse it will get.
A sports related injury can be from physical contact with an opponent or from any number of twist and turns you take while running or falling to the ground. The most common sports injuries include sprains, strains, knee injuries and shin splints. If an injury is severe enough it may require surgery but if there are no broken bone or ligament damage many sports injuries can be treated through physical therapy. Most therapy programs designed for athletes involve rehabilitation and rest. Rehabilitation is used to return strength and flexibility to an injured body part while rest is always recommended so an injury can properly heal. The initial treatment of a physical therapy program will be moderate since aggressive movement of an injured body part can lead to further damage.
When starting therapy to rehabilitate a sports injury, be prepared to take it slow. Athletes often have trouble with this discipline since many are trained to be fast and explosive and not many can deal with the mental strain that comes with nursing an injury. Many athletes suffer psychologically when injured since most develop a sense of immortality due to their physical prowess and being forced to the sideline because of a sprain or ligament strain is a difficult situation to accept. The worse thing an athlete can do is play through the pain and try to ignore it. The longer you exercise or compete with an injury the worse it will get.
When rehabbing an injury it is important to start with basic range-of-motion exercises that can be frustrating for a collegiate or professional athlete. However, it is important to begin with exercises that focus on flexibility, endurance and strength and it will take some time for the injured body part to heal. Being disciplined in your physical therapy rehab program and resting in between sessions is necessary for quick and proper recovery.
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