Before we know it, it’ll be autumn, and with the cooler season will come something many of us love to participate in fall sports!
Everyone who is heavily involved in athletics knows that one thing is for sure, with physical activity also comes the risk of injury. Our strongly encourages athletes prepping or fall sports such as cross country running, football, and soccer, to visit one of our skilled physical therapists as they begin preparing their bodies for the playing season.
Making sure your body is strong, stable, and prepped for the game is a vital part of maintaining high performance. Call our clinic today to learn about how our therapists can help you prep for your sport of choice this fall, as well as prevent sports injuries down the road!
How can a physical therapist help athletes prepare for fall sports?
Being able to practice the sport you love, whether professionally or for fun, is super important. Sports provide a way for you to get physical activity while having fun.
Your heart rate rises, your blood gets flowing, your muscles get the workout that they need. However, you should be on the lookout for ways to prevent sports injuries this season if you’re about to jump back out onto the field, and physical therapy is a great way to do that! A physical therapy conditioning program can increase your fitness level and help you make the most of your favorite sports this season.
Conditioning is a major part of maintaining your physical fitness when you play sports. It helps to increase flexibility and strengthen ligaments, muscles, and tendons. By participating in conditioning programs, you can lower your risk of sustaining an injury during the game.
A physical therapist can prevent athletes from overexerting themselves or twisting in ways that may cause an injury to occur by teaching targeted exercises, lifting weights, and strengthening muscles.
Injury prevention with physical therapy
One great aspect of physical therapy at Optimus Health Centre is that it can help you to prevent sustaining a sports injury in the fall. If you sustain an injury while playing sports, one of our certified physical therapists will conduct a thorough evaluation to diagnose your sports injury. Afterward, a personalized treatment plan will be designed for you, based on the specific needs of the diagnosis and any additional symptoms that you are experiencing.
There are two ways in which sports injuries can occur: suddenly, such as a soccer player colliding with another, or overtime, through repetitive motions, such as running for long periods during cross country events. Simply put, anything that results in pain while performing physical activity can be considered a sports injury!
Both strains and strains are common in sports that require high impact in the wrists, elbows, and shoulders.
Sprains are extremely common in sports. Your bones are connected to one another by ligaments. When a ligament is stretched beyond its limits, a sprain can occur. Once the ligament is stretched, it is more likely that the affected area will be sprained again in the future.
Strains, or pulled muscles, are often mixed up with sprains. They’re two different injuries, however! Your muscles and bones are connected by tendons. When a tendon is stretched beyond its limit, a strain or “pulled muscle” can occur. Once the tendon is stretched, it is more likely that the affected area will be strained again in the future.
Some other common injuries that we treat in athletes are as follows:
- Muscle tears
- Bone fractures
- Hamstring strain
- Tennis or golf elbow
- Frozen shoulder
- Hip flexor strain
Receiving physical therapy before you begin playing this fall could make all the difference in how ready your body is to be out on the field or court.
Our clinic also provides performance enhancement sessions, designed to teach you the techniques you need to prevent future sports injuries from occurring!
Contact us today
At Optimus Health Centre, we make it our top priority to encourage healing and injury prevention for our patients. In addition to treating injuries, our physical therapists can help you improve range of motion, flexibility, strength, and overall function, in order to prevent additional injury from occurring.
Are you an athlete prepping for fall sports? Call us today to learn more about how physical therapy can get you geared up to have your best season yet!
Tags: Aches & Pains, Exercise, physical therapy
