How Physical Therapy Can Help Sports Injuries This Spring

How Physical Therapy Can Help Sports Injuries This Spring

At ProTailored Physical Therapy, we are experienced in dealing with all spring sports season injuries and can give you the programs to prepare you for the season and prevent new injuries! Are you looking forward to getting out on the courts? Do you look forward to golf or the start of baseball/softball season?

The winter seasons can be sedentary and lead to more aches, pains, and discomfort than one may think. Fortunately, the warm weather is a great time to get outdoors and play sports.

If you find yourself in pain from a throwing injury or a bad swing of the club or racquet this spring, or you’d like to discuss ways you can get in shape to prevent any injury, don’t hesitate to contact ProTailored Physical Therapy.

Whether you are a young athlete or have played sports for decades, our physical therapists know how to treat your injuries and get you back in the game.

Common Causes of Sports-Related Injuries

Injuries are a part of sports, but you can resolve them quickly and get back to doing what you love with a proactive approach to rehabilitation. Most athletes learn that taking care of issues when they are small leads to a faster recovery.

Many people think sprains and strains are the same, but they describe damage to different tissues. Tendons are tissues that connect muscles to bones, and ligaments are tissues that connect bones to the bone.

Sprains occur when a ligament is stretched beyond its limits or torn.
Strains occur when a tendon is stretched beyond its limits or torn.

Sprains are typically the result of a trauma, a deceleration (slowing down) movement, or a sudden change in direction. The most common symptoms include pain, inflammation, muscle spasm, and sometimes an inability to move the joints where the injury occurred.

Ankle sprains are often the result of a faulty step while running or stepping on uneven terrain. The injury occurs when the ankle rolls, twists, or turns awkwardly to the outer aspect of the ankle (i.e., lateral ankle sprain). This sudden stretch leads to partial or complete tearing of the ligaments supporting the ankle joint. The severity of the injury will determine the degree of pain, inflammation, and ability to move the joints where the injury occurred.

Approximately 85% of ankle sprains are inversion sprains (i.e., rolling outward). This injury damages the outside (lateral) ligaments and may lead to restrictions on how the joint moves. The joint restrictions will, in turn, affect the athlete’s ability to tolerate running and jumping and may also lead to chronic ankle instability and new injuries that impact an athlete’s ability.

It is important to note that it is in your best interest to have a physical therapist make sure a sprain is fully healed before returning to your normal level of physical activity. Regardless of the type and nature of your sports injuries, our team can help!

What to Expect from Physical Therapy

The overall goal of physical therapy is healing and prevention. In addition to treating the injury, our physical therapists will help resolve any pain, restore motion and strengthen the affected area to prevent additional injury.

An effective rehabilitation program depends on a thorough history to understand the exact nature of the injury and the athlete’s goals. We use the information gathered in the initial evaluation to identify the underlying condition and pathology of the symptoms.

The initial stages of physical therapy will focus on restoring any lost motion, reducing the swelling, and using all available treatments to alleviate any pain you may experience.

Your physical therapist will incorporate manual techniques and modalities to reduce pain and inflammation before initiating active rehabilitation. Our programs focus on correcting dysfunction and/or improper technique and equipment.

Dysfunctional movement patterns can last for years, leading to re-injury and other injuries. Our therapists will design a comprehensive program that includes restoring range of motion, strengthening, neuromuscular control, proprioceptive responses, and sports-specific exercises. We will look for any changes in your gait pattern that may make it difficult for you to move around freely.

Our physical therapists will show you therapeutic exercises to address any underlying issue, such as a weakness that may be contributing to altered movement patterns, balance issues, and overall susceptibility to more injuries. We will perform a comprehensive assessment to ensure we provide the tools you need to enjoy the sport you love!

Contact ProTailored Physical Therapy To Schedule An Appointment

We will work with you at ProTailored Physical Therapy to accommodate your needs by providing the most advanced rehabilitation strategies and injury prevention programming.

For more information, contact us today!

Play Hard, Heal Smart This Spring!

Ready to feel your best again? Come back to ProTailored Physical Therapy and let us help you achieve your wellness goals — book your appointment today!

Click Here to Schedule Your Appointment!

Therapist Spotlight:

Kaylynn Rocket. Patient Coordinator

Favorite way to spend a day off?

I am a true homebody! I enjoy being able to spend the day in my pajamas, working on one of my many hobbies with my dog Benny attached to my side. If I’m not doing that, I enjoy hosting big game nights for my friends and me.

If you had a theme song, what would it be?

If I had a theme song it’d have to be ‘Unwritten’ by Natasha Bedingfield.

Favorite local spots?

Ever since middle school, I have loved Firefly Coffee House. I also recently tried The Abstract downtown, which is amazing! When it’s nice out, I enjoy exploring downtown and seeing what new things I can try.

If you came with a warning label, what would it say?

Warning: May break out into song at any time.

This Crock Pot Irish Stew is a hearty, comforting classic that’s perfect for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. Slow-cooked and full of rich flavor, it’s an easy, cozy meal to enjoy with family and friends.

Enjoy This Seasonal Healthy Recipe!

Best St. Patrick’s Day Crock Pot Irish Stew

2 lbs beef chuck roast, cubed
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups diced carrots
1 envelope onion soup mix
2 (10¾ oz) cans tomato soup
1 soup can water
16 oz frozen peas
salt and pepper, to taste
parsley, for garnish

Combine beef, potatoes, carrots, soup mix, tomato soup, can of water, salt and pepper in Crock Pot.
Cook on LOW 8 hours.
Add frozen peas and ¼ cup water.
Cook on LOW 1 additional hour.
Garnish with parsley.

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Exercise of the Month

LUNGES

Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart. Step one foot backward and lower your back knee toward the floor, keeping your front knee aligned over your ankle. Push through your front heel to return to the starting position. Alternate legs with each rep.

3 Sets, 10 Reps (each leg).

Spring Is Running Season! Are You In Your Best Shape?

Are you looking forward to starting running again after a long winter? At ProTailored Physical Therapy, our therapists understand running injuries, and we will make sure you run pain-free this spring!

Runners are often misled into believing unproven solutions to avoiding pain and injury. Not many people know that the number-one risk factor for runners to sustain an injury is having had an injury in the last 12 months.

The other most common risk factors are:

Running experience of 0–2 years
Restarting running after extended rest
Overtraining (i.e., more than 40 miles per week)

To ensure you can get back to running or increasing your mileage without pain or injury, start with an injury evaluation and a biomechanical assessment to identify any factors that could contribute to pain or injury.

Our therapists will take a thorough history to understand your training schedule, previous injuries, and overall health status. We use this information to create an individualized program to alleviate pain and get you back to running without limits.

Our Patients Get Great Results

“I went to ProTailored PT for a little over 3 months for my shoulder. I found all the employees to be friendly, pleasant and thorough during my appointments. I highly recommend them to anyone in need for PT .”

– Sherry S.

Refer a Friend

Our purpose at ProTailored Physical Therapy is to leave a greater impact on the community around us. In order to achieve our goal we want to change as many lives as possible as we become a beacon of positivity in our community.

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