Physical injuries from sports or other activities can be classified in many ways. However, when it comes to treatment and recovery they can most usefully be classified as acute or sudden injuries and overuse injuries. Acute injuries include whiplash injuries, sprains, torn ligaments and tendons, and broken bones. Some of these can be treated by sports physical therapy. However, this form of therapy as offered by Integrative Spine & Sports is also very effective in treating overuse injuries.
Causes of Overuse Injuries
Whether you are a seasoned athlete, taking up sport after a hiatus, or a weekend sports player, you can end up abusing your muscles, tendons, and ligaments in small doses. This occurs because you have picked up the pace of your exercise regimen faster than you should have, have tried to get back to previous fitness levels after an illness or injury by pushing yourself, because your feet have very high arches or are flat, incorrect shoes for the surface on which you are training, and more.
Mechanism of Overuse Injuries
When any of the conditions described above exist, it places additional stress on muscles, tendons, and ligaments causing them to experience micro trauma. This can be noticed as minor aches and pains, a small amount of swelling caused by inflammation, and so on. Over time, this micro trauma translates into painful conditions such as carpel tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, and painful knees or ankles.
Uses of Sports Physical Therapy
Integrative Spine & Sports offers a comprehensive and holistic approach to treating overuse injuries using sports physical therapy. This therapy can be used by ballet dancers, those performing physical tasks, athletes, or just someone who is coaching his son’s soccer team. The therapy begins by assessing the extent of the damage and the causes.
When it comes overuse injuries, the physical therapist will assess the way in which you perform the activities and train you to make movements that achieve the same results without stressing the damaged muscles and tendons. Additionally, the therapist will prescribe exercises and activities that ensure that supporting muscles are strengthened, reducing the burden on the overused tissues.
Typically, sports physical therapy in by IntegrativeSpine & Sports will include guided exercises and training as well as suggestions for cross training that will strengthen the other muscles and tissues.
This is because at Integrative Spine & Sports, sports physical therapists believe that one of the causes of overuse injuries is a mismatch between strength and flexibility. This imbalance is addressed by ensuring that the exercises prescribed enhance either your flexibility or strength depending on the individual circumstances.
Preventive Sports Physical Therapy
Those who are aiming to get back into more active lives after a hiatus or are planning to join a team for the first time (perhaps in years) need to be aware of the dangers of injuries. One way of reducing the risk of sports injuries is to undergo preventive sports physical therapywhere the therapist from Integrative Spine & Sports will assess your fitness levels and prescribe the best exercises to strengthen muscles and tendons before you engage in a particular sport or game suck as a pick-up basketball game or long bicycle ride.
