How to Use Physical Therapy to Recover From Sports Injuries
Stop your sport immediately when you experience severe pain., Seek medical attention to treat your injury., Establish a time line for your recovery., Ask your doctor if physical therapy is recommended for your condition., Request recommendations for...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Stop your sport immediately when you experience severe pain.
Some pain is caused by a sudden laceration, break or blow, while other injuries are caused by repetitive stress.
Refusal to rest and seek a doctor's opinion can result in further injury and endangering your ability to play your sport in the future. -
Step 2: Seek medical attention to treat your injury.
Often times, it is important to get an x-ray to rule out serious breaks and injuries.
In extreme cases, surgery after injury may be one of the only options. , Your doctor should lead you through the acute, sub-acute and chronic phases of your recovery, working toward the time it will take to get you back into the position to play sports again.
Depending upon the treatment, surgery, rest, injections, etc., this will be different for every injury. , If you have experienced atrophy from surgery or inactivity or if you would like to keep training for an event while you are injured, the doctor is likely to believe it will help your condition.
Not every injury requires physical therapy.
If your doctor recommends ice, heat or gentle stretching, it is likely you can do this on your own.
Doctors often recommend physical therapy for rehabilitation that lasts a matter of months, rather than a matter of weeks. , This is a common specialization in the physical therapy world, so there may be a number of options in your town.
Call ahead to see if the physical therapist has experience treating your specific injury.
Private insurance companies often cover at least a few sessions of physical therapy.
Call your insurance company or check on their website to see if any of the therapists your doctor has recommended are covered by the company.
You may opt to go outside of your insurance network to get a well-renowned sports physical therapist. , Most doctors suggest that patients start therapy in the sub-acute phase.
This means that you may still have pain and limited mobility, but you can start doing stretches and exercise under the guidance of a physical therapist. , Although you may want to get started with exercise immediately, physical therapists can often diagnose muscle weakness that can lead to further injury.
Make sure they access the health in all the structures surrounding the injury before you begin treatment. , The following are issues you may want to address in your first meeting:
If your insurance company is not covering the treatments, you may want to suggest that you learn exercises that you can do on your own.
You can do 1 to 2 weeks of sessions and then go forward on your own.
You may also learn some exercises and then come back each month to test your strength, range of motion and mobility and learn more.
If you are using ice and heat at home, you may ask your physical therapist to leave these treatments out of your session.
Ice, massage and ultrasound are used to relieve pain.
If you are able to faithfully do these treatments at home, you may be able to achieve more with guidance and stretching in the office. , Most physical therapists will try to ease pain and develop a gradual exercise routine.
Ask questions and ask for changes in your session if you want to address specific issues during your time in the office.
Most people do not ask questions of trained physical therapists.
Although they are trained professionals who know how to treat injuries, strong communication allows you to get the most for your money.
If you do communicate your preferences, they may end up treating the general injury, rather than your specific needs. , You may be used to exercising regularly, but physical therapy exercises may be different; they often isolate specific muscles to slowly and safely rebuild the tissue.
Ask the physical therapist to explain the exercises clearly and give you some explanations of the motions with diagrams. , You may need to buy equipment, such as resistance bands, small hand weights or ice packs.
This is especially important if you plan to do most of your exercising at home or in a gym, rather than at a physical therapy office. , After severe injuries, muscles, tendons and ligaments can lose their strength.
To prevent future injuries, always wear your braces when you play sports or engage in training. , Ask your physical therapist for a week-by-week training routine that will allow you to safely return to sports.
Follow the routine and check in with the physical therapist if you experience increased pain or mobility issues. -
Step 3: Establish a time line for your recovery.
-
Step 4: Ask your doctor if physical therapy is recommended for your condition.
-
Step 5: Request recommendations for sports physical therapists.
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Step 6: Start physical therapy in accordance with your recovery schedule.
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Step 7: Undergo an evaluation.
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Step 8: Talk with your physical therapist about your goals for therapy.
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Step 9: Be assertive and proactive during your treatments.
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Step 10: Learn stretching
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Step 11: range of motion and strengthening exercises.
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Step 12: Do your physical therapy at home as prescribed.
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Step 13: Wear supports or braces as directed by your doctor and physical therapist.
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Step 14: Return slowly to your training regimen.
Detailed Guide
Some pain is caused by a sudden laceration, break or blow, while other injuries are caused by repetitive stress.
Refusal to rest and seek a doctor's opinion can result in further injury and endangering your ability to play your sport in the future.
Often times, it is important to get an x-ray to rule out serious breaks and injuries.
In extreme cases, surgery after injury may be one of the only options. , Your doctor should lead you through the acute, sub-acute and chronic phases of your recovery, working toward the time it will take to get you back into the position to play sports again.
Depending upon the treatment, surgery, rest, injections, etc., this will be different for every injury. , If you have experienced atrophy from surgery or inactivity or if you would like to keep training for an event while you are injured, the doctor is likely to believe it will help your condition.
Not every injury requires physical therapy.
If your doctor recommends ice, heat or gentle stretching, it is likely you can do this on your own.
Doctors often recommend physical therapy for rehabilitation that lasts a matter of months, rather than a matter of weeks. , This is a common specialization in the physical therapy world, so there may be a number of options in your town.
Call ahead to see if the physical therapist has experience treating your specific injury.
Private insurance companies often cover at least a few sessions of physical therapy.
Call your insurance company or check on their website to see if any of the therapists your doctor has recommended are covered by the company.
You may opt to go outside of your insurance network to get a well-renowned sports physical therapist. , Most doctors suggest that patients start therapy in the sub-acute phase.
This means that you may still have pain and limited mobility, but you can start doing stretches and exercise under the guidance of a physical therapist. , Although you may want to get started with exercise immediately, physical therapists can often diagnose muscle weakness that can lead to further injury.
Make sure they access the health in all the structures surrounding the injury before you begin treatment. , The following are issues you may want to address in your first meeting:
If your insurance company is not covering the treatments, you may want to suggest that you learn exercises that you can do on your own.
You can do 1 to 2 weeks of sessions and then go forward on your own.
You may also learn some exercises and then come back each month to test your strength, range of motion and mobility and learn more.
If you are using ice and heat at home, you may ask your physical therapist to leave these treatments out of your session.
Ice, massage and ultrasound are used to relieve pain.
If you are able to faithfully do these treatments at home, you may be able to achieve more with guidance and stretching in the office. , Most physical therapists will try to ease pain and develop a gradual exercise routine.
Ask questions and ask for changes in your session if you want to address specific issues during your time in the office.
Most people do not ask questions of trained physical therapists.
Although they are trained professionals who know how to treat injuries, strong communication allows you to get the most for your money.
If you do communicate your preferences, they may end up treating the general injury, rather than your specific needs. , You may be used to exercising regularly, but physical therapy exercises may be different; they often isolate specific muscles to slowly and safely rebuild the tissue.
Ask the physical therapist to explain the exercises clearly and give you some explanations of the motions with diagrams. , You may need to buy equipment, such as resistance bands, small hand weights or ice packs.
This is especially important if you plan to do most of your exercising at home or in a gym, rather than at a physical therapy office. , After severe injuries, muscles, tendons and ligaments can lose their strength.
To prevent future injuries, always wear your braces when you play sports or engage in training. , Ask your physical therapist for a week-by-week training routine that will allow you to safely return to sports.
Follow the routine and check in with the physical therapist if you experience increased pain or mobility issues.
About the Author
Cynthia Gutierrez
Specializes in breaking down complex DIY projects topics into simple steps.
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