Did you know that 21% of sports participants report having an injury? Sprained ankles, strained muscles, and even torn ligaments are routine for athletes whether professional or casual.
A sports injury can put a damper on your athletic performance, in addition to causing you pain in your daily life. It can even increase your risk of a future injury down the line.
To prevent an injury from taking over your life it’s important to get physical therapy as soon as possible after an accident. It is the best way to be proactive about injury recovery and even prevent future injuries. Learn more about why you should start searching for “physical therapy near me,” in this article!
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Better Outcome
In some cases, physical therapy can be more effective than a surgical solution. Studies have found that exercise-based treatment often results in a better outcome than purely surgical treatment.
This is for several reasons. Surgery can only repair the injured tissue. It can’t strengthen the area, correct faulty movement patterns, or fix the root cause.
Opting for a purely surgical solution risks an injury turning chronic or a different issue resulting from flawed body mechanics.
For example, a knee injury can travel up the line. It can turn into a hip injury and it can alter your gait and cause severe back pain. All of this can be addressed with physical therapy and treating the root cause.
Pre-Op and Post-Op Care
Sometimes, even the best physical therapist can’t prevent surgery. With both pre-op and post-op care, you can recover quicker and take less time off from your sport.
Pre-op care will focus on strengthening the area and making it better able to handle the trauma of surgery. You’ll build the muscle, work on reducing swelling, and improve mobility.
After surgery, you’ll work on any atrophied muscles and getting them to activate again. In addition, balance and coordination often suffer as a result of surgery. Your therapist will have you working on balance boards, agility ladders, and footwork drills to get your coordination back.
Read more about sports medicine here!
Preventative Care
You don’t just have to wait for an injury to get physical therapy. You can look for a therapist for injury prevention too! A therapist can help you avoid injury and even improve your sports performance.
For example, your physical therapist can perform a running gait analysis. During the process, they will watch you run on a treadmill and film your stride. Then they can correct any issues with hip extension, arm swing, and detect any tight muscles.
With a few simple exercises, you can completely transform your body mechanics and sports performance!
Look for Physical Therapy Today
Hopefully, this article will have convinced you of the reasons to start searching for a “physical therapist near me.” Physical therapy is essential for rehab, injury prevention, and care after surgery. It will improve your quality of life, injury recovery, and even your athletic performance.
Give it a try and you’ll notice the difference right away!
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