8 Ways Physical Therapy Can Improve Sports Performance

8 Ways Physical Therapy Can Improve Sports Performance

Sports injuries are common. About 2 million high school athletes have an injury at some point during their playing career. These injuries are minor and can be treated with rest and physical therapy. Physical therapy can improve sports performance by helping you achieve better results in your workouts. Pro Staff Physical Therapy aims to help you move more efficiently, so your muscles and joints aren’t strained as much. This helps you recover more quickly from injuries and prevents them from happening in the first place. In this article, you will learn how physical therapy can help improve your sports performance.

Why Physical Therapy is Important to Improve Sports Performance

Sports performance is more than just strength and speed. It’s also about staying on the field and avoiding injuries. Injuries can occur even when a player is properly warmed up, but many injuries occur due to poor biomechanics or improper technique. Physical therapists can help players identify their weaknesses and adjust to perform better in their sport.

Pro Staff physical therapists are trained to help athletes with sports-specific injuries, as well as general musculoskeletal problems such as posture or gait abnormalities. They will use various techniques, such as ultrasound and soft tissue mobilization, to treat these problems.

Types of sport injuries

When it comes to sports, so many factors play into your ability to perform at your best—especially if you’re an athlete who relies on strength and endurance. The most common sports injuries are:

1. Achilles tendonitis: Achilles tendonitis is an inflammation of the Achilles tendon, if you have this injury, you will feel pain just below your ankle when you walk or run.
2. Shin splints: This injury happens when one or both of the bones below your knee (tibia) become inflamed from overuse.
3. Sprained Ankle: When you sprain your ankle, you’ve torn or overstretched the ligament that holds together the bones in your foot and ankle.
4. Concussion: A concussion occurs when you hit your head hard enough to cause brain damage.
5. Fracture: Fractures are broken bones usually caused by a serious injury, such as falling down or getting into an accident. The symptoms of a fracture include severe pain and limited mobility.

8 Ways Physical Therapy Can Improve Sports Performance

Many professional athletes use physical therapy regularly throughout their careers as part of their preventative maintenance program. This keeps their bodies strong and healthy to continue performing at a high level without getting injured. Physical therapy can help in the following ways:

1. Improve range of motion: To perform optimally, you must have a full range of motion. Physical therapists can help improve your range of motion by identifying the obstacles preventing you from reaching your full potential—and then working with you to overcome them.
2. Reduce pain and inflammation: By improving your performance in each of the categories that are important to you, the pain will become a thing of the past.
3. Prevent injury: A physical therapist can help you avoid injuries by identifying and correcting flaws in your form or movement pattern before they cause pain.
4. Improve performance: If you’ve been injured and are looking to get back in the game as soon as possible, physical therapy can help you speed up the healing process and get back on the field or court faster than if you were to rest on your own.
5. Increase flexibility: How flexible you are directly impacts your physical health and athletic performance. A high level of flexibility will help boost your sports abilities while keeping you feeling strong physically.
6. Balance: Physical therapists evaluate an individual’s balance and adjust exercises if needed for better balance and posture.
7. Help heal from injuries faster: Physical therapists are trained to help athletes recover from injury and get back into shape by guiding them through a series of exercises designed to heal faster.
8. Strengthen muscles and joints: Building strength is crucial to making the most of your physical abilities, and rehabilitation can help you bring out the best in those areas that you rely on.

What is Included in Physical Therapy for Improved Sports Performance?

Physical therapy can help you recover from injury and improve your performance. Physical therapy for improved sports performance includes a number of components, from joint and muscle strengthening to balance training and agility exercises. Trained physical therapists will assess your condition, determine what’s causing the problem, and develop a plan to help you heal and get back to your sport.

Physical therapy for improved sports performance includes several different treatment techniques, including:

• Tissue mobilization (a massage-like treatment)
• Muscle strengthening exercises
• Flexibility training
• Functional training (designed to help you perform your sport better)

How Long Does Physical Therapy Take?

When it comes to physical therapy, there are a lot of factors that can affect how long the treatment will last. Most patients will need between three and six months of physical therapy to fully recover from an injury or surgery. However, the length of time will vary depending on what procedure was performed, how well the patient responds to treatment, and how quickly they can return to their normal daily routine.

When to Seek a Physical Therapist to Improve Sports Performance?

When you’re an athlete, you know that every minute counts. Whether you’re a professional or just playing on weekends, the difference between winning and losing can be as simple as how much time you spend training. If your sports performance has plateaued, it might be time to seek out the help of a physical therapist.

Here are some reasons why:

• You’re suffering from an injury or chronic pain that is preventing you from fully participating in your sport.
• You might have an imbalance in muscle strength or mobility that’s hindering your performance.
• Your form needs improvement, and no one is around to teach you (like a coach).
• You want to improve your overall fitness level to enhance the quality of your life outside of sports.

Why Choose Pro Staff for Physical Therapy to Improve Sports Performance?

At Pro Staff Physical Therapy, we know that you want to be the best you can be. That’s why we’re here to help you improve your sports performance with the best physical therapy services in the area.

Our skilled and experienced physical therapists have helped countless athletes reach their goals by improving their strength, flexibility, and range of motion—and we can do the same for you! We’ll work with you to develop a personalized plan that gets right at what’s holding you back from your peak performance. Contact us today!

Pro Staff Institute, LLC, has a network of outpatient physical rehabilitation centers in New Jersey. Pro Staff was founded in 2010 by Frank Pavlisko and Michael Maffucci. Through Frank’s 25 plus years experience in Physical Therapy and Michael’s experience in Management Services, our goal is to exceed customer expectations by providing the highest quality of service in a fun, family, friendly, and encouraging environment.