Although there are countless specific types of injuries that you may suffer during athletics or an intense workout, oftentimes these injuries can be grouped into one of three subcategories. There are acute injuries, overuse injuries and chronic injuries. In today’s blog, we explore how a physical therapist can help you manage and treat these three main types of athletic injuries.
Managing Common Sports Injuries Through PT
Let’s take a closer look at these three subcategories of sports injuries and explain how a physical therapist can help you overcome each of them.
- Acute Sports Injuries – Acute sports injuries are typically the result of direct or intense trauma to a specific part of your body. These are less preventable than the other injuries on this list because they occur in a single moment. An ankle fracture, dislocated shoulder or muscle tear are all examples of acute injuries. Most of these injuries will be treated with short-term rest followed by physical therapy and a gradual return to athletics. For best results, you’ll want to connect with a physical therapist with a background in your specific sport. All physical therapists have an extensive knowledge of how to help a patient recover from a fracture or ligament tear, but working with a PT who understands the sport-specific movements you perform most will really help with your recovery. The team at OrthoRehab Specialists can connect you with a physical therapist that is perfect for your unique situation who can develop an individualized recovery program for your needs. It’s not enough to let time heal your wounds, you need to get back to a pre-injury level of fitness, and the best way to do that is through physical therapy.
- Overuse – Another common cause of injuries during athletics is overuse. Whether you push yourself too hard or too frequently, if your body can’t handle the stress you’re putting on it, injuries can develop. Overuse injuries like Achilles tendonitis or swimmer’s shoulder are quite common in athletes who don’t give their bodies enough rest. Again, physical therapy can be incredibly helpful for these types of overuse injuries. A physical therapist can help you develop a training program so that specific muscle groups become stronger and more capable of handling the rigors of your sport, or they can work to tweak your form so that you move more efficiently during athletics. Don’t let an overuse injury linger and turn into the final type of injury because you never learned how to properly help your body recover after athletics.
- Chronic – Finally, the last type of injury that can fell athletes is the chronic injury. Many overuse injuries can become chronic problems if left untreated. Achilles tendonitis is a prime example. Ankle instability, shin splints or prolonged swelling/inflammation are other common examples among athletes. Treating a chronic sports injury really comes down to confronting the issue head on. You can’t just take a little time off and hope it goes away. You need to target the underlying issue, strengthen and stabilize key structures and gradually work your way back up to game speed. It’s going to take some time, but it’s better than having suboptimal performance due to a lingering issue. Let our team of physical therapists get to the bottom of your chronic pain and develop a targeted care plan that gets you back on the field without discomfort.
For more information about managing injuries from any of these subcategories, reach out to the team at OrthoRehab Specialists today at (612) 339-2041.