If you’re a high school, collegiate or professional athlete, you know that certain substances are banned as they are considered unfair and potentially unhealthy performance enhancers. Steroids are probably the most well-known performance enhancer, but other substances like human growth hormone and blood doping also cause countless athletes to be suspended or removed from competition.
But what if there was a completely legal way to enhance your performance so you were faster, quicker or stronger on the court? There is! All you have to do is set up an appointment with one of our sports certified physical therapists!
PT as a PED
Physical therapy can provide you will all the benefits of a performance enhancing drug without the scary side effects, and best of all, it’s completely legal at all levels of competition. Yes, it will require a little more work than poking yourself with a needle, but for many of our current and former patients, physical therapy was exactly what they needed to take their game to the next level. Here’s how we do it:
- Speed and Agility – Many athletes rely on speed and quick movements to gain an advantage on their opponents, and that’s something we can help improve at our center. You may know how to improve some bigger muscles like your calves or hamstrings, but we can help target lesser known muscle groups that help with ability. From increasing the strength of your supportive ankle ligaments or targeting smaller tendons and muscles in your lower body, we can help you become a little bit faster, which may make all the difference.
- Efficiency Improvements – Sometimes all it takes is minor adjustments to your form to help you take the leap to the next level, and we have a number of tools to help ensure your form is on point. We have video analysis tools and biomechanical assessment devices to see if your form is holding you back from reaching your maximum potential. We’ve seen pitchers add miles to their fastball and runners take seconds off their personal best with minor tweaks to their form, so let us ensure you’re operating at maximum efficiency.
- Strength Training – For some, while technique and speed are important, the biggest factor in their sport is pure, unadulterated strength. We can help in that department too. We can help develop a strength training routine that not only targets the muscle groups you use most, but we can help improve other muscle groups so there’s not a big disparity in muscle structure, which is a leading cause of injury in athletes regularly work on the same muscle groups. We also help develop a safe routine so you aren’t exposing yourself to injury when trying new exercises or by taking on too much weight. We can help you set a new max on your bench press or have you adding 45’s to the squat rack by following a routine tailored to your position, your sport and your goals.
- Sport Specific Knowledge – Many physical therapists can provide you with a basic level of the above tips, but the staff at OrthoRehab Specialists sets us apart from the rest. Many of our therapists are current and former athletes who have more than a surface level understanding of the specifics of your position and sport. We can match you up with someone who has been in your position and who knows the right way to make our PT plan work for you. Let our staff enhance your performance on the field naturally and legally. Give our clinic a call today for more information.
PT of Costa Rican National Soccer Team for 2007 World Cup in Victoria, CAN. Clinical Instructor for University of Minnesota Doctor of Physical Therapy Affiliations
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