Injuries as an Athlete
As a former athlete, nothing is more frustrating than that nagging injury that just doesn’t seem to go away. I’ve experienced such a wide range of injuries from my shoulders and elbows all the way down to my knees and ankles. Often as an athlete, you are told to rest and let things heal, and sometimes if you’re in the middle of the season this is just an unrealistic expectation.
As movement experts, physical therapists take the time to not only listen to what is going on with your body but also perform a movement analysis taking into account multiple underlying factors that may be contributing or even be the cause of your current pain. Athletes are constantly performing from day to day practices or week to week games. This routine can put an athlete in a position where they are performing the same motions and movements day in and day out without giving their body enough time to rest. Often times, if an athlete has not worked with a professional who is able to analyze their form they can be at a higher risk of injury missing out on even more playing time.
The biggest component that can contribute to your injury is your body mechanics. Athletes who have knee pain from their sport have a tendency to move the wrong way. For example, if you play a sport that involves a lot of jumping you may have knee pain when you land or squat. Part of the cause can come from what movements the athlete is performing at their ankle, knee, and hip. As movement specialists, physical therapists are able to visualize and help the athlete see what they are doing wrong and teach the proper form.
With improved form comes improved performance as well as decreased the rate of an injury re-occurring. This same concept can be applied to the ankle, the hip, the shoulder, and the elbow. Having a movement expert examine your injury and help teach and educate you on how to get stronger, faster, and healthier can make the difference between missing a couple of weeks to injury and playing a whole season injury-free.
As someone who has torn their ACL playing basketball, I can say that my physical therapist helped me to improve my form and I didn’t have any issues with my knee afterward. Omni Physical Therapy has the movement experts who can help athletes improve their body mechanics and form to help recover from those injuries that just never seem to go away. Right now at Omni Physical Therapy, we are offering a free injury screen if you would like to have us take a look at any injuries you have sustained this season.
This post is approved by Dr. Hunter Knight PT/DMT/COMT