What Is Sports Rehabilitation?

The goal of sports rehabilitation is to help an athlete at any level get back to the sport they love after an injury. Also known as sports rehab, this therapy is not just a single treatment but a customized process that involves helping the athlete heal, regain their strength and skill, and eventually return to their active sport. Ultimately, the athlete should return to doing what they love at pre-injury levels and have the tools necessary to avoid future injuries.

Who needs sports rehabilitation?

Sports rehab is not just for professional athletes but for any active person who develops a serious injury that takes them away from their sport. School-age athletes, active adults, and college-level athletes who have suffered sprains, strains, fractures, dislocations, and other serious sports injuries can also benefit. Sometimes, these injuries are minor and respond to rest and less extensive treatment. However, when injuries are more serious and take time to heal, athletes turn to sports rehabilitation to help them return to their sports in top condition.

What is sports rehabilitation?

Sports rehabilitation is the process of getting athletes back in the game. Each treatment plan may vary but typically involves a multi-disciplined approach to injury treatment and recovery. Athletes may work with physical therapists, chiropractors, regenerative medicine practitioners, and other healthcare professionals. These professionals work with each athlete on a customized plan to take them through a process of injury recovery that typically happens in these stages:

1. Protect and rest. The first stage focuses on addressing any pain and inflammation caused by the injury, along with allowing the injured area to rest.
2. Mobility and movement. This stage focuses on restoring flexibility and range of motion and often includes stretches and exercises to facilitate that goal.
3. Increase strength and stamina. The third stage involves efforts to rebuild stamina, muscle strength, and endurance.
4. Re-establishing coordination. For this fourth stage, the goal is to re-establish the balance, spatial awareness, and coordination needed for athletic activity.
5. Sport-specific movements. This final stage focuses on getting the athlete back to performing the movements specific to their sport, pain-free and with special care taken to avoid movements that lead to injury.

This process is accomplished through a combination of exercises, manual therapies, and regenerative medicine and involves a cooperative effort between the athlete and the care team.

Sports rehabilitation treatments

Here is a closer look at therapies that may be used as part of an athlete sports rehab program:

Physical therapy

Physical therapy offers support at all phases of the process to aid in healing, reduce pain, and restore movement. This involves stretches and exercises to re-establish flexibility, mobility, and strength. Practitioners can help athletes decide when they are ready to return to physical activity and develop strategies to avoid future injuries.

Chiropractic care

Chiropractors can help athletes restore proper alignment and reduce pain after an injury. They do this through a combination of soft tissue therapy, spinal adjustments, and mobilization. In addition, a chiropractor can help identify imbalances that may contribute to future sports injuries.

Regenerative medicine

Regenerative medicine is an integral part of sports rehabilitation. Platelet-rich plasma or PRP therapy, stem cell therapy, and other regenerative medicine treatments can reduce pain and inflammation and speed recovery. The goal of regenerative medicine in healing from sports injuries is to amplify the body’s natural healing abilities and encourage tissue repair and regrowth.

Benefits of sports rehabilitation

Sports rehabilitation not only helps athletes recover from serious injuries and get back to playing but also helps them prevent future injuries. Treatment helps reduce pain and contributes to a faster healing process. Through these efforts, practitioners help athletes regain their strength, mobility, and confidence. Once the process is complete, athletes can return to their sport at or above their pre-injury performance level. In addition, they will have the tools to operate in a way that helps prevent future injuries.

Come back stronger

Not being able to participate in a beloved sport due to injury is frustrating for any athlete. Serious injury can impact confidence as well as make you physically uncomfortable. Fortunately, our team has the tools to not only help you heal and manage pain successfully but also get you back in the game and performing at your best. To learn more about sports rehabilitation and what it can do for you, call our team today.

Request an appointment here: https://sjrm-tn.com or call Spine & Joint Regenerative Medicine at (423) 424-1529 for an appointment in our Ooltewah office.

Check out what others are saying about our services on Yelp: Read our Yelp reviews.