Physical Therapy for Athletes Looks Different

Phoenix AZ

25 April, 2022

3:17 PM

Description

If this is your first time as an injured athlete, have no fear. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Athletes get injured. It is part of playing a sport. Nothing new to see there. But what makes an injury frustrating is when it stops you from doing the sport you love. If you are an athlete who has never tried physical therapy before, let me save you the waste of time and money with a Physical Therapist who is a generalist. Here is the image: You come into your appointment for a shoulder injury and they put you on some heat for 10 minutes. Sure, that feels good. Then, it is time to ‘warm-up’ your shoulder on the arm bike. There goes another 10 minutes. After the timer on your arm bike has been going off for 5 minutes, someone finally lets you know you can go over to the wall and start pulling on a stretchy band for some exercises. The only thing is, that band was good for you if you were in 5th grade. You spend 15-20 minutes over there wandering aimlessly as you continue to wait for your next exercise to be given to you by some high school student who doesn’t know the humerus from the femur. All while being surrounded by Betty and Ethel over by the wall doing the same exercise as you with the exact same weight. Then, finally, your time with the Physical Therapist has come! They get you to lay down on the table where all they do is tickle the shoulder. One size does NOT fit all! We have already established that as an athlete, you are different. Your body has a lot greater demands than the rest of the general population. Which is why you need a different approach than the general population. A Sports Physical Therapist is experienced in treating sport specific injuries and developing sport specific plans of care for athletes. Athletes require a lot more attention to details to get them ready for their return to sport than the average person. Which is why you need someone who deals with athletes day in and day out with high levels of understanding of what it will take to get you back in action. Physical Therapy for athletes is different because athletes are different.Click here to read more!