Those who are involved in physical activities such as running, fitness training, and competitive sports know that injuries are a frequent occurrence. Lack of proper conditioning, inadequate stretching during warmups, poor training methods, and just sheer bad luck are some of the common causes of sports injuries. These injuries can sideline an athlete for weeks, months, or in the most extreme cases, their entire career. One of the most effective ways to treat sports injuries is with mobile physical therapy.
Common Types of Sports Injuries: There are several ways individuals get injured during intense physical activity. Some of the sports injuries therapists often treat include:
- Sprains: Some of the most painful injuries are to the ligaments, the fibrous tissue that connects one bone to another. Sprains vary in severity from first-degree ligament stretches to second-degree partial ligament tears to third-degree full ligament tears.
- Strains: These are injuries to the muscles or tendons, and are also commonly known as muscle pulls. Like sprains, strains also vary in degrees of severity.
- Tendonitis: Inflammation of the tendon, the soft tissue that surrounds the bones and muscles. Tendonitis is most common in the elbow, wrist, shoulder, ankle, knee, and hip.
- Dislocations: These are very painful and disabling injuries to the joint that force your bone out of position.
- Back Injuries: Injuries to the back can vary in intensity and severity. For some, it can be a dull, constant ache. For others, the pain can be sharp and come on suddenly. If the pain continues for an extended period of time, treatment should be sought.
- Fractures: Disabling injuries involving broken bones requiring skilled medical management during recovery.
For mild sports injuries, self-treatment may be sufficient. Most therapists recommend the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) Method to reduce swelling and ease the pain. If the injury persists, however, rehabilitation with the guidance of a physical therapist may be needed.
A physical therapist will thoroughly examine your condition and develop a treatment plan designed to accelerate recovery. This may involve a series of exercises that target the affected areas of the body, rebuild the muscles, and bring you back to full strength.
How Mobile Physical Therapy Helps in Recovery: Most patients recovering from a sports injury are in a great deal of pain. Some days, the pain is more intense; other days, it is tolerable. This can present a challenge during physical therapy. One of the most important keys to the success of a therapy plan is consistency. Patients need to stay consistent in keeping appointments and doing their exercises, because each new exercise builds on the previous one, and sustained momentum is crucial.
Driving to and from appointments is not always easy when you are in pain, however. In fact, when the pain is severe, it can be difficult to move at all. This can mean missing important appointments and setting back your recovery time. Mobile physical therapy eliminates this problem. With mobile therapy, the therapist comes directly to the home or office of the patient, and all the patient has to do is be ready for the therapist to arrive. This vastly reduces the chances of a missed appointment and vastly increases the odds of a successful recovery.