A lot of people have this partially cooked idea that if you are attending physical therapy sessions, your life as an active person is over. Nothing could be further from the truth. An active life and sports physical therapy are very compatible to each other. The whole purpose of sports physical therapy is to restore a person’s ability to use their body without pain and with the fullest range of motion, strength, and flexibility possible. With the use of the traditional physical therapy exercises, and some not so traditional, many patients find they can return to normal life with fewer if any, injury related problems. So if therapy has been recommended to you after an illness or injury, don’t worry, an active life and sports physical therapy were made to go together.
Just for a brief review, let’s take a look at what sports physical therapy is. This innovative practice came about when the “normal” means of treating sports injuries failed. Believe it or not, at some point someone figured out that surgery often permanently limited a person’s ability to live pain free and without any kind of loss of range of motion and strength. Something new had to be done and sports physical therapy was the answer. The techniques used for treatment include individualized exercise programs, electrical stimulation, and hot or cold packs among others. The purpose is to reduce or eliminate pain in a non invasive way and help the body heal faster. Deciding to live an active life and sports physical therapy usually work to the advantage of the patient. So activity is usually encouraged while the patient is under the care of a sports physical therapist.
There are a huge variety of ailments that an active life and sports physical therapy can help with. Let’s take a look at some of the situations you may find yourself in when this gentle practice is a huge benefit. Most people experience a loss of motion and stiffness after any kind of surgery, sports related or not. Participating in sports physical therapy helps to reduce the post surgery pain, increase your range of motion, and speed healing. These exercises also aid in getting the patient back into the swing of things in everyday normal life faster. If the patient is an athlete and looking to reestablish their activities, a sports physical therapist can help the patient utilize a preventative exercise program to limit the possibility of further injury.
It’s easy and even encouraged to combine an active life and sports physical therapy. By spending your time doing the things you love and completing normal tasks, you are helping your body to heal faster and reestablishing your prior healthy body function.
Having an active life and sports physical therapy sessions leads to faster healing and more effective treatments. There is no reason to stop doing the things you love when healing from a serious injury or illness.