Athletes tend to want to focus as much of their time and energy on their sport as possible. This drive often means that they’re suspicious of doing things that they think won’t benefit them, including physical therapy. However, there are many common benefits of physical therapy that can be helpful for athletes. 

Three common benefits that physical therapy offers for athletes

Playing sports is something that many Americans do either professionally or in their free time. One study reveals that 95.2% of Americans were engaged in a sport or leisure activity every day in 2019. There are many benefits that physical therapy can offer for both professional and amateur athletes. A few of the most common of these benefits are: 

• Reducing pain — Physical therapists can help athletes treat many different types of pain. They can help people find ways to reduce muscle soreness after a hard training session. In addition, they can help decrease pain caused by many types of sports injuries. One study found that physical therapy helped two patients address hamstring injury pain in eight to 10 weeks. 
• Improving flexibility — Having flexible joints and muscles is vital for athletes. Inflexibility can often trigger a more serious injury during a training session or game. Physical therapists can help you find ways to maintain or improve your flexibility. For instance, knee function is often affected by tight hamstrings. A study on patients with hamstring injuries reports that physical therapy led to a 13-point improvement in knee function in eight weeks.
• Reducing injury risk — Sports place excessive strain on many parts of the body, and the result of being exposed to such strain is often a higher risk of injury. Athletes are also more likely to reinjure themselves if they don’t recover from an injury properly. Physical therapists offer help that can decrease athletes’ risk of injuring themselves. They can also help injured athletes reduce their risk of reinjury. 

How can physical therapists help athletes get these benefits?

Physical therapists are experts at creating therapy plans that are personalized to each athlete’s needs. They can also use many therapy methods to help sports players. Some of the therapy methods that your physical therapist may use to help you get benefits include: 

• Total motion release
• Joint mobilization
• Dry needling
• McKenzie Method®
• Therapeutic exercises
• Cupping
• Sport-specific therapy

Get the benefits of physical therapy for athletes with help from Continuum Wellness

Are you an athlete who is looking to benefit from physical therapy? Our Continuum Wellness team is ready and willing to help you meet your performance goals. We offer free screenings that can reveal issues that are hampering your athletic performance. Our physical therapists can also build a therapy plan that’s unique to your specific needs. Even better, you can get our help without leaving your home if you sign up for an at-home care or virtual therapy session.

Contact our team today for more information about how we can help athletes or to schedule your initial appointment.