You must have heard time and time again about the remarkable benefits of physical therapy. But what about sports therapy?
Sports therapy, in essence, is a specialty of physical therapy, and it focuses on helping people return to their prior level of functioning after an injury—helping them move better and perform at their highest capability in sports or in any other form of physical activity.
Learn more about sports therapy by exploring its specific benefits, as outlined below.
Effective Symptomatic Relief
Sports therapists specialize in the nonsurgical, nondrug, hands-on treatment of the extensive range of injuries and conditions affecting weekend warriors, amateur athletes, elite sportsmen, and anyone living an active lifestyle.
Sports therapists utilize a variety of advanced therapeutic techniques and modalities to provide effective symptom relief, helping people quickly and safely get back in the game.
Reduced Reliance on Pain Medications
Sports therapists incorporate any or a combination of the following treatment modalities to help people regain their normal function and successfully recover from their sports injury without too much reliance on pain medications. These modalities also help delay the necessity for surgical intervention.
- Massage therapy – This can include medical massage, sports massage, kinetic fascial stretching, or structural integration to help relieve pain, prevent injury, alleviate repetitive muscle strain, improve posture and flexibility, and promote relaxation.
- Dry needling – This technique involves a sports therapist using a very fine needle to ease muscular pain and reduce tightness in the muscle fibers.
- Active Release Technique (ART) – This is an effective, hands-on, soft-tissue, movement-based massage technique used to treat musculoskeletal pain, such as muscle, tendon, ligament, fascia, and nerve injuries.
- PRP therapy – This is a regenerative medicine approach that utilizes the patient’s own blood, to enhance the body’s natural ability to heal and repair itself. PRP therapy is a popular treatment option for a vast variety of sports injuries.
- Graston Technique – This treatment modality uses special instruments to break up scar tissue and fascia restrictions, which are usually associated with some form of trauma to the soft tissues (e.g., muscle strains or a pulled fascia, ligament, or tendon).
Effective Injury Prevention and Enhanced Athletic Performance
Sports therapists have a unique understanding of how physical activity impacts the body. They can teach patients effective strategies to minimize their risk for injuries as well as identify areas that could be improved in order to enhance their athletic performance.
Sports Therapy in Dallas, TX
At Reagan Integrated Sports Medicine, our team of sports medicine specialists offers innovative solutions, such as sports therapy, in pursuit of a common goal—to help injured athletes and physically active people return to their optimal level of functioning while maximizing their full potential.
Call us at (972) 503-7272 or use our appointment request form to schedule a consultation with one of our sports medicine specialists.
