Sports physical therapy is a specialty in the world of physical therapy. It covers everything from rehabilitation after surgery, recovery from an injury, injury prevention, rest and recovery, and fine tuning peak athletic performance. So what separates the sports population from the general population when it comes to physical therapy? This post will share about what sports physical therapy is all about.
**This is not medical advice. Please consult your medical provider for more information.
Treatment in Sports Physical Therapy
Physical therapists have lots of experience treating many different types of injuries and surgical interventions. Some of these include:
Conservative treatment
- ankle sprains
- torn rotator cuff
- meniscus tear
- muscle strains and ligament sprains
- tennis elbow
- golfer’s elbow
- overuse injuries
- other injuries of the shoulder, elbow, knee, ankle, etc.
postsurgical rehabilitation
- achilles tendon repair
- SLAP tear
- rotator cuff repair
- ACL, MCL, LCL, and PCL repairs
- meniscus repair
- UCL reconstruction (aka “Tommy John” surgery)
So if physical therapists treat the same thing with both the general population and with athletes, then why is the treatment different?
Function Vs. Performance
When recovering from injury or surgery, the general population needs to get back to functioning at their prior level. This can be anything from walking to the mailbox, walking without an assistive device, cycling, or being able to go up and down the stairs in their home.
For an athlete to return to sport after an injury or surgery, their prior level of function requires high loads of stress and peak fitness and performance levels. Based on the sport they are returning to, an athlete needs to be able to jump and land, react at a moments notice, change direction quickly, sprint, throw, etc. The body and injured area needs to be able to withstand these intense loads, absorb impact, and function at much higher levels. Strength is very important in this stage, but form is also key. Form can also be addressed in performance training (see below).
Performance Training for the Athlete
This would be the final stage of treatment for the athlete after an injury or post surgery. However, athletes may still come to a physical therapist for performance training looking to take their performance to the next level. Physical therapists are movement experts and can break down the finer details in movement that may be hindering an athlete. This is when movement analysis can be performed.
Performance specific training can take any sport specific task and break down its components to find where an issue might lie. A detailed movement analysis can look at the golf swing of a golfer, a pitcher throwing a pitch, a volleyball player jumping for a spike, or a soccer player cutting around another player.
Performance specific training may also be viewed as preventative training. Physical therapy doesn’t just treat those who are injured, but can also fine tune movements based on observation of form and transfer of power. For example, overhead athletes require an immense amount of core strength to properly transfer power from their lower body to their upper body. Physical therapists can help facilitate sport-specific training based on what the athlete is looking for and what the therapist observes in their movement and form. At top levels of performance, the finer details make a big impact.
Interested in more about sports and sports physical therapy? Leave a comment down below about what you are interested in reading about!
More Sports Related Articles
- ACL Stability: How to Improve Strength for Return to Sport
- 5 Reasons Why Balance Exercises are Important for Runners
- Weak Ankles Running? Stabilization and Strengthening for Pain Free Running
TL;DR
This post addresses the differences between training an athlete to return to sport from the general population. Form, physical performance, and sport-specific training are extremely important to an athlete returning to sport.
Tera Sandona is a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and the founder of PT Complete. She helps high-achieving women break out of cycles of chronic pain, stress, and burnout through her Regulate and Rebuild Method, a sequenced approach that addresses the nervous system first and builds strength second. Her work focuses on helping women finally understand their bodies, rebuild strength, and create lasting resilience that fits real life.
