Sports physical therapy often starts with a detailed interview about the athlete followed by a movement analysis aimed at identifying potential risk factors for injury. Our one-on-one treatment philosophy allows us to fully understand the athlete’s story and what other factors may be hindering them from performing at their best. Motion analysis provides data on factors like joint angles, forces, and ground reaction forces, providing a more objective picture than subjective assessments. Motion analysis supports injury prevention by enabling our physical therapists to spot weaknesses or imbalances that could lead to future injuries. Our physical therapists can analyze video recordings, apply clinical movement screenings or use tools that measure force output (dynamometers) to assess the athlete’s baseline and create plans specific to their individual needs and sport to help reduce the risk of injury.

Limitations in movement patterns or mechanical imbalances can place excessive stress on specific joints, muscles, or tendons, increasing risk of injury. For example, analyzing a runner’s stride might reveal excessive foot inward roll with a lack of ability to then outwardly roll the foot to push off (overpronation) which can lead to foot, ankle, knee, hip or back problems.  Weaknesses or mobility limitations in specific muscle groups can create imbalances that make certain movements less efficient and more prone to injury

Sports rehab focuses on addressing pain, restoring function, and returning athletes to their sport safely and effectively. The initial phase of rehabilitation following an acute injury may focus on pain management, managing stress of the involved area with the goal to minimize both pain and inflammation and support healing. This generally involves education on better understanding your injury, a detailed plan to help you understand and maintain as high of an activity level as possible without compromising your recovery and strategies to help maximize your recovery.

After the acute phase of rehabilitation the focus moves towards restoring and optimizing range of motion throughout the body with various soft tissue techniques, joint mobilization, other manual therapy techniques and movement. The movement/exercise demands are being increased on the athlete progressively as they demonstrate positive adaptation and improving capacity for movement, allowing for increasing mobility, stability, proprioception (body awareness) and strength. During this phase we also are starting to work on addressing and improving capacity and function throughout the entire body in order to allow for you to return back to optimal function.

The next phase in sports physical therapy is to increase the focus on building strength and power in various movements (local to global movement patterns), and restore functional movement patterns specific to the sport. At this point we gradually increase the difficulty and intensity of exercises that mimic the movements and demands of the athlete’s sport, effectively building strength and stability in the injured area and the entire body.

Exercise drills replicating the movements and demands of the sport with pain-free patterns, allow the athlete to gradually be reintroduced to their sport in a safe and controlled manner.  Determining the athlete’s strength, endurance, agility, and sport-specific skills to ensure they are ready to return to competition safely can be measured through various assessment tools such as the Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA). We also stress educating athletes on proper exercise technique, injury prevention strategies, sound training principles and self-management of pain to reduce the likelihood of injury and effective management of any flare ups.

To combat muscle weakness, stiffness, and difficulty performing sport-specific movements after an injury, regaining range of motion, joint movement and flexibility is a critical aspect of sports physical therapy.  Our sports physical therapist achieves this via manual therapy techniques and by guiding you through mobility exercises.  Gradually increasing the intensity improves flexibility, proprioception (body awareness) and motor control.  Techniques like joint mobilization and soft tissue mobilization can help muscles move better and improve joint mobility.

For example, in the case of a golfer, shoulders need both flexibility and stability for the complex movements of a golf swing and mobilization can improve the joint’s overall range of motion. Techniques might involve anterior and posterior glides to improve shoulder flexion (forward lift) and internal rotation (important for the downswing and follow-through). Typically gentle manual techniques and pain-free movements are progressed into active-assisted stretches increasing in intensity and duration as symptoms allow, followed by mobility exercises with a focus on sport-specific movements to restore full functional range of motion.

It’s important to note specific techniques and progressions are tailored to the injured joint, the severity of the injury, and the athlete’s individual needs and tolerance.  More severe injuries, like ligament or tears or fractures, will take longer to regain full range of motion than injuries, like muscle strains. Nonetheless regular participation in therapy sessions and following the prescribed home exercise program the sports physical therapist will structure are crucial for optimal results.

Within sports physical therapy, strength & conditioning is used for rehabilitation, injury prevention, and safe return to sport. Training strength and power is vital for an athlete’s overall success, the goal is build up the various tissues resiliency to forces and loads, creating a more resilient athlete. What makes this even more important is that once an athlete is roughly in their third decade of life they start to naturally lose a significant percentage of their strength and power through each decade of the lifespan (power more than strength), thus further reinforcing the need to train strength and power for long term success in sport and life. 

Following an injury, regaining strength and power is a core objective in sports physical therapy as muscles and connective tissues provide stability, support joints, and allow for efficient movement. Strong muscles assist in meeting the demands of an athlete’s sport, decreasing the risk of future injuries and robust power enables force generation and explosive movements.

After pain subsides and range of motion improves the goal becomes to build foundational strength in the injured area, surrounding muscles and throughout the body. By gradually increasing the intensity and difficulty of exercises we progressively overload the muscles and stimulate strength gains.  As strength improves, weight or resistance is progressed to the exercises along with complexity of multiple muscle groups and functional movements. Thereafter (sometimes simultaneously if allowed) plyometric and other power exercises involving rapid muscle contractions and jumping movements to build power and explosiveness are introduced. An example of a plyometric exercise is a box jump where the athlete jumps up onto a box or platform, landing softly, and stepping back down.  Medicine balls can be used for a variety of exercises that train power and coordination along with drills that mimic the powerful movements of the athlete’s sport. 

Sports physical therapy doesn’t just focus on healing the injury; it aims to get athletes back to their sport, performing at their peak and is the final, crucial stage that bridges the gap between general physical therapy and a safe, successful return to sport.  Sport-specific rehab incorporates exercises and drills that replicate the specific functional movements, demands, and stresses of the athlete’s sport. The program starts with a thorough assessment so they can be started at the appropriate level for their specific needs  and gradually increases complexity and intensity to avoid overexertion and setbacks. In the process our physical therapist will identify and address any lingering movement dysfunction in other regions of the body to ensure that the athlete will return to their peak performance. By addressing any remaining movement inefficiencies and strengthening the body for the specific demands of the sport, athletes are less likely to re-injure themselves upon returning to play.

Successfully performing sport-specific demands during rehab boosts an athlete’s confidence to return back to sport at their absolute best.