Fall Sports Injury Prevention
October is National Physical Therapy Month! In honor of this annual commemoration, it is important for us to consider physical therapy for any aches and pains you may be feeling. In addition, if you are an athlete or participate in physical activities, it is even more important to be mindful of your bodily condition. We are now in the midst of the Fall sports season, and athletes are training rigorously to prepare for competition. Although this can be a fun time of year, the risk of injury is still present. It is important that we educate our athletes about these risks so they can avoid an injury that will keep them out of play. We don’t want an injury stop you from participating in a sport that you love.
Common Fall Sports Injuries
Flowers Physical Therapy near Rosedale offers a variety of treatments for common sports injuries. Common sports injuries that we deal with are:
- Strains
- Sprains
- Fractures
- Swollen muscles
- Dislocations
- Knee injuries
- Overuse Injuries
- Tendon injuries
Flowers Physical Therapy near Rosedale provides a comprehensive evaluation to help find the perfect treatment for you. We will develop a personalized treatment plan that will help you improve your range of motion, alleviate your pain, and prevent re-injury. We provide various forms of strengthening and conditioning exercises. Our staff is empathetic and understanding of how frustrating it can be to not be able to play your favorite sport.
Preventing Fall Sports Injuries
At Flowers Physical Therapy near Rosedale, we not only help to recover athletes once they have suffered an injury, but we like to help prevent these injuries from occurring in the first place. We will give our patients helpful advice to stay healthy in their upcoming season such as:
- Gradually increase your activity level
- Pace yourself
- Use the proper gear
- Change up your fitness program
- Stretch regularly
- Warm up and cool down before and after each training session
Tips to lower your risk of injury:
- Take breaks
- Take time off
- Stay hydrated
- Wear safety equipment
Sports Injuries and the Effect on your Mental State
Sports injuries not only affect you physically, but they can be detrimental to your mental health. Emotional responses to sports injuries are isolation, frustration, irritation, sleep disturbances, changes in appetite, disengagement, and a lack of motivation. Emotional reactions to an injury are normal and your athletic advisors must be able to understand. Problematic reactions that can occur are eating disorders and depression.
Student-athletes may feel like they don’t deserve to eat since they are injured. This reaction can be a trigger for an eating disorder and there is a likelihood that this behavior will worsen. People may experience depression due to a sports injury because they may feel like a failure. Some athletes may define themselves based on their sport and having an injury may feel like their identity is stripped away. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms it is important to seek immediate help professionally or from your athletic peers.
Flowers Physical Therapy near Rosedale is here to help!
If you or someone you know has suffered from a sports related injury this Fall Sports season, be sure to contact the office of Flowers Physical Therapy. With the help of our Physical Therapy near Rosedale, you will be able to play the sport you love as soon as possible! Be sure to contact us today! Call (718) 525-8109!