WHAT IS SPORTS REHABILITATION?

When we think of sports medicine, we often are drawn to the image of the injured athlete waiting impatiently on the side-line while a trainer quickly tapes his or her ankle. Perhaps we picture ice on a knee, assistance off the court, or a pulled hamstring. It is not often that we think past the immediate suffering to the full process of rehabilitating the injured athlete. As a physical therapist the concept of sports medicine entails not only the treatment of athletic injuries, but also the prevention and long term management of activity-induced disabilities.

Often a physical therapist is responsible for evaluating when an athlete is ready to return to competition. They also have to manage the fine balance of enabling the athlete to return to play quickly, while also analyzing his or her potential risk for re-injury. Physical therapists manage athletic injuries using several different treatment techniques. It is common to use modalities such as ultrasound, electrical stimulation, ice and manual therapy to assist the athlete through the acute or early stages of healing.

Once the initial effects of the injury have been addressed, therapists can work with athletes to regain flexibility and strength that might have been lost with the injury. During the entire process, the therapist is educating the athlete on how they can learn to avoid re-injury. Advice can be simple, such as teaching a hurdler how to properly stretch and warm up before competition. Sometimes the education is more complex, such as helping a tennis player re-adjust his or her backhand to avoid future shoulder problems. Sports rehabilitation is an exciting and often fast-paced field.

PT Northwest is proud to be the official sports therapy and rehab provider of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (the San Francisco Giants Single A Farm Team), Cascade Surge of the United Soccer League in the PDL/NW (Premier Development League) Division, the Corvallis Knights of the West Coast Baseball League, & Willamette University.

PT Northwest brings a unique perspective to sports rehab. Several of our physical therapists competed in sports at the college and professional levels. Other sports therapists talk about understanding the mind of the athlete. At PT Northwest, our sports therapists are athletes. This athletic background is combined with several diverse staff members who are certified athletic trainer and weight trainers. PT Northwest clearly takes sports rehab to the next level. Just ask the athlete’s like Superbowl Champion Kevin Boss. For more information, please contact Luke Kohley, MSPT at 503.769.7131 or email Luke.