Injury Prevention with Physical Therapy: Your Secret Weapon
Did you know that in the U.S., over 30 million children and teenagers participate in organized sports each year? Remarkably, more than 3.5 million of them find themselves grappling with injuries that disrupt their athletic pursuits. Among these injuries, sprains and strains top the list, causing discomfort and setbacks.
While many athletes stick to the tried-and-true routine of setting goals, stretching, warming up, cooling down, and proceeding cautiously—which are all essential practices—there exists a more potent strategy for injury prevention: physical therapy.
Do Not Pass Pain, Go Straight to PT
Meet Hayden, a 16-year-old with a zest for life that includes a love for tacos, participation in her high school's cross-country team, and a passion for dancing. Beyond her youthful interests, she possesses a wisdom that transcends her years. She imparts this valuable advice: "Listen to your body, prioritize your health over external pressures from peers or coaches."
This wisdom is exactly what we believe here at ALIB—and one of the keys to our Injury Prevention approach: to notice that moment of early pain and to take action before the pain becomes so bad that it’s debilitating. Pain is the body’s way of alerting us to a problem. It’s kind of like the check engine light in your car. Sure, you may be able to keep driving for hundreds of miles more because you don’t notice any strange noises coming from the engine. But the car knows and is trying to warn you before it breaks down in the middle of nowhere. Your body knows too, and is trying to warn you to stop before the pain stops you! In Hayden’s case, it was a minor pain in her calves.
“My calves had been hurting slightly on my runs in between the winter and spring track seasons, but I didn't think much of it,” said Hayden. “I ran my mile time trial with some pain, and the next day, I ran my typical four miles. I had much more pain after that day and when I woke up the next day I could not walk without limping. I started going to physical therapy.”
Hayden’s journey has inspired all of us at ALIB. Her comment on those early moments of pain made us realize that this is the magic point in time when we could help athletes like Hayden avoid weeks, months, and possibly years of harder recovery and pain. The key is starting physical therapy in those early moments of minor pain to make the body stronger from the core out. Start PT before the pain gets worse. This is one key to preventing an injury from progressing.
PT Pinpoints and Strengthens the Weak Spots
But our philosophy extends beyond that. It’s more than just recognizing the pain. We believe a full-body approach is necessary for true injury prevention.
When Hayden came in and Dr. Paula first started working with her, we did a full body analysis and were able to figure out where to start strengthening her from head to toe.
“Dr. Paula figured out that my calves were overworking for literally every part of my body from my shoulders, abdomen, and most importantly my glutes and hamstrings. She discovered that I really had no idea how to cross-train and that it was doing nothing for my speed and endurance which, as I predicted, had taken a huge hit.”
This full assessment of Hayden’s condition was just the first step of the ALIB specialized Injury Prevention holistic approach. We then came up with a complete strategic plan to get her back to full capacity. We looked at movement patterns and problematic areas, we applied neuro-kinetic therapy techniques, examined her breathing, and more. “Dr. Paula provided me with real directions and a training plan, and I moved into the cross-country and dance season nervous but thankful. By the end of cross-country, I was getting back to and even better than where I was all the way back in March.”
Because Hayden’s injury was full-blown by the time she visited us, it’s been a long, tough journey, but she has been such a great sport and worked so hard.
Holistic Physical Therapy for Preventing Injury
Where is Hayden today? She is listening to her body and doing all she can to let it heal and help it get stronger.
“I'm not doing winter track this year, but instead I'm going to cross-train and run two days a week with a strength-building program provided by the wonderful staff at ALIB. With their guidance, I'm hoping to be back for spring track. Their support has been so meaningful to me throughout this process, and I definitely would not be getting through it without them.”
We do not doubt that Hayden will be back to running and dancing to her heart's content as she continues to work on her PT exercises as diligently as she does now.
As she tells everyone, “Do your exercises and have patience. It's incredibly frustrating to be injured, but you are not your injury or your sport.”
Whether you already have a full-blown injury you want to address, or you’re just starting to feel a little achy, contact us here at A Life in Balance today for physical therapy in Flemington. We can help you get back to doing the things you love doing and help you prevent injuries down the road!
