Are you Active? Let's stay active with Physical Therapy!

Physical therapy has lots of benefits for active people. Athletes, performers, weekend warriors, and people who work in physically demanding jobs can all benefit from the expertise of a physical therapist. Here are 3 ways physical therapists help active people stay in their best shape.

Injury Treatment

Active people get hurt. Physical therapists have the knowledge and skills to help people recover from injuries faster. In addition to helping people recover, physical therapists will look for the root cause of the injury and address that as well, to help keep the injury from coming back. If the injury is severe and requires surgery, a physical therapist will guide the recovery and make sure the person gets back to their activity. But in some cases, a physical therapist can help an injured person avoid surgery in the first place.

Injury Prevention

Surgery isn’t the only thing physical therapists can help people avoid. A physical therapist can also help with injury prevention too. A thorough assessment of an athlete’s strength, mobility, balance, and coordination helps to identify issues that could lead to injury. A PT can then design a program to improve the problem areas before they lead to injury. A PT can also assess an existing training plan and help to identify areas that may lead to sprains, strains, or overtraining.

Improve Performance

In addition to helping people improve areas where they’re weak, therapists can help people get better in areas of strength. A physical therapist can create a program to improve strength, flexibility, coordination, agility or speed. Physical therapists are movement experts. They can break down the requirements of a specific physical task like lifting or throwing, then design a training program that will help people meet those demands.

In Summary

Physical Therapy is more than just a way to get back on your feet after an injury - it can also help you stay at the top of your game. Whether you're an athlete, a dancer, or someone who wants to stay in shape, physical therapy can help you reach your performance goals. With the right exercises and treatments, physical therapists can help you improve strength, flexibility, and endurance so that you can perform at your best and lower your risk of injury.

References:

• Research (peer-reviewed)
  1. What we currently do for sports - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31077961/
  2. Sports injury prevention - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35421834/
  3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34238639/
• Articles and Content
  1. https://www.idsportsmed.com/7-benefits-of-sports-physical-therapy/
  2. https://www.childrens.com/amp/health-wellness/how-physical-therapy-helps-athletes-and-what-to-expect
  3. How Can Physical Therapy Help to Avoid Surgery? - Tucson Orthopaedic Institute

Tags:

best practice, arlington, falls church, virginia, physical therapy, stay active, weekend warrior, postoperative, surgery, prevent surgery, 

Author

Alana Hamilton Alana Hamilton is a physical therapist at Advantage Physical Therapy in Falls Church, Virginia. She is a proud Hokie from Virginia Tech with a major in Biology and a minor in psychology and sociology. Following graduation, she immediately got her doctorate in Physical Therapy from Radford University. She is an avid fan of Pilates, running, and hiking. On the weekends, she can be found hanging out with her family and baby as well as doing Spartan races with her old physical therapy classmates and friends. She is a big believer that during rehabilitation, "Motion is the Lotion" and that staying active is key to remaining healthy.