Athletes and fitness enthusiasts are always looking for ways to prevent injuries, improve technique and enhance sport performance. Performance physical therapy has become increasingly popular, not just for injury rehabilitation, but for injury prevention. By incorporating various therapeutic exercises, a performance physical therapy specializes in ensuring the longevity of one’s athletic career and improving sport performance.
Understanding Performance Physical therapy
On the initial evaluation, a thorough and comprehensive assessment is performed in order to understand how the client’s body functions and if there are any notable impairments. This involves analyzing the patient’s movement patterns, finding any muscular imbalances that could hinder performance, fine-tuning mobility, and understanding how these limitations could increase someone’s potential for injury. By fine-tuning these movement patterns and providing a customized treatment plan specific to these findings, the performance therapist can reduce the risk of future injury.
Targeted Training to Enhance Technique
The human body is extremely adaptable. By incorporating targeted strength training and mobility exercises, the athlete is able to improve aspects of their sports performance. The primary focus of performance therapy is on joint stability training, balance training, power production, and overall mobility. A great example would be a basketball player wanting to improve their vertical jump in order to enhance sports performance and secure more rebounds. The focus of this session would be on improving the athlete’s lower body strength, speed, and power in order to generate the force required for a higher and more hasty jump. One exercise that we like to use at MotionRX to improve the athlete’s speed and power is reciprocal box jumping.
Strategies for Injury Prevention
Not only is sports performance a priority, but so is injury prevention. In order to achieve an injury-free season, the athlete must train the muscles that are weak, improve the movements that are limited, and perform movements with optimal body mechanics. Strains and sprains can be more prevalent if an athlete does not have an adequate warm-up or if they are limited in their movement patterns. Performance physical therapists can assist patients with improving faulty motor patterns and teach optimal movement to significantly reduce the risk of injury. For example, a runner who has been having increased Achilles or calf pain might be shown in their physical therapy running assessment that they have been overstriding with each run. This means that the patient has been taking too large of steps while running causing increased load on their Achilles or calf thus increasing the risk of injury.
Recovery in Performance Therapy
The way that your body recovers plays a significant role in your sports performance and injury prevention. Having a deficit in nutrients, such as protein or electrolytes, can leave your body in a disadvantaged state. Performance therapists assist you with tracking your recovery markers such as nutrition, hydration, sleep, and stress. This can include training programming with adequate rest and active recovery days built in to help your body recuperate and prepare for the demands of your next workout, competition, or sport.
Embrace the Benefits of Performance Therapy
If you have found yourself always getting injured at the gym or in your sport, extremely fatigued following your workouts, or unable to obtain your sport specific goals by yourself, it is time to contact a sport performance doctor of physical therapy. In order to improve your athletic performance and prevent injuries, it is crucial that you have an individualized plan that addresses your current needs and weaknesses. Let’s work together to achieve your performance goals in a safe and effective way! Book an appointment today at MotionRX, the leading sports performance physical therapy clinic in North Florida! Below is the link to take control of health, guarantee an injury free season, and unlock your performance potential!