With physical therapy, injury prevention is often just as important as injury recovery.
If you can prevent an injury in the first place, you’re much better off than dealing with an injury and the longer subsequent healing and recovery time afterward.
This makes injury prevention a small investment that pays big dividends down the road for both athletes and individuals.
In this article, we’ll look at how physical therapy can help prevent injuries and whether it may be the right course of action for you.
Physical Therapy And Injury Prevention
Most people think of physical therapy as it relates to recovery from an injury or after a medical procedure. However, that’s just part of the role that physical therapy can play.
Injury prevention is another crucial aspect of physical therapy. Therapists do this by using a proactive approach that looks to identify areas of the body that may be prone to injury due to structural imbalances or weakness, then rectify those problems.
By doing this, patients reduce the risks of injury that may have resulted otherwise and also have the benefit of greater performance now that their body is working properly.
How Does Physical Therapy Prevent Injuries
The first step is to evaluate the patient and look for specific areas where they may be prone to injuries.
Some of the main areas or issues therapists will look for are imbalances in musculature or soft tissue structures. Imbalances in strength between opposing muscle groups can put unnecessary stress on joints, which can lead to an injury that could have otherwise been avoided.
By addressing these imbalances, joints and other areas are under far less stress and are less prone to injury.
Another area a physical therapist may look at is tightness or limited range of motion.
Tightness in soft tissue like ligaments or tendons can lead to injury. Often, this tightness presents itself in a reduced range of motion. So the first symptom of such an issue may be a limited range of motion when before, a full range of motion was possible.
Addressing this tightness or reduced range of motion greatly reduces the risk of injury during athletic activities or even just regular day-to-day activities.
Patients Can Be Proactive As Well
Although physical therapists play a vital role in preventing injury. Patients can be just as important by being proactive.
If a patient notices symptoms such as tightness, reduced range of motion, or a muscle imbalance, it’s important that they speak to a professional who can quickly address those issues.
With a quick resolution, patients will not only feel and perform at their best, their chance of injury is significantly reduced.
Using Physical Therapy To Reduce Injuries
If you’re noticing any tightness or imbalances in your body, you may be prone to injury and not even realize it.
The experts at Elite Performance Chicago can help diagnose the exact root cause of your issue and design a treatment plan to get you back to peak performance quickly.
Contact us today and learn how you can avoid injury and undue stress on your body with proactive physical therapy.