Whether an individual plays sports professionally or they are weekend warriors who enjoy spending time with their friends, injuries happen. Sports related injuries are uniquely different than the other types of injuries that people experience. Most sports related injuries affect the same parts of the body, including the joints, the back, and large muscle groups.
One part of the body that is commonly injured while playing sports is the hip. This is because every single sport requires people to use their hips in some way or another. Basketball players use their hips to pivot on the floor. Baseball players use their hips as they are throwing the ball and swinging a bat. The hip is pivotal for golf, tennis, swimming, racquetball, and just about every other sport people play.
When sports physical therapy of New York clinics work with their patients, they have two primary goals. The first goal is to increase flexibility, and the second goal is to increase strength. When both of these goals are accomplished, hip pain is often reduced. As the muscles around the hips are strengthened, they are better able to support the hip and less stress is put on the hip itself.
The same is true with increasing flexibility. When a person is not flexible, their muscles put an abnormally large amount of stress on their joints. Flexible people are able to move better with less pain.
Before recommending a course of treatment, a physical therapist is going to evaluate their patient. They want their patient to engage in a routine that is right for their specific hip condition. Most of the physical therapy exercises that patients are encouraged to do are safe for everyone to do. However, certain conditions require that precautions be taken before engaging in some exercises.
The majority of the exercises that are performed are designed to increase range of motion. They are very simple and low impact. This is also true of the strength training exercises that are performed during physical therapy. The goal is to improve strength, as well as to increase blood flow to the injured area.
In order for physical therapy to be effective, the patient must be diligent. They cannot allow themselves to give up before the treatment has run its course. At some point during their recovery from the sports injury, a patient may need to ask friends or family to help them stretch or perform an exercise. They should never be too ashamed to ask for help, as the exercises and stretches they are performing are an important part of the recovery process.
