When should I start Physical Therapy after a Sports Injury?

Accidents in sport do happen, and it is quite common for injuries to occur while participating in organised sport, competitions or even training exercises. Your recovery time is all dependent upon the severity of the injury, how quickly and effectively it is diagnosed, your nutrition during recovery, and how the injury is managed. Regardless of what the injury is, rehabilitation is critical to maximising recovery and getting you back on your feet. If you are looking at how to find the best sports injury therapist in Aberdeen, read on to find out more about physical therapy for sports injuries.

How soon should you start sports therapy following an injury?

Our sports therapist in Aberdeen may generally recommend starting rehab up to 72 hours after injury. Of course, it all depends on the type of injury and how severe it is, but the sooner you get started, the sooner you can be back on your feet and enjoying activities again.

Some people try to ‘tough it out’, but this is not a wise decision. There are several consequences of not starting physical therapy as quickly as possible:

1. You could develop a chronic issue – As soon as the injury occurs, your body immediately tries to protect itself and begins the healing process by increasing the blood flow to the damaged tissue. This results in swelling and pain, and without immediate and proper treatment from our sports therapist in Aberdeen, the inflammation could continue to grow and eventually become chronic. This could then mean that you will have limited motion and function of the injured area, as well as increased pain.
2. Recovery time is much longer – if therapy is delayed following a sports injury, recovery time can be much longer when it could have been a quick fix. If you begin your sports therapy in our Aberdeen-based center immediately, most people can return to their previous level of activity within a short time period, whilst being closely observed to prevent further injury.
3. Secondary injuries – following on, if you do not seek professional physical therapy straight away, there can be a risk of secondary injuries occurring, particularly the secondary muscles around the injury. As the surrounding muscles begin to work in a way they are not used to performing to support the injury, they can become weak and over-used and cause even bigger issues if left without some care.
4. The cost of treatment – if you put off having physical therapy, then it is likely your treatment costs will go up in the long run, especially if secondary injury or chronic injury occurs.

The Benefits of going through Sports Therapy in our Aberdeen facility

If your doctor recommends physical therapy, then it is for a good reason. Sometimes your injury needs special attention to heal correctly. Our sports therapist in Aberdeen will use a variety of exercises and therapy techniques to manage the pain, speed up the healing process and restore normal function to the affected area. Some things you can expect to find if are looking at our Aberdeen sports therapy include:

• Pain management – physical therapy can help to relieve the pain caused by injury, and this can greatly contribute to your recovery time.
• Faster recovery – by dedicating yourself to sports therapy in our Aberdeen facility, you can take advantage of starting physical therapy almost straight away, meaning we can help the healing process speed up in the correct manner.
• Targeted rehabilitation – our professional sports therapist in Aberdeen has the expertise and training to identify problems at their source, so they can immediately target the injury area with a personalised rehabilitation programme.
• Prevent re-injury – one of the main jobs of physical therapy is not only to heal the sports injury, but to help your body prevent further injuries in the future. Our sports therapist in Aberdeen will be able to show you stretches and exercises to condition your body, as well as helping you with your form and technique.

Steps to rehabilitation

Although rehabilitation methods vary for different injuries, there is a general framework that Chris, (our Aberdeen Sports Therapist) will follow to make sure you have the best chance for a quick and correct recovery.

1. Rest – The first stage of recovery is all about minimising and preventing any further damage to the injury. The body’s first reaction to an injury is to increase blood flow to the area, which causes inflammation and pain. This phase will likely include a lot of rest, as well as a review of your diet to ensure you receive the best supportive nutrition, ice packs and maybe slings or tape to safeguard the injury.
2. Recover Motion – due to the swelling and pain of the injured area, it can be difficult to move your body like you did pre-injury. Our Aberdeen Sports Therapist will focus carefully on soft tissue and joint mobilisation to recover a small range of motion. Too much stretching can slow down the healing process, or even worsen it. By using targeted flexibility training to suit your injury, you can slowly get your motion back and prevent further injuring yourself or recovering incorrectly.
3. Recover Strength – following an injury and the subsequent recovery period, most people don’t realise that your muscles will become weaker and will have a loss of endurance. Minimising this muscle loss and strength is one of the most important rehabilitation goals when you come to Aberdeen facility for sports therapy. The key to the best possible recovery is to perform exercises that minimise aggravation to the injury, whilst maintaining good form, using proper technique and strengthening the surrounding muscles of the injured area. This will be different for every injury we see, so it is all personalised to you.
4. Recover full function – this step focuses on recovering the sport-specific function that is required to return to the original activity. This can include restoring coordination, improving speed and agility, and progressing your skills from being basic, all the way up to the complexities of required motion in your sport. You do not want to rush this important step as you don’t want to overload your muscles and return back to step one. Your sports therapist here in Aberdeen (Chris) will be there to guide you, monitor your progress and make sure that you don’t reinjure yourself.

If you are wondering how to find the best sports injury rehabilitation facility in Aberdeen, then we hope that you will consider us here at Toro Blanco. All of our treatment plans are personalised to you as an individual, and we consider any lifestyle factors that might contribute to your injury or impact it in the future. We want to make sure that you are back at the top of your game as soon as possible, and we are specially trained to get you moving again following your sports injury.