Competitive Edge

Wouldn’t it be amazing if that nagging pain could be healed in one treatment, without any additional work needed at home! There can be drastic improvements over a treatment, of which some last for a few days and some for a few hours. However, the majority of the time the work done by the therapist is only one of the necessary components to heal an injury.

Why Injuries Happen

Injuries can happen for a variety of reasons. They can occur from an overloaded muscle that is working too hard and results in a strain; such as a sports injury. They can also occur from being in postural positions that are not as biomechanically strong. Majority of postural compensations are chronic issues that reflect on habits. In order for those habits to be changed, it needs to be done on a consistent basis, which is mostly during time spent away from the clinic.

How to Make Changes

Well, do you remember those exercises that your sports therapist gives to you at the end of your treatment? The ones that they say are important? Well, that is a great place to start! As boring, time-consuming and tedious as the exercises can be, they were given for a reason. It is most optimal to keep a rehabilitation program thorough but manageable, so you should not need to spend hours on the exercises. But do expect to commit around thirty minutes, depending on the severity of the injury.

In contrast to chronic issues, acute injuries that had a rapid onset (like that hamstring strain for a sprinter) still require exercises. As an athlete, it is important to continue training in ways that do not aggravate the injury. So, if you have a lower-body injury, then your therapist will be giving you exercises that will contribute to your conditioning and aid recovery. Those exercises are still important, especially if you want a faster return to competition.

Now, what are you going to do with that wonderful sheet of paper with your exercises on it? Frame it and put it somewhere that you will see it every day as a reminder.

Written by Harley Thwaites,
Athletic Therapy Certification Candidate