Empowering athletes through effective rehabilitation techniques

Engaging in sports is essential for everyone's healthy development. Experts and doctors recommend physical activity to balance not only the body's health but also the mind's well-being. Some people, driven by vocation, passion, or both, take their sports practices to competitive and professional levels. Despite the health benefits of regular exercise, injuries are common, often due to misuse, overtraining, or incorrect movements during practice.

The most common injuries in the sports practice are:

Sprains and Strains

Fractures and Dislocations

Tendinitis and Bursitis

Contusions and Head Injuries

Rotator Cuff Injuries

Affect muscles and tendons in the shoulder, usually from repetitive overhead movements. Common in tennis players and baseball pitchers.

Meniscus Tears

Occur in the knee joint's fibrous cartilage, aiding in lubrication

Sports rehabilitation helps individuals strengthen the affected area, allowing them to return to their activities quickly and stronger than before the injury. Physical therapists create custom plans considering body composition and sport type. Unlike other rehabilitation forms, sports rehabilitation aims for athletes to perform well under athletic demands.

Physical therapy for sports injuries achieves several goals, including preventing muscle atrophy, promoting cell recovery of damaged tissue, relieving muscle spasms, and recovering range of motion and strength.

Choosing the right physical therapy center for sports injuries will make a tremendous difference in the results and effectiveness of your treatment. That is why at ZenCare, we make sure to have professionals with vast experience in sports medicine available, ensuring that the athletes we receive can return to their discipline as soon as possible and become stronger than before their injury.

Sports rehabilitation stands out by being preventive. Even with a good rehabilitation program, athletes aren't completely protected from injuries due to factors like age, sport type, and body composition.

Physical Therapy Exercises

Physical therapy exercises for sports are divided according to the section of the body they work on. Depending on the sport, some athletes use some parts more intensely, making them more prone to injuries and, therefore, need more care and strengthening.

Exercises are tailored to body sections:

Manual Therapies

Physical therapists use hands-on techniques to assist movements and manipulate joints, soft tissues, and nerves. Includes mobilization exercises, stretches, and massages.

Therapeutic Modalities

Includes electrical or laser therapies to stimulate blood flow, reduce inflammation and pain, and apply medications. Other modalities: passive/active exercises, ultrasounds, massages, joint mobilization, cold/heat application, and kinesiology.

Aquatic Therapy and Hydrotherapy

Helps increase strength and stability, improve joint movement, and reduce pain. Used for balance, coordination, and cardiovascular endurance. Applied through hot/cold water baths, pressurized tubs, and saunas.

Physical therapy goals vary by injury. Key aspects include maintaining aerobic capacity and overall strength. Coordination and movement harmonization are crucial.

On the other hand, the exercises used during sports rehabilitation should resemble the use the athlete makes of their body in the practice of their discipline, as the goal is for them to be able to perform again in this context with equal or greater strength and conditions than they had before the injury.

Additionally, the psychological aspect of sports injury treatment must be considered. Because athletes' identities are linked to the practice of their sport, an injury period represents a mental challenge, and the right tools are necessary to navigate it successfully.

Initial Diagnosis and Injury Assessment

Accurate diagnosis using X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and other medical equipment is crucial.

Personalized Treatment Plans

Custom plans are created based on the complete injury picture, focusing on restoring strength and mobility. The plan will include movements that allow restoring strength and mobility in a context similar to the use that the athlete will give it in the practice of their sport.

Progressive Stages of Therapy

Focuses on:

Protocol for Returning to Sport

Once the athlete's recovery has been completed, taking into account variables such as flexibility, range of motion, functional strength, pain, neuromuscular control, and inflammation, the conditioning for the practice of the sport will proceed. This means conditioning the athlete to recover the physiology and movements necessary for the practice of the discipline.

Preventive techniques are simple but impactful:

At ZenCare, we strive to maintain the highest possible standards, which is why our sports injury rehabilitation team has the necessary experience to treat any type of injury. We understand the frustration that a sports injury represents, which is why our programs are designed to strengthen mental as well as physical capacities, achieving comprehensive recovery for the athlete.

Our goal is to get you back to sports as soon as possible. Contact ZenCare today by speaking with one of our agents and start designing your personalized plan.