What Sports Therapy Does For You - Oklahoma Physical Therapy

Sports therapy is an important healthcare function that helps prevent injury among sports professionals, as well as rehabilitate the injuries to optimal levels of fitness. This can be accomplished by using principles of both sports and exercise to rejuvenate those undergoing therapy for training, competition or getting back to work.

With the help of certain physiological and pathological processes the abilities of individuals to pre-injury levels is restored. This kind of therapy is administered by trained sports therapists who possess the knowledge to:

• Assess the fitness level of the player, athlete or individual in question.
• Test and evaluate the condition of joints with regard to ease of movement, pain or any sign of dysfunction.
• Prepare players and athletes mentally and physically prior to a competition with the help of myriad techniques.
• Provide emergency medical aid.
• Help rehabilitate injuries with the help of manual therapy, specific apparatus and electrotherapy.
• Prepare and implement a comprehensive rehabilitation regime.
• Refer to a specialist for advice and intervention where required.

• Prevention of delayed onset muscle soreness–Sports massage is known to both prevent and relieve delayed onset muscle soreness. It does so by facilitating blood and lymph flow in the body, thereby preventing muscle fatigue from setting in.
• Stress and Pain Management- A trained sports therapist can, by administering a sports massage, help a person’s body release the stress-busting neurotransmitters known as endorphins. These help reduce anxiety and provide pain relief as well as improve a person’s overall mood.
• Psychological Benefits- Sports therapy helps people relax, experience minimal muscle tension, smoother movement, scar tissue improvement and a host of other benefits that put them in a good place mentally. This gives them a psychological boost and improves their physical state as well.