Sports injuries commonly involve the spine and, without proper treatment, this can have substantial effects on athletic performance. At Twin Boro Physical Therapy in NJ, our spine and sports medicine experts are trained in the latest evidence-based methods to help New Jersey athletes of all ages and abilities recover from injuries and return to their sports in minimal time.
For over 40 years, Twin Boro Physical Therapy has been helping New Jersey residents look, feel, and move their best. We understand that our athletes often undergo immense pressure to perform at high levels, and we recognize this can lead to injuries that need to be treated with minimal downtime. Athletic performance hinges on a stable spine and high levels of muscular coordination, and our sports medicine experts are specifically trained in treating disorders of the spine within sports injuries.
Spinal rehabilitation in sports medicine specifically focuses on the spine and surrounding muscles, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. The spine can be affected by several disorders and injuries, which can cause pain and reduced mobility from the neck to the lower back. Our sports medicine therapists can help you reduce pain and return to athletic activity through carefully curated rehabilitation programs specific to your sport and needs.
What Will a Session Look Like?
Every individual is different, and our one-on-one attention to patients allows our experts to provide consistent updates and improvements to training and rehabilitation plans as your sessions continue. Because of this, there is no one type of session that is consistent for every patient or between patients. However, sports medicine sessions typically address three areas:
Functional Testing
Because athletes endure specific strains and repetitions that many people do not in their daily lives, functional testing is important to prevent repeat injuries or complications to the injury during recovery. Functional testing refers to conducting tests and measures that evaluate the skills and movements required for your sport of choice. This helps our therapists identify any areas of weakness, strengths, muscular imbalances, mobility limitations, or incorrect form. From this, we are able to develop a rehabilitation plan that will effectively and efficiently help you return to normal activity and sports with the stability and strength needed to withstand the repeated movements and stresses.
Treatment
From your functional testing information, we will create a treatment plan that is tailored to your needs. For example, patients who play baseball and are recovering from a spinal injury will be put through a series of exercises that mimic the twisting nature of the spine to swing a baseball bat and throw a baseball. Sport-specific exercises help our patients and our team identify areas of weakness, monitor progress, and identify when a patient is ready to return to competitive athletics.
Prevention
Sports medicine, especially regarding the spine, focus on prevention as well. While an injury may bring our athletes in for rehabilitation services, we place a great emphasis on helping our patients maintain endurance, muscular strength, joint stability, and flexibility to prevent future injuries, especially when initially returning to the sport. We also provide at-home exercises that can be done long-term to minimize chances of repeat injuries and help keep the body strong and resilient to the stresses of the sport.
Ready to get started? If spine and sports medicine is right for you and you live or work in New Jersey, look no further than Twin Boro Physical Therapy’s 51 locations in NJ.
