In the U.S. alone, around 30 million children and teens participate in some form of organized sports. Of those, more than 3.5 million experience a sports-related injury every year. That’s a lot of pain and time “on the bench!”
Youth athletes often have demanding sports schedules, participating in at least 1 sport over the entire year. Not to mention, they are experiencing rapid physical growth at that age, making them more susceptible to overuse issues and injuries.
Here are 3 reasons your youth athlete should incorporate physical therapy into their sports routine.
Enhance Competitive Performance
Physical Therapists can identify issues or setbacks in the athlete’s range of motion, agility, balance, and overall muscle groups. The physical therapy team at Albany Chiropractic & Physical Therapy creates a unique plan for each patient that helps the athlete perform better over a longer period of time because their body and muscles are in alignment and working together.
Treat Current Injuries
Athletes get injured — it’s part of playing the game — however, working with a Physical Therapist to properly heal injuries allows the athlete to return to their sport in much better condition than if you were to attempt to heal at home. The athlete is able to return to the sport with confidence they have healed fully without fear they will re-injure themselves the moment they step into the game.
Prevent Future Injuries
Physical Therapists can educate young athletes on how common injuries occur while teaching them the proper physical form to prevent these injuries from happening. Having this awareness on a mental and physical level will reduce the risk of athletes being injured on the field.
It’s vital that both the parents and young athletes are not only committed to the sports training itself but also to the restorative and therapy practices that allow an athlete to continue enjoying a long sports career and a healthy life in general.
Our expert team of physical therapists and chiropractors can identify overuse issues and movement abnormalities that may expose young athletes to future injuries and create a custom treatment plan to address them before they present problems to both health and performance level. Contact us today if you’d like us to consult for your youth athlete.