Whether it’s at the professional level or simply playing around in the backyard, sports can be a lot of fun. Unfortunately, even the greatest athletes in the world are susceptible to all kinds of debilitating injuries.
Thankfully, physical therapy rehabilitation centers exist and offer all kinds of medical support to athletes across the country. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, estimates for employment opportunities for physical therapists will grow from 36% starting from 2012 to 2022, which is much more rapid than other present occupations.
Here are some of the most common sports-related injuries:
- Hamstring strain — Hamstring muscles are located on the back of the thigh. These muscles can tighten up and strain at completely random times throughout an athletic competition and be extremely painful. Poor stretching techniques or lack of stretching can be the cause of these muscle tears or strains.
- Sciatica — Sciatica is back pain that can travel down to the legs and even the feet. This pain can be companied with numbness, burning, and tingling along the leg. Sciatica can be seen in athletes who are in a flexed forward posture, or athletes who perform a great deal of trunk rotation in swing sports like tennis and golf.
- Groin pulls — Pushing off in a side-to-side motion causes strain of the inner thigh muscles or inside the groin. Groin injuries occur in hockey, soccer, football, and baseball. Compression ice and rest will heal the majority of groin-related injuries. Be sure to avoid jumping back into competition too early because you can aggravate your groin and cause even more long-term issues.
- Tennis or golf elbow — Tennis or golf elbow is a condition brought on by the overuse of arms, forearms, and hand muscles. It refers to an injury of the muscle and tendon area around the outside of the elbow. It most commonly affects tennis and golf players with poor backhand techniques.
Some of these injuries would require months of treatment at rehabilitation centers — but some of them can be addressed from home. If you’re in need of an experienced sports injury doctor and want to visit a professional rehabilitation center, give Jerome/Wendell Physical Therapy a call today!