Athletic Injury Depression

Athletes who are both professional and amateurs that are injured have special recovery needs. For professionals, their career depends on fast recovery. Any injury that permanently knocks them out of the game is financially devastating. Nevertheless, a serious injury is a major challenge even for amateur athletes, which of course includes regular people and those training for the Olympics. Things happen that make the situation worse, which are:

• Unscheduled downtime interrupts athletic participation or training regimes - This causes the entire body to lose the physical conditioning that athletes work so hard to perfect.

• Injuries occur just before milestone events - Everyone sees this in professional competition. Examples are, when a sport player suffers injury right before a championship game.

• Injuries occur that are not related to sports activities - Car accidents, falling down the stairs etc. happen to all types of people including athletes.

• Injuries that are repetitive - Once many types of injuries occur, for example to specific joints, they are likely to occur again. The effects may be cumulative as well, such as brain damage in boxing or football from experiencing multiple concussions.

Sports Medicine Advancements

The sports medicine offered as physical therapy Connecticut and especially the sport medicine facilities that offer physical therapy in New Haven are working with the most advanced techniques. As a recent example, sports medicine is rapidly exploring the use of stem cells for the treatment of knee problems or those caused by osteoarthritis. Be sure to consult with a qualified sports medicine practitioner who is aware of all the latest information and procedures.

The Mental Type of Sports Injury

While everyone wants to focus on the physical, to get an athlete back to performance in record time, sometimes this ignores the mental health issues that arise. When an athlete is injured, it is quite common that they experience depression.

In an article from U.S. News &World Report, they noted that emotional therapy to help athletes avoid or work through depression is as important as physical therapy New Haven. Uncertainties about recovery time, the long-term impact on the athlete’s abilities, the stress, the feeling of hopelessness, and loss of control can wreak havoc on any athlete’s emotional state, which leads to depression.

Summary

Any athlete who experiences a severe physical injury should be sure to ask the doctor for referral to a psychological therapist to work with the issue of depression that frequently arises.

Exploring the Benefits of Physical Therapy

Physical therapy (PT) can be used to treat a number of health conditions. Many physicians recommend physical therapy Connecticut to help individuals manage pain from sports or accident injuries and improve mobility. The following gives greater insight into the various ways this therapy can be used to restore a patient’s physical health and well-being.

Pain Management

Physical therapy treatments have been known to alleviate pain due to injuries or certain types of medical conditions. Physical therapy New Haven serves to strengthen a person’s joints and muscles as well as enhance flexibility, so people can move about with less pain and discomfort. In some cases, people have experienced such improvement from therapy sessions, they had no need for more invasive medical treatment such as surgery.

Restoration of Movement

Sports injuries or injury from accidents can take its toll on a person’s body, making it difficult for people to stand, retain their balance or move about. Stretching and strength building exercises can help patients recover their coordination and mobility.

Therapists may combine various procedures and techniques to get the results patients desire. PT techniques may involve hot or cold treatments, ultrasound, whirlpool baths, massage treatments, electrical stimulation and the use of exercise equipment along with exercise routines, depending on a patient’s needs.

By performing PT exercises before engaging in physical activities or sports, individuals can often prevent or reduce the risk of injuries from occurring. Physical therapists can create exercise programs designed for recovery of injury or prevention of the same.

Management of Medical Conditions

Physical therapy can help manage the symptoms of such conditions as diabetes, vascular diseases, heart problems, lung problems and neurological medical conditions. Regular exercise sessions can help improve blood circulation, enhance breathing and increase agility and motor skills to make it easier for people to function as they should. In some cases, physical therapy can be used to help patients recover from surgery faster. In other cases, therapy sessions may replace surgery altogether in restoring a person’s range of mobility.

Physical therapy treatments vary to meet patients’ individual needs. Therapists go to great lengths to evaluate a patient’s medical condition before determining what kind of therapy he or she needs. Because people’s bodies, state of health and physical habits are all different, their response to therapy sessions may differ substantially. By monitoring each individual carefully, therapists can personalize their patients’ programs to maximize the results of their therapy.