Various Reasons to Plan a Physical Therapy Appointment in Connecticut

As an athlete, whether one that plays for a professional sports team or just does so in their spare time, pain and injuries are practically inevitable. Runners, bodybuilders, and anyone else who enjoys regular physical activity also have to take precautions. 

While stretching and listening to body responses can be helpful, sometimes the worst happens and one hurts themselves. The damage often isn't a broken bone but rather sore or torn muscles or ligaments. It's extremely painful, and depending on the severity of the injury, may take a while to heal.

The first thing that an athlete should do when they believe that they've suffered from a sports injury is stop whatever activity they're doing. Even if this is in the middle of a competition, talk to a coach and explain the situation. Playing through the pain is only likely to aggravate the wound even further, prolonging recovery. 

Next, get off the body part. Rest it and apply ice to it regularly. Don't use that particular body part for the rest of the day and several days after that as well. Most minor injuries will heal with ice and some time off. Over-the-counter NSAIDs can reduce the aches an athlete will experience.

However, what if ice and time doesn't do the trick? Or, worse yet, what if a nagging injury that an athlete thought has healed keeps irritating them? These are just two scenarios in which working with a physical therapy Connecticut may be best. 

If an athlete notices that their OTC NSAIDs only put a small dent in the discomfort or the pain has gotten worse and is now shocking and stabbing and not calm and manageable, it's time to book an appointment with a physical therapist as soon as possible.

There are a variety of newer treatment methods that some physical therapists employ to heal the body part. These may include platelets or even stem cells. Besides that, these doctors can prescribe painkillers and teach the athlete small stretches and exercises that they can do when the pain begins building up. 

As bad as an injury may feel to the athlete, by spending some time with a trained physical therapist, they will find that their pain begins to drop down to normal levels before vanishing entirely. 

Most of the time, these physical therapy New Haven centers want to avoid sending the athlete to a surgeon. After all, a procedure under the knife can be life-altering and disrupt an athlete's playing schedule and life for some time.