Whether a soccer player tears his knee ligaments or a marathon runner pulls a hamstring, sports injuries can be severe and have long-lasting effects. Therapy for sports injuries helps athletes recover their strength, flexibility, and function while minimizing the risk of re-injury.

Physical therapists are movement experts who improve quality of life through hands-on care, patient education, and prescribed movement. They also use advanced modalities like ultrasound and electrical stimulation to soothe inflammation, hasten healing, and strengthen vulnerable areas for better performance.

Therapy for Sports Injuries: Top Options in Singapore

For athletes, the most important component of their recovery is not physical – it’s mental. “Athletes need to trust their injured limb,” says Mimi Renaudin, PT, a sports medicine therapist at Children’s Colorado. “If they don’t, they’ll automatically put more strain on the uninjured limb to compensate, and that puts both limbs at greater risk for injury.”

Therapy for Sports Injuries typically includes manual therapy techniques such as manipulations of tissues and joints, therapeutic exercises, and pain management strategies, such as ice and heat therapies, massage, and acupuncture. Athletes also need to be mentally prepared for the long, sometimes tedious rehabilitation process. If they aren’t committed to their program, achieving pre-injury levels of strength, flexibility, and sport-specific skills can be difficult and even impossible. They may feel discouraged and lose faith in their ability to return to the game they love. For this reason, a counselor can help them cope with the emotional impact of their injury and teach healthy coping mechanisms.