5 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Sports Rehab Training

Careers in physical therapy have experienced a surge in recent years. As our population ages, and as more people of all ages explore a variety of recreational and competitive sports, the need for well-trained physical therapists, massage therapists, chiropractors and sports rehab trainers is also increasing. Southern California Health Institute (SOCHi), along with other physical therapy schools, has noted a particular interest in their physical therapy aide/sports rehab program.

Physical therapy is a career on the rise, and with good reason!

What is Sports Rehabilitation?

Sports rehabilitation is not just for professional athletes, though they most certainly make use of it. Sports rehab is meant to treat injuries that are sustained through sports-related activities, from cycling and swimming to football and fencing. Any type of physical activity that puts stress on the joints and muscles of the body has the potential to injure them. When an injury occurs, sports rehab can help you to regain your ability to move freely and be able to return to your activities without pain.

Sports rehabilitation combines physical therapy, including stretching, exercising, and weight training, along with massage to treat injuries, strengthen and elongate muscles and joints, and increase circulation to promote healing at the site and throughout the body.

Most Common Types of Injuries

Though sports rehab therapists will also encounter more severe injuries in need of healing, such as fractures or joint replacements, the most common types of injuries treated are sprains and strains. A sprain is caused by the tearing or overstretching of a ligament, most often in the knee, ankle, or wrist. A strain, however, is an injury to the muscle itself, such as a strained calf muscle.

Sports rehab training also prepares you to treat chronic pain and mobility issues related to old injuries and arthritis.

Improving Balance

Some injuries can result from falls or impact of some kind, but often an injury results from a misstep. Having poor balance can be caused by a number of factors, from misalignment in the spine to problems with the inner ear. Physical therapists who specialize in sports rehab can assist their clients in adjusting their balance, correcting posture issues and even correcting dysfunction in the inner ear’s vestibular system.

Injury Prevention

While treatment of an existing injury is always the priority, sports rehab therapists also look for ways to prevent future injuries. When a part of the body is injured, a leg is broken or a ligament of tendon is torn, the damaged area will heal and be stronger than the surrounding tissues. These surrounding tissues then become vulnerable to future injury. The multi-disciplinary approach of sports rehabilitation medicine works the entire body, strengthening muscles throughout the body to help protect against future injuries.

Multi-Disciplinary Physical Therapy Aide/Sport Rehab Training at SOCHi

Quality schools offer both didactic and clinical education. At least 80% of a sports rehabilitation training course is comprised of didactic, or classroom, studies, along with lab work. Content that is covered includes a wide variety of science and protocol courses, including anatomy, physiology, sports manual massage therapy and kinesiology. Training programs, such as the physical therapy aide/sports rehab.

program at SOCHi, also include ethics and communication as part of the overall curriculum, giving a graduating therapists the tools to handle every aspect of their client’s therapy.

Sports rehab training provides therapists with a wide range of skills and tools to assist clients injured while enjoying sports. With advanced training from SOCHi, you too can become a part of this rapidly expanding profession.