Sports Injury Rehabilitation

Nobody likes to be injured, but let’s face it, things happen. The key is to tackle the problem quickly and consistently.  Here’s an example of a treatment plan you might see with a sprained ankle (grade 2 injury, 6 week recovery plan):

Assessment + Treatment (1 hour):  

• Time to understand details about you and your sport (age, level of sport, frequency, upcoming events, etc.).
• Time to understand how the injury happened, factors leading up to the injury, past injuries, past treatments.
• Time to understand your goals, your wishes, how you learn and train, what worries you may have.
• Physical assessment of the entire lower body and core, how you move, your strength, your balance and control, your pain level at rest and when loaded on the foot, ankle and leg. 
• Specialized tissue testing.
• Education about diagnosis, what it means, what your role will be and what therapy will help with timeline to heal.
• Time to answer questions!
• First treatment to help will pain, swelling, and movement.
• Education about what to do at home right now and what the next future steps will be. 

Week #1: 

• 2 Clinic Visits: Focus on swelling, pain control, pain free movement, walking without a limp and your daily homework routine (ice, range of motion movement, gentle muscle work, walking practice, pool or bike work).
• Treatments could include pain free joint movement, laser or ultrasound, taping, functional movement, acupuncture/dry needling. 

Week #2+3:

• 1-2 Clinic Visits: Focus on leftover swelling and pain control, increasing movement to full and normal, walking in multiple directions, muscle work and activation, introduction to balance, mentally beginning to prepare for sport-related activities, encouragement to be active and increase activity.
• Advance daily homework routine (ice, range of motion movement, muscle work, balance, dynamic walking practice, pool and bike work).
• Treatments could include pain free joint movement, laser or ultrasound, taping, strengthening, balance and coordination work, acupuncture/dry needling.

Week #4+5:

• 1-2 Clinic Visits: Focus on dynamic movement, increasing strength and endurance, working back to hopping, jogging, and single leg standing work.  Will start sport-specific training.  Introduction to speed and reaction time work. Pain control work if any is needed. 
• Advance daily homework routine (dynamic movement, strength, balance, hop, jog, elliptical machine, agility and reaction time work).

Week #6:

• 1 Clinic Visit: Sport-ready movement, speed, agility, reaction time, jumping sprint, impact work, and balance. Training here will ensure you are ready to go back to practices/games.  Follow-up will only be if needed.
• Education on how to continue to progress on your own in all areas needed to succeed.   

As you can see, structure is the key to a quick recovery and that’s why at Pro Function, our goal is not just to reduce pain or give you exercises and to send you on your way. Our goal is to help you understand your injury, understand the timeline of how both you and the therapist will do their part during your rehab, and to support you through every step of your recovery.  

If you’re still unsure whether sports injury rehab is right for you,  simply give us a call and we’ll help you understand it better – 519.860.5090