Have sports injuries forced you to sit out of the game?
Physical therapy can help you get off the bench!
At MTI Physical Therapy, we are focused on not only finding the exact tissue that has been injured but also the functional reason for that injury. We treat the primary tissue AND the cause. Did you know that the primary injury risk for any athlete is a previous injury? We can help identify old issues that may have contributed to your new one. We integrate evidence-based practices and personalized care to help you recover and enhance your performance. Take the first step towards improved performance and a healthier you by contacting our physical therapy clinic in Bellevue, Edmonds, Fremont, First Hill, Magnolia or Issaquah today!
Common Sports Injuries in Seattle, Edmonds, Bellevue & Issaquah, WA
There are many common sports injuries. Although many athletes try to treat themselves or play through pain, most athletes, even those with the most common sports injuries, can benefit from more specific physical therapy assessment and treatment programs. Some examples include:
Ankle Sprains
Ankle sprains occur when the ligaments in the ankle joint are stretched or torn due to excessive force, such as a sudden twist or impact. This injury can result in pain, swelling, and instability, which may impair balance, mobility, and weight-bearing activities, ultimately affecting daily function and sports performance. Recurrent ankle sprains are often due to stiffness in the joints of the heel and/or forefoot placing extra torque at the ankle joint. This can lead to abnormal strain of the ankle and repeated re-injury. More importantly, these impairments can lead to reduced performance in balance, strength and power. Simple ankle sprains are not so simple. Our manual therapy approach can normalize foot mobility, while our rehabilitation program will resolve the instability. Your performance program will help you to return to your sport in better condition than you were prior to injury.
Hamstring Strains
Hamstring strains happen when the muscles are overstretched or torn. This injury typically results from sudden acceleration or deceleration, leading to pain, swelling, muscle spasm and reduced flexibility. Impairments may include a limited range of motion and difficulty walking, running, or jumping, impacting daily activities and sports performance. Did you know that where specifically your hamstring is torn, at its insertions versus mid muscle belly, can impact the type of rehabilitation exercises required for rehabilitation and tissue healing? A more specific program design with emphasis on isometric or eccentric work, depending on your injury site, is required for optimal healing. Training these tissues for healing is different from just typical strength training. Persistent hamstring pain or recurring injuries often have an origin in the back or hip joints. A manual therapy assessment to normalize hip or back joint mobility, nerve gliding mobility through the hip and hamstrings and proximal stability can create the optimal environment for your hamstring rehab.
Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
Repetitive stress or overuse of the forearm muscles and tendons can cause tennis elbow. This results in pain and inflammation at the outer part of the elbow. This condition can affect grip strength, fine motor control, and the ability to perform activities involving forearm and wrist movements, impacting daily function and sports performance. Acute tennis elbow is not always from overuse but can be due to joint entrapments at the elbow, requiring passive joint mobilization to resolve. Persistent tennis elbow, or golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylalgia), often has its origin in the level of the neck that innervates the elbow muscles. Cervical joint dysfunction, or minor nerve entrapments, can sensitize pain in the elbow and delay the healing of the tendons at the elbow. You may require a more specific manual therapy program to address issues in your elbow or cervical spine to go along with a more specific tissue based approach for your elbow.
ACL Injuries
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur when the ligament inside the knee joint is stretched or torn, often due to sudden changes in direction, jumping, or landing. ACL injuries can lead to knee instability, pain, and swelling, affecting mobility, stability, and agility, ultimately impairing daily activities and sports performance. Did you know that common causes for an ACL tear could include stiffness in the ankle joints, weakness at the hip or even instability of the lumbar spine. Don’t train just the knee – rehabilitate the causes of the initial injury. A manual therapy assessment, starting at the lumbar spine and finishing at the foot, can identify any joint limitations in the biomechanical chain, as well as address any muscle weakness that contributed to your ACL injury. We can build out your return to play program to get you back better than you were prior to injury.
Shin Splints (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome)
Shin splints occur due to repetitive stress on the shinbone and surrounding tissues, commonly seen in runners and athletes participating in high-impact sports. This condition causes pain, tenderness, and inflammation along the inner part of the lower leg. Impairments may include difficulty walking, running, or jumping, ultimately impacting daily function and sports performance. Shin splints are a symptom, not a primary injury. Treating the symptom but not the cause is why they remain chronic and/or reoccur. A proper manual therapy analysis of the joint mobility in your feet and running analysis can identify the cause of your persistent shin pain, or any other running related pain.
Sports injury treatment in Seattle, Edmonds, Bellevue & Issaquah, WA at MTI Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is vital in the journey toward a more biomechanical, motor, and functional recovery to enhance the performance of athletes who have experienced sports injuries in Seattle, Edmonds, Bellevue & Issaquah, WA. Did you know that the most common risk factor for an athlete is previous injury? All athletes are used to competing with pain and often don’t seek out the medical care they need. Physical therapy is needed not only to resolve your pain but to fully restore your function to a level above what it was prior to your previous injury. Our expert physical therapists dedicate themselves to providing you with a comprehensive approach to treating your sports injury.
You will begin your journey to recovery with a thorough evaluation of your sports injury. We listen attentively to your medical history and conduct a hands-on assessment to identify the root cause of your pain or discomfort. By analyzing your joint mobility, range of motion, strength, and swelling, we develop a personalized sports injury treatment plan tailored to your unique needs.
Specialized functional testing enables us to pinpoint specific areas that require attention. We design our sports performance training to elevate your athletic prowess. By integrating these techniques, our physical therapists ensure a well-rounded approach to your rehabilitation. Request an appointment today and experience the difference our integrative, evidence-based care can make in your life!
Our physical therapists use various evidence-based treatments to effectively address sports injuries in Seattle, Edmonds, Bellevue & Issaquah, WA.
The most common treatments include:
Manual Therapy
Manual Therapy, a hands-on approach, involves the physical therapist using specialized techniques to assess, manipulate and mobilize soft tissues, muscles, and joints, improving flexibility, reducing pain, and restoring function. Normalizing joint function is the first step in restoring mobility, muscle activation and athletic performance.
Therapeutic Exercise
Therapeutic Exercise is customized exercise programs designed to target specific tissues for healing and repair, progressing towards strengthening muscles, increasing flexibility, and improving stability. These rehabilitation exercises also address neurological impacts associated with musculoskeletal injuries, such as—normalizing the timing of muscle activation, restoring balance reflexes, coordination— all of which contribute to improving your overall athletic performance.
Neuromuscular Re-education
This treatment focuses on retraining muscles and nerves to work together correctly. It’s not just the “core”. Every joint has a deeper muscle system that must control the joint motion so the larger muscles can perform. This is managed by “the software” in the brain that activates normal movement patterns to control joint motion. These foundational motor patterns are altered following an injury and require training. This includes training for activation timing, balance and coordination exercises, proprioceptive training, and functional movement patterns, ultimately restoring normal movement and function. Don’t compensate, rehabilitate.
Sports-specific Training
Physical therapists develop personalized training programs to help athletes safely return to their sport at a higher level than prior to inury. There is a transition from rehabilitation to strength & conditioning to athletic performance. These programs focus on improving sport-specific skills, strength, endurance, while providing injury prevention strategies. Don’t skip steps. Let us guide you through all these stages for a safe, but aggressive, progression back to play.
These treatments, among others, are applied by physical therapists to address sports injuries effectively, enabling you to recover faster and return to your desired activities with renewed strength and confidence.
Unlock your true potential by taking the first step toward a brighter, pain-free future
Embark on a transformative journey with MTI Physical Therapy in Bellevue, Edmonds, Fremont, First Hill, Magnolia or Issaquah, where we synergize advanced therapeutic techniques with a compassionate, patient-centered approach to help you conquer your sports injuries and soar to new heights. Schedule your appointment today and take the first step to get back into action!
