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28 Thu

Play me now, pay me later

Play me now, pay me later

Paul Kochoa, PT, DPT, OCS, CKTP, CGFI

 

Ugh, for some, this time of the year is great, for others, it really stinks.  I’m talking about going back to school. With return to school comes return to sports. If you haven’t been prepping or been practicing then you may run into problems.

The scenario may go like this:  You start a fall sport, return to running, training, and generally moving around quickly.  Your body undergoes this stress, and then an old injury or a new one happens and you try and cope.  Movement dysfunctions start to add up, you try adding athletic tape to affected body parts or take a trip to your local sporting goods store and pick up some fancy braces.  You feel better, you can run and jump with less pain, but you still use the brace.  Your sports season progresses, you do well, and then the playoffs come.  Each game and match becomes more and more important.  You try and keep up, but with the increasing stress and load your body is going through, your injury gets worse and worse.  The final game comes, end of the season, play-off game or championship game.  You push your body, you push your mind to play at your best.  But you’re a step slower, you get hurt, or you lose your game.  You’ve lost.

To compete at your best, you need to be your best.  Movement dysfunctions that you cope with can result in decreased performance.  Sheer will power or generally exercise and training may not fix the problem.

Physiotherapists are movement specialists.  We look at movement all day.  Assess kinematics and body mechanics.  From getting out of a chair to leaping for an endzone catch.  Professional players have teams of medical and athletic people looking at their ability to perform.  Have you ever seen the NFL Combine?  Physiotherapists can assess movement and determine if you’re performing at your best, and more importantly, reduce the risk of injury.

Don’t wait to pay the piper later.  If you’re worried about movement or athletic performance, feel free to consult a physiotherapist.

If you would like more information, please call Professional Physical Therapy and Training at 973-270-7417.  Our offices are located within the YMCA locations in Madison and Summit, NJ.  You do not need to be a member of the YMCA to visit with us.

 

Image courtesy of Paul Gooddy / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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