Summer is finally here, and for many, this means a major uptick in outdoor activities and recreational sports. With the sun shining, it’s a great time to go for a run outside, play some basketball, hit the golf course or tennis courts. Unfortunately, increased activity also means an increased risk of injury. If you are less active in the cold winter months, springing back into summer activities too quickly can create a lot of strain on your body; this strain can lead to some common injuries. Nobody likes being in pain, however, physical therapy can be utilized for both recovery and future injury prevention. Here are five of the most common summer-time injuries and how physical therapy can help.

KNEE INJURIES

Knees are one of the most commonly injured joints in the human body. Luckily physical therapy can help you with anything from knee pain to a torn ACL. Physical therapists can design a treatment plan including stretches, strengthening exercises, and stability to address each specific problem. Knee injuries are never fun, but getting the right treatment with physical therapy can have you back to 100% and doing what you love as quickly as possible.

ANKLE SPRAINS

How many times have you gone for a run and suddenly felt a pulsing pain in your ankle? Ankle injuries, especially ankle sprains, are among the most common injuries suffered by people participating in outdoor activities. They can be painful and debilitating and leave you longing for your couch, but fear not, physical therapy can help! By creating a treatment plan, a physical therapist can help you reduce pain and swelling and increase range of motion to get you back on your feet. They can also provide you with prevention information to help make sure it doesn’t happen again.

BACK PAIN

When your body isn’t used to running, jumping, and making other strenuous movements, it has a higher chance of being strained. There’s nothing worse than collapsing due to crippling back pain. Physical therapists can provide you with different exercises and stretches to help prevent this from happening. Want to learn more about the benefits of physical therapy for back pain? Learn more here.

TENNIS/GOLFER ELBOW

Summer is the perfect time to pick up the tennis racket and dust off those golf clubs, but those sports lead to some awkward movements for your body, especially in the elbows. Tennis or golfer elbow occurs from repetitive strain on the tendons of that joint. Tennis elbow refers to an injury on the outer ligaments of the elbow, while golfer elbow refers to the ligaments on the inside. Despite the names, even people who never play tennis or golf can still suffer from these injuries. Physical therapists are trained to differentiate and diagnose the two. They will set up an individualized treatment plan to help you recover and instruct you on how to avoid future problems!

SHIN SPLINTS

Who doesn’t love going for a jog, or jumping around on a basketball court? If you plan on doing a lot of high impact activities like running and jumping, you may experience shin splints. While rest and ice are recommended in healing this injury, physical therapy can help you get back on your feet and feeling healthy through a treatment plan of specific stretches, strengthening exercises, and massages to help alleviate the condition.

While injuries like these can be intimidating, physical therapy is a great way to heal and come back healthier. As you prepare for a long summer of outdoor fun, don’t forget to keep in mind that physical therapy is a great way to recover and prevent future injuries so you can stay healthy and active all summer long!

At Sports & More Physical Therapy by ACCESS PT, we are dedicated to helping our patients feel the best they can. If you need advice or assistance in getting back to feeling your best, contact one of our convenient locations!

Originally posted by ACCESS PT