There are few things more frustrating than finding yourself unable to be active. Whether it is due to an injury, illness, aging, or inactivity, when your body no longer lets you do the things you love with mobility and flexibility, it can be upsetting, to say the least. Fortunately, physical therapy offers an effective solution to get you off the sidelines and back to living the life you love!
Mobility and Flexibility: Why It’s Important for Athletic Conditioning
Mobility and Flexibility: Why It’s Important for Athletic Conditioning
Understanding Mobility and Flexibility
Some people think mobility means flexibility, but it’s more than that. Flexibility allows you to lengthen a muscle. Mobility allows you to move that muscle in many different ways. Having a solid structural base will serve you well in everyday movement scenarios and when you are pushing yourself at the gym or sport of your choice. When an athlete possesses good mobility, they can perform functional movements without limitations on their range of motion. However, an athlete who possesses good flexibility (strength, balance, and coordination) but lacks good mobility, may not be able to perform the same movements.
Come in for a Total Body Assessment, where our physical therapists will test your mobility and flexibility and give you a plan to work on! Let’s mitigate the risk of injuries and refine your body’s foundation!
During the Total Body Assessment, our physical therapists will utilize a variety of techniques and sports physical therapy exercises to assess your strength, range of motion, and overall physical capabilities. We will also take into consideration any existing injuries or health conditions to create a safe and effective plan for you.
By participating in a Total Body Assessment, you are taking a proactive step towards preventing injuries and improving your overall physical well-being. Our team will provide you with the necessary tools and guidance to help you reach your fitness goals and maintain a healthy body.
Book your appointment today: https://alkemesportsrx.com/request-appointment
How Physical Therapy Can Help
A physical therapist can design a custom program to help treat your physical challenges with a focus on mobility and flexibility. With a physical therapy program, it is often possible to regain your functioning – and sometimes you can even learn to function better than you did previously.
1. Help you experience less pain
Pain springs up for a variety of reasons, but it is well-understood that improving mobility and strength can lessen pain. Whatever the injury or condition is, you will probably improve your pain level if you practice the right therapeutic exercises. While it may hurt more initially to move through your exercises, you will typically find that a short time after you complete them you will experience less pain than you did before. A physical therapist can also use tools like ultrasound and electrical stimulation to reduce your pain.
2. Increase your mobility
Doing the things you want to do requires mobility. If your injury or illness reduced your mobility it was likely due to loss of strength and flexibility – things that physical therapy is perfectly designed to improve. Your physical therapist can guide you through exercises that will improve your strength and increase your flexibility so that you can have an easier time walking, standing, and moving about. If you need an assistive device such as a cane or crutches, your physical therapist can help fit them to your body so they are more comfortable and train you in how to use them for maximum benefit. Check out our Instagram this month as we focus on mobility and flexibility.
3. Help you recover after an injury
Some injuries happen suddenly, like slipping and falling, while others happen gradually over time, such as carpal tunnel or tennis elbow. What all injuries have in common is that they damage tissues in your body, which leads to pain and loss of mobility. Given the right treatment, muscles can heal and bones can mend, but you may still be left with issues related to your movement. You may unknowingly learn adaptive movements that help you avoid pain and discomfort, but cause further damage to your body. The end result of an injury can often be that you have trouble with mobility long after the initial damage has healed.
Luckily, physical therapy is extremely useful for regaining mobility following an injury. Physical therapists know how your body is supposed to move for optimal mobility. They can examine your current movements and mobility issues and design a treatment program that will help return your mobility and correct and imbalances in your movements. Physical therapy will help you recover more quickly and more thoroughly from an injury than you would on your own.
4. Regain cardiovascular strength
Even if your muscles, joints, and bones are healed, you may find that your cardiovascular health is lacking after being stuck in bed for an extended period of time. Physical therapy can help you to steadily improve your cardiovascular health so that your heart and lungs can keep up with your body and your lifestyle.
Learn More About Physical Therapy Today!
Let us help you get back on your feet and back to what you love. We offer a variety of options for sports physical therapy that are tailored to meet your specific needs. From strengthening exercises to manual therapy techniques, we have the knowledge and expertise to help you recover and improve your overall well-being. Don't let pain and injury hold you back any longer. Please contact us today to learn more about our options for physical therapy!