Sports Injuries

Whether you’re a weekend warrior, a high school athlete, or a casual exerciser, accidents happen and muscle injuries can have you sidelined. The difference between a lengthy recovery and a quick return is seeking the right treatment as soon as possible. Physical therapy is a crucial part of sports injury recovery, and we’re proud to offer four different physical therapy locations in Weber and Davis counties for your convenience.

Can sports injuries be prevented?

Young athletes participate in a variety of activities and each one carries its own risk of injury. To reduce this risk of injury in the first place, it’s highly recommended (and required in many schools) to schedule a sports physical with one of our family practitioners prior to participation. Other ways to reduce the risk of injury are adequate warm-ups, stretching, and proper conditioning.

What can I expect after I’ve been injured?

If you’ve suffered a sports injury, you’re in excellent care. Ogden Clinic physical therapists help hundreds of athletes recover every year. Frequent injuries we see include:

• Sprains
• Knee injuries
• Swollen muscles
• Strains
• Shin splints
• Fractures
• Dislocations

At your initial visit, your physical therapist will measure the degree of pain you feel and your mobility. After a thorough evaluation, we develop a game plan to jump-start your healthy recovery.

Sports injury recovery takes time and patience, and your Ogden Clinic physical therapist will monitor your recovery in subsequent visits. The normal healing process for injuries follows a pattern of the inflammation phase, repair phase, and remodeling phase. Each phase requires a different approach to treatment ultimately bringing you back up to full speed and strength.

Inflammation (Acute ) Phase

During the inflammation phase, the injured area may be immobile or in pain. We don’t want to introduce motion to the injury while it is still inflamed. Instead, treatment aims to reduce inflammation and control pain. Your Ogden Clinic physical therapist will follow the R.I.C.E. principle: Rest-Ice-Compression-Elevation during the inflammation phase.

Repair (Subacute) Phase

The repair phase can also be called the controlled-motion phase. This is when athletes begin introducing motion back into the affected area. Athletes will carefully perform active-assisted range of motion exercises and strengthening exercises under their physical therapist’s guidance.

Remodeling (Chronic) Phase

Ultimately, rehabilitation and reconditioning exercises must start to facilitate the athlete’s return to his/her activities. Immediately after suffering injury, the athlete’s body starts to replace damaged tissue with collagen fibers. During remodeling, tissue has been restored and the athlete can gradually introduce function to the affected area.

When athletes start feeling better, they’re sometimes tempted to do “too much too soon.” It’s important to remember that, while there may be less pain at this point, the injured tissues have not fully healed and still require careful attention.

A huge part of sports injury treatment is what the patient does between visits. Your Ogden Clinic physical therapist will educate you about at-home stretches and movements designed to strengthen and stabilize your injury. Athletes who follow their at-home treatment regimen can expect a safe and effective recovery.

Select providers are now using Telemedicine.
Visit Telemedicine to see if your next visit can take place over video chat.