Main Benefits of Sports Physical Therapy


professional giving physical therapy to man

As an athlete, it’s important to maintain proper physical condition. The high physical wear-and-tear levels in sports make athletes more prone to injury. This means professional physical therapy is an essential part of your routine. Here are some of the main benefits of sports physical therapy:

Help Prevent Injuries

Since athletes are constantly working out, they are exposed to physical damage. Sports physical therapy helps you identify and correct any physical imbalances that could lead to injuries. It can also help improve your range of motion and flexibility, making you less susceptible to strains and other injuries.

Treat Existing Injuries

No matter how much you try to avoid injuries, you will probably get one sooner or later. If this is the case, physical therapy can speed up your recovery. Sports physical therapy is tailored specifically to the needs of all level athletes, so it can help you get back to the field or court as quickly as possible.

Improve Athletic Performance

Professional physical therapy can help improve your performance by increasing your strength, speed, and agility. It can also help you maintain better form, which will lead to less energy wasted and fewer injuries.

Improve Overall Health

Even if you are in great physical condition, physical therapy can still provide a range of health benefits. It can help reduce stress, improve joint function, and increase your overall flexibility.

Immediate Pain Relief

Some aggressive contact sports require immediate pain-relieving treatments. Sports physical therapy is one of the best primary pain relief treatments you can receive. It will help reduce inflammation, swelling, and muscle spasms.

Physical Therapy Near Me? Great Northern Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is an integral part of any athlete’s routine. It can help you prevent injuries, treat existing injuries, and improve your overall performance. Great Northern Physical Therapy provides a range of physical therapy services tailored specifically for athletes of all ages and abilities.

If you’re searching for a “physical therapy near me,” look no further than Great Northern Physical Therapy. Our professional physical therapy services provide a host of health benefits beyond athletics. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.

GNPT Welcomes Rita Pascoe

Great Northern Welcomes Rita Pascoe!Great Northern is excited to announce that starting mid- September we are hiring a new Physical Therapist, Rita, who specializes in neurological rehab! Rita was born and raised on a farm and ranch near Red Lodge, Montana, where she...

Physical Therapists Help Active People Live Better

Physical Therapists Help Active People Live BetterPhysical therapy has a lot of benefits for active people. Athletes, weekend warriors, and people who work in physically demanding jobs can all benefit from the expertise of a physical therapist. Here are 3 ways...

Change in Weather…Change in Exercise

Great Northern Physical Therapy Ph: 406-586-4678 Fax: 406-586-4670 www.greatnorthernpt.com Changes in the Weather Mean Changes to Your Exercise Bozeman, MT March 2023 When the weather gets cold, you should make some changes to how you exercise. We're not talking about...

Breathing and Your Pelvic Floor

The pelvic floor is certainly a hot topic of conversation for many men and women. Specifically, people begin to focus on their pelvic floor when they are having incontinence, urgency/frequency, prolapse, or pain associated with going to the bathroom or having sex. These are all issues related to pelvic floor dysfunction. But, what many don’t realize, is that your pelvic floor is also integral in one of our most basic functions: breath.

The diaphragm, our respiratory muscle, is located at the bottom of the ribcage. At rest, the diaphragm is a domelike shape, and with inhalation the diaphragm muscle contracts and drops downward toward your pelvis. This downward motion is followed by a shifting downward of internal organs, into the pelvic bowl. The pelvic floor muscles and fascia make up the bottom of the pelvic bowl. So, with this downward force during inhalation, the pelvic floor muscles also descend or stretch slightly downward. Immediately following inhalation and pelvic floor descent, is exhalation, and similarly, the pelvic floor follows the diaphragm as it rises upward to a resting position. This synchronous rising and falling of the diaphragm and pelvic floor is often referred to as the “piston effect”.

Not to be left out, the lower abdominal muscles (transverse abdominis) also contribute to this synchronous movement pattern. Working together by relaxing and stretching with inhalation and a “belly breath”, and tightening and drawing inward slightly with exhalation. In this way, the diaphragm, abdominals, and pelvic floor make up an abdominal cylinder that modulates intra-abdominal forces and pressure changes.

When this cylinder isn’t coordinating well together, or if there is tightness or weakness within the system, we see common musculoskeletal complaints: low back pain, SIJ pain, poor stability through the back and pelvis, hip pain, pelvic pain, incontinence, urgency/frequency of urine or stool, prolapse, poor posture, balance issues, and intolerance to exercise.

Our pelvic floor physical therapists can help evaluate these movement patterns and coordination of these systems, and create a treatment approach specific to you and your individual challenges.