Why is school sports physcal therapy for student athletes important?
“Appropriate medical care of the secondary-school age athlete involves more than basic emergency care during sport participation. It encompasses the provision of many other health care services.” ~National Athletic Trainers Association
This statement seems self-evident, given the sharp rise of injuries in secondary school student athletes. In the sport of soccer alone, the yearly rate of injuries from 1990 to 2014 has increased by 111 percent. The reasons behind these increases are also pretty self-evident:
- More students are playing a sport year-round
- Focus on one particular sport leads to repetitive injuries
- Intensity of play has ratcheted upward
With the opportunity to play on travel and all-star teams, combined with the increased availability of indoor playing fields, sports such as soccer, lacrosse and field hockey can be played virtually year-round. Twenty or thirty years ago, this was not the case, with student athletes either playing one sport in a more narrowly defined season, or playing several different sports throughout the year, utilizing different muscles in different ways and avoiding many of the injuries we are seeing today that are related to repetitive use and overuse.
Those factors, coupled with the increased intensity of sport on the secondary school level, have contributed to the rise in injury and the need for a more focused and sophisticated plan that includes physical therapy for student athletes.
Treatment of School Sports Student Athletes
In recognition of and response to these changes, the Sports Physical Therapy Section of the American Physical Therapy Association continues to grow and, in the process, it has developed a list of mandates that every sports physical therapist must follow when treating the needs of secondary-school-age athletes. This list includes:
- Sports Injury Prevention
- Sports Injury Assessment
- Management of Sports Injuries
- Sports Injury Education
- Sports Injury Research
School sports physical therapy for student athletes is no longer a luxury, confined to treatment of the elite, high level athlete. As trends at the secondary school level continue to grow in this direction, the role of sports physical therapy increases in importance. Its overarching goals are to educate students and coaching staffs in the use of proper training techniques designed to increase musculoskeletal strength and flexibility and reduce sport-specific injury; proactive assessment and utilization of aggressive rehabilitative treatments to prevent injuries from becoming chronic; and, creating and maintaining a safe and healthy overall athlete environment for young athletes through continued education and research in the field of sports injuries and their impact on young athletes.
Working in conjunction with scholastic sports programs, including coaches, athletic trainers, and athletes, Physical Therapists can make a significant contribution to the secondary school-age athlete’s health and overall positive experience both on and off the field.
Capital Area Physical Therapy & Wellness can help student athletes remain pain free and healthy. For more information on school sports physcal therapy for student athletes, including injury prevention evaluations and sports screenings, call us at 518-289-5242 today to learn more or schedule an appointment!
