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FAQs

What is physical therapy?

Physical therapy helps people recover from injuries, surgeries, accidents, or conditions that affect mobility, strength, balance and overall physical function. Therapists evaluate the dysfunction and create a treatment plan to improve the person’s physical abilities.

What happens in a physical therapy session?

Sessions typically involve patient education, hands-on techniques (joint mobilization, soft tissue massage), therapeutic exercises, and modalities like ultrasound, electrical stimulation, heat/ice. The goal is to relieve pain, improve mobility and strength through exercise and other rehabilitative methods.

Why do exercises make me sore?

Therapists may push patients beyond their comfort zone to improve strength and function. Some soreness is expected as the body adapts to the exercises, but it’s part of the process to gain independence and avoid long-term reliance on therapy.

How long does physical therapy take?

Recovery timelines vary based on the specific injury/condition, but most patients attend 1-3 sessions per week for 4-12 weeks. More severe cases like post-surgical rehab may take 2-3 months. Patience and adherence to the full program is key for lasting results.

Do I need to do home exercises?

Yes, home exercises are crucial as therapists can only see patients a few times per week. Consistent home exercise is necessary to make progress and maintain gains from in-clinic sessions.

How is progress measured?

Therapists assess baseline function through tests/questionnaires, then re-evaluate strength, range of motion, pain levels, and activity performance periodically to track progress towards goals.

What conditions do sports trainers address?

Sports trainers work with athletes to prevent and treat chronic pain, injuries (sprains, muscle strains), post-surgical rehabilitation, overuse injuries, and other musculoskeletal conditions impacting performance.

How long until an athlete can return to sport after an injury?

Return timelines depend on the specific injury but generally take 6-12 weeks of rehab for muscle/ligament injuries and 6-12 months for more severe injuries before fully cleared for competition.

Do athletes need physical therapy after every injury?

Not necessarily every minor injury, but physical therapy is highly recommended after moderate-severe sprains, strains, surgeries or injuries that cause significant pain/dysfunction. Therapy accelerates healing and restores full mobility/strength. The main themes are understanding the PT process, home exercise importance, realistic recovery timelines, and objective progress measurement. Sports trainers focus on safe return to play for injured athletes.