Sports are a great way to have fun and stay in shape but unfortunately carry the risk of injury. If you've experienced a sports injury, it's very important that you get the appropriate treatment as soon as possible. This will help ensure that you don't have permanent damage to the injured area. Here's everything you need to know about sports injury rehab.

See Your Primary Care Doctor

First, visit your primary care doctor. Your doctor may be able to prescribe medication to help with pain and discomfort. In many cases, a primary care doctor will refer you to a physical therapist for further rehabilitative services.

Visit a Physical Therapy Clinic

A physical therapy clinic is a great place for sports injury rehab. It's estimated that the average physical therapy clinic sees between 101 and 200 patients a week, according to The Good Body. Many of these are for sports injury treatment. When you work with a trained physical therapist, you know that you're getting safe, effective treatment from a licensed professional in your community. Most physical therapists don't prescribe medications but rather focus on physical activities to rebuild strength and flexibility.

A physical therapist will have many types of treatments available to help relieve pain, rebuild strength, and increase flexibility in the injured area. This professional can also advise you on what types of lifestyle changes you might need to implement in order to speed recovery.

Understand Available Types of Treatment

Treatments for sports injuries often involve exercise. Although the last thing you probably want to do when you're injured is exercise, it's best to keep moving. Not just any types of exercise are appropriate, though. You need to make sure you're doing the appropriate types of exercise at the proper intensity to aid with healing. This is quite different from exercises you would do for muscle building or strength training. Another important type of treatment is pain reduction and swelling reduction. Your sports injury rehab professional will be able to administer different types of treatment to keep swelling and pain to a minimum.

If you've experienced a sports injury, these are the steps and information you may need to follow for the best recovery process. Our team here at Roberts Physical Therapy can help you! Contact us today to learn more about our services.