Occupational Therapy Techniques for Athlete Recovery

For athletes looking for help with injury rehabilitation and returning to play, occupational therapy offers an effective way to get back on track. OT is a healthcare practice that helps people adapt to the activities they want and need to do. For athletes, this can mean returning to training and competing after an injury safely and effectively.

At JAG PT, our empathetic OT staff uses a variety of techniques such as exercise programs, manual therapy, and functional training to aid athlete recovery and help you achieve your rehab goals. Schedule an appointment at your nearest JAG PT location in NY, NJ, or PA to get started with our effective athletic OT, or read on to learn more about how our occupational therapists help athletes heal and play better.

What Do Occupational Therapists Do for Athletes?

The ultimate aim of occupational therapists working with injured athletes is to enable them to return to their sport in a safe, structured, and timely way. This is a journey with multiple steps, starting with the first appointment between therapist and athlete. At this meeting, the occupational therapist will ask a number of questions to understand the nature of the injury and will also get a picture of the athlete’s medical history to rule out non-sports-related causes of pain or discomfort.

They will assess factors like pain levels and range of motion to fully understand the impact of the injury on the athlete’s life and their ability to perform day-to-day and sports-related activities. This enables the occupational therapist to create a unique recovery program personalized to the athlete and designed to get them back on track in the safest way possible.

The recovery program is likely to contain a combination of modalities, and the exact mix will be chosen carefully by the occupational therapist to ensure the best possible outcome for the athlete. The goal is that once the program is complete, the athlete should be able to continue practicing their sport safely, free from pain or fear of injury.

Types of Occupational Therapy Techniques for Athlete Recovery

Here at JAG PT, our team of experienced occupational therapists provides relief to athletes undergoing injury rehabilitation from our convenient, state-of-the-art clinics across New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Our standard of care, clinical experience, and ability to tailor recovery programs to our clients’ unique needs make us the premier choice for anyone seeking pain management and rehabilitation from sports-related injuries.

Therapeutic Exercise for Athletic Recovery

Therapeutic exercise incorporates activities that aim to restore flexibility and function in injured athletes, as well as build strength and relieve pain.

Examples include exercises that work on your range of motion, balance, strength, or aerobic ability, so you might be practicing activities like lifting weights, balancing on an exercise ball, or using specialized equipment such as the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill.

Your occupational therapist will monitor you carefully to check that you are using the proper good technique. They may employ activity modification to ensure that you are getting the right mix of exercise for your condition.

Manual Therapy for Athletic Recovery

Manual therapy describes any type of “hands-on” treatment offered by your therapist. This includes practices like massage; manual traction, where joints are manipulated to relieve tension and increase mobility; and lymph drainage, which focuses on rebalancing the lymphatic system to maintain fluid balance, fat absorption, and immune function. This type of treatment helps fight infection, boost energy, and enhance your overall health and wellbeing.

You may see many benefits from manual therapy, including pain relief, increased range of motion, and improved tissue healing, all of which will aid your recovery as an athlete.

Functional Training for Athletic Recovery

Functional training is a targeted type of therapy that aims to restore your athletic ability so you can return to your chosen sport at your previous level. This type of training is very individualized and takes into account specific movements associated with your chosen activity.

Functional training could see you progressing from performing simple tasks such as walking or jogging all the way through to complex movements and activities that are specific to your sport, depending on your needs.

Your therapist will help you work on your strength, flexibility, and the actions that are necessary to practice your sport competently — all in a safe and monitored environment. Exercises could incorporate building upper body strength for swimmers or rehabilitating knee injuries in soccer players, for example.

The benefits you’ll reap from this type of training include getting back to your sport at your pre-injury level safely and reducing the risk of re-injury at the same time. Functional training also aims to build confidence and improve on existing skills.

JAG PT is Here for You!

Whether you’re a student athlete, a professional athlete, or just enjoy staying physically active, we’re here for you to help on your road to recovery.

If you notice an injury, it’s best to make an appointment with a PT sooner rather than later. Otherwise, the injury could worsen over time and get harder to treat. So book an appointment at your nearby JAG Physical Therapy location today: We enjoy nothing more than seeing our patients return to the activities they enjoy!