Is your child an athlete? It is estimated that there are approximately 60 million youths, aged 6-18, who participate in organized sports. Of those 60 million, approximately 45.9%-54% will sustain some form of sports injury. If your child is feeling pain due to a sport, Excel Physical Therapy in Oshkosh and Appleton, WI can help provide relief and a speedy recovery – so your child can get back to doing the sport he or she loves!
Acute Injuries and Overuse Injuries
Sports injuries can typically be placed into two categories: acute or overuse. Acute injuries are caused by a single specific incident, such as a sprain, strain, fracture, or tear. Overuse injuries are caused by excessive repetitive movements over time. Some examples of overuse injuries include frozen shoulder, flexor tendinitis, shin splints, tennis elbow, and golfer’s/Little Leaguer’s elbow.
Benefits of Pediatric Physical Therapy in Oshkosh and Appleton, WI
At Excel Physical Therapy, our treatments for youth sports injuries are conservative and non-invasive, aimed at relieving pain and promoting healing. Our highly trained physical therapists incorporate specialized methods into their treatment plans including manual therapy, correction of posture and movement problems, eliminating strength imbalance, improving balance and coordination, ice, heat therapies, and ultrasound. They also provide patients with light stretching and strengthening for home exercises in order to improve their range of motion and overall function in the affected area.
It is important to note that pediatric treatments are not the same as adult treatments. Children have different biomechanics than adults because they are still growing – both physically and mentally. Each youth sports injury treatment plan is unique, taking into account the child’s age, level of physical activity, and their continuing physical and mental development.
The overall goal of physical therapy is healing and prevention. In addition to treating the injury, our physical therapists will help strengthen the affected area, in order to prevent additional injuries from occurring. Our physical therapists in Oshkosh and Appleton, WI will also provide your child with helpful warm-up and cool-down techniques for his or her sport, in order to lower their risk of sustaining another injury.
Excel Physical Therapy identifies issues that may be specific to young athletes and works to:
- Address additional problems that are specific to young athletes
- Design treatments that allow flexibility because young athletes are still growing
- Identify weaknesses in other areas
- Focus on body awareness since young athletes grow so quickly
Contact Excel Physical Therapy to get started!
If your child has sustained a sports injury, schedule an appointment with Excel Physical Therapy today. We’ll help diagnose the issue and get your child started on the path toward recovery and returning to sport!