In order to prescribe a strengthening program your physical therapist will start with a subjective interview. They will ask you about your recent and past history with exercise, what kind of exercise equipment you like using and have access to, your beliefs about exercise and about any injuries, illnesses or surgeries you have recently experienced. Then, your therapist will perform a physical exam wherein they will examine any injuries you have and assess different components of movement that will help them develop an appropriate strengthening program. During the physical exam your therapist may do the following:

• Perform manual muscle testing to test the strength of different muscles
• Measure or assess the length of muscles
• Measure the range of motion around joints
• Assess the mobility at different joints
• Palpate tissues to look for pain or tissue dysfunction
• Have you perform different movements and motions while they analyze your movement
• Participate in an outcome measure to assess functional strength, endurance, speed or agility

THE PHYSIOLOGY BEHIND STRENGTHENING

• Muscle strength
• Muscle endurance
• Muscle power
• Functional power
• Neuromuscular control
• Aerobic fitness

• Train the desired muscle at least 2x per week
• Perform 1-3 sets of each exercise
• Perform 8-12 reps per set
• Rest 2-3 min between sets
• Allow at least 48 hours recovery between sessions
• Perform exercises slow and controlled
• Aim for an intensity of “somewhat hard to hard”
• Match exercises with desired function

If you decide to work with a physical therapist to help with a Strengthening Program, your entire treatment plan could consist of around 8-20+ different physical therapy sessions that will each last 60-90 minutes. Once you complete your customized physical therapy treatment plan, you will be able to continue to do the prescribed stretches and exercises utilized during your PT sessions yet in the comfort of your own home.

Looking for the cause of an injury

While full recovery and return to play is the ultimate goal when it comes to injury rehabilitation, a physical therapist has much more to offer. We are interested in identifying the factors that may have predisposed you to the injury in the first place so that we can make a plan to address them. This helps decrease your risk for future injury. Here are some factors that we look for when assessing a player:

• Muscle strength, power and endurance
• Flexibility and mobility in muscles and joints
• Sleep, nutrition and recovery time
• Training schedule
• History of prior injury
• The physical demands of a player’s position on the team

While some injuries are unavoidable, there may be times when internal and external factors play a role. Identifying these factors allows us to address them with a good physical therapy program or give advice on beneficial modifications to your training.

Movement and Performance Analyses