Common Sports Injuries Treated at BaseCamp Physical Therapy

At BaseCamp Physical Therapy, we work with athletes of all ages, and from all sports. The unfortunate reality of sports is that athletes get hurt, and they get hurt often. When an athlete gets hurt, it can be difficult to understand what next steps should be taken. The standard health care system doesn’t function well to work with sports injuries, leading to frustration for the injured athlete.

Fortunately, BaseCamp Physical Therapy provides Performance Physical Therapy in Petaluma to help the athletes of Sonoma County, Marin County, and Napa County get back to their peak performance. We follow a different approach, and have our own process to care for athletes. Learn more about our athlete recovery process. In the meantime, let’s explore the sports injuries that we work with.

ACL Tears and Knee Injuries

Field sport and snow sport athletes shudder when thinking of the ACL tear. It’s one of the most feared injuries in sport, as it often requires surgery, and typically takes up to one year to properly rehabilitate.

Many of these injuries are non-contact injuries, which occur due to quick changes in direction, or awkward landings. Athletes are at higher risk of experiencing a non-contact injury by being weak in their hips, hamstrings, and core.

Weakness in these same areas often leads to other common injuries of the knee, such as patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), ligamentous injuries (MCL, LCL), and medial or lateral meniscus injuries.

When rehabilitating any of the above injuries, a complex set of knowledge is required - it isn’t as simple as getting stronger in the above mentioned areas. The unique movement ability, flexibility, age, gender, and type of sport are all important considerations when designing a customized rehabilitative plan to help these athletes get past a knee injury and back to sport.

Unfortunately, athletes find it challenging to get access to the customized treatment they require to get back to playing their sport at the highest level. The typical physical therapy experience provides them with basic exercises that don’t accommodate for the above variables. This leads to poor outcomes, and may ultimately end up in reinjury - a very sad reality.

At BaseCamp Physical Therapy, we approach each and every one of the above variables with intention. Two athletes will never receive the same rehabilitation plan - that’s because we customize each step of the journey to reflect where the athlete is at, their unique anatomy, and their sport demands. Two soccer players who are recovering from an ACL injury with rehabilitation at BaseCamp Physical Therapy may have very different sessions and experiences - even if they’re the same age! This is because their positions may differ - a goalie will have a very different set of exercises than a forward. We make sure to take into account the unique demands of each athlete when rehabilitating from any knee injury.

Rotator Cuff Injuries, Labrum Tears, and other Shoulder Pains

Athletes use their shoulders, A LOT. Typically, the injuries sustained by athletes are categorized into two different presentations - overuse, or acute trauma.

Altered mechanics and imbalances can lead to asymmetrical stress on the shoulder - combine this with repetitive overhead motion in sports like swimming, baseball, or volleyball, and you’re sure to find shoulder pain.

Sports like football, basketball, and even water polo are often riddled with acute shoulder injuries as well. This is because of the nature of contact in these sports.

We work with athletes suffering from shoulder injuries and shoulder pain in nearly every sport. In doing so, our focus is primarily on assuring the athlete is ready to return to the demands of their sport.

Many of our patients will start their rehabilitation with focused manual therapy and mobility techniques to restore the natural movement of their shoulder, while reducing pain or discomfort. Once we have restored movement, our goal is to increase strength and to stress the shoulder in the method most similar to their sport.

For example, while we focus on restoring natural range of motion back for all athletes with shoulder injuries or shoulder pain, a baseball player will receive different strengthening and sport-specific training than a swimmer.

This is one of the many benefits of working with the performance physical therapists at BaseCamp Physical Therapy.

Ankle Sprains, Instability, and Other Foot Injuries

One of our biggest populations of patients is runners. These athletes are no stranger to pains and injuries of the foot, ankle, and lower leg. But these aren’t the only athletes who struggle with ankle sprains, instability, or foot injuries - in fact, we routinely see basketball players, soccer athletes, and even skiers and snowboarders with these same injuries!

Many of these injuries are from chronic overuse, or improper mechanics. Occasionally, these injuries may even begin with a traumatic event - such as an ankle sprain.

If these injuries aren’t addressed to their root cause, they’ll often lead to weakness and instability that can wreak havoc at later times in life. These injuries can even lead to problems higher up in the kinetic chain, such as knee injuries or even lower back pain.

We keep this in mind when approaching care for injuries to the ankle, foot, or lower leg. First, we assess mobility in the key joints in this area, as it often is limited. If we identify limitations in mobility, we’ll provide targeted manual therapy techniques and stretches to ensure proper mobility is restored.

Then, we’ll focus on building strength to a higher level than before the injury - in this way, we’re helping to ensure another injury doesn’t occur in the future. We use various tests to determine the capacities of the athlete - think of it as a comprehensive assessment of each component of an athlete’s performance. You can learn more about our approach here.

Lastly, we’ll add in specific drills to work on running form, mechanics, and also to prepare the athlete for the demands of their sport. Basketball players will receive vastly different exercises and training than marathon runners - this is necessary to ensure the highest level of preparedness when returning to the high-performance world of sport.

Lower Back Pain in Athletes

Lower back pain is the most common injury we work with at BaseCamp Physical Therapy. A staggering 80% of athletes will end up with lower back pain at some point in their athletic career, and it can be debilitating. Even worse, these injuries are typically chronic in nature, meaning they are likely to experience multiple episodes, even after their competitive years in sport come to a close.

The key in our process of treating lower back pain is in identifying the root cause of their pain - is it due to muscle imbalance? Limited mobility in their hips? Poor core strength or stability? There are myriad sources of lower back pain, and finding the root cause is a nuanced process that requires the expertise of a performance physical therapist.

When an athlete ends up in a physical therapy clinic that doesn’t specialize in sports care, their unique needs aren’t met. As a result, they may end up with the same program that was prescribed to a sedentary individual with back pain.

At BaseCamp Physical Therapy, we start each athlete with a comprehensive examination, where we screen for all possible sources of their lower back pain. In doing so, we leave no stone unturned.

Once we’ve identified the root cause, we get to work on helping the athlete move and feel better, immediately. Our goal is to reduce symptoms as quickly as possible, and then to transition this athlete to a complex strengthening process that reflects the demands of their sport.

Whether our athlete is a gymnast, football player, or lacrosse player, our expert physical therapists have the knowledge base to ensure their program prepares them specifically for their sport.

Why Choose BaseCamp Physical Therapy for Sports Injury Treatment?

Athletes require customized treatment that addresses the unique needs of their sport and position. When these variables aren’t accounted for, it leads to longer timelines for returning to sport, less success when returning to sport, and may even create the risk of another injury in the future.

Whether you’re a CrossFitter, football player, or cyclist, our expert physical therapy team has the knowledge base to guide you in returning to your specific sport.

The best part of working with BaseCamp Physical Therapy is that you’ll focus specifically on your athletic performance prior to finishing your plan of care with us. This means that you’ll return to sport a more balanced athlete, often faster, stronger, and more resilient than before the injury.

Ready to begin your journey with us?

If you’re an athlete suffering from a sports injury, make sure to take advantage of our FREE Discovery Call. This is the first step in our 3-step process. During this call, we discuss your specific injury and recovery goals, and help connect you with the best provider on our team to help you get there.

This is the first step in getting back to the athlete you know you can be. Don’t let an injury shake your confidence; get back in the game!