Improving Mixed Martial Arts Rehabilitation With Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy and MMA
Combat athletes compete in several sports such as wrestling, boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and mixed martial arts. These athletes subject their bodies to intense and demanding training and workouts that can often lead to serious injury.
Common injuries for combat athletes include strains, sprains, splints, knee injuries, and swollen muscles. Most of these injuries are due to vigorous competitions, brutal fights, and dynamic training exercises. Many athletes also suffer from bone fractures and dislocations as MMA and UFC fighters sustain hits with very little protective equipment. Hip and shoulder impingements and other postural problems are also very common for athletes as many continue their ‘fight stance’ even on their regular days.
Many of these injuries will eventually heal, but some may require multiple surgeries. Athletes find these injuries as an inconvenience because extended recovery periods may affect their training and fighting schedule. It could also further affect the body’s functions and ability. Thus, many athletes and trainers find physical therapy as an excellent instrument for combat athletes to recover from injury quickly and effectively.
Here’s how physical therapy helps improve a combat athlete’s rehabilitation and ensures a better and healthier body that is ready for the next fight!
Faster Recovery Process
Giving the body enough time to rest and recover is an essential part of the healing process because it helps repair the micro-fissures that appear on the muscle due to extensive exercise and combat.
However, prolonged resting can cause the muscles to stiffen due to the lack of use. Movement is precisely what the body needs when it’s injured. There’s also a possibility that muscle won’t increase its size and heal completely under prolonged rest. The weakened state of the body may hinder recovery and even affect any future fights.
Seeking care and supervision of a licensed physical therapist like in PhyxMe will guide and monitor an athlete’s movements to ensure that injuries aren’t further bothered by the increased range of motion they will achieve in physical therapy. Therapies can also help increase the flow of blood and strength of the muscles, ligaments, and tendons and help speed up the healing process.
Undergoing physical therapy can also progressively improve mobility, increase strength, and return to a functional state without the need for surgery or any medications.
Decrease The Chance of Further Injuries
Physical therapists can help identify an athlete’s areas of weakness. Identifying an athlete’s weakness is exceptionally crucial, as it will help determine what areas of the body need more focus.
Physical therapy can also aid the muscles to adapt to extreme strains in any combat sport. It also teaches athletes how to move in a way that will help reduce the impact of any hits on the weaker parts of their bodies. In this way, it prevents any future injuries.
Some athletes find physical therapy exceptionally helpful during a rematch, as it will help them prepare and defend their opponent’s possible attacks and repeated hits.
Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants can also identify any underlying problem and ensure that the body is working correctly and efficiently. They can also help understand the root cause of any chronic pain and identify ways to prevent relapsing.
Get Back on Shape
A combat athlete sometimes needs to adjust to a change in their body’s performance as they feel weaker after an injury due to the lack of regular movement and pain.
Plenty of physical therapy programs can aid athletes in regaining their original capabilities. Some therapies involve relearning how to grip again, building muscle strength, and increasing overall mobility little by little in a short amount of time. There are also plenty of physical exercises involved in physical therapy. The main goal of these treatments is to help you return to your regular combat training exercise.
Some athletes may even feel a lot better and more energetic after undergoing therapy programs. Many combat athletes also include a physical therapist in their team to help create an exercise program that helps them lose weight.
Helps on Pain Relief
A fighter’s body is in extreme pain after every fight, whether they win or lose. This pain will become a nuisance when getting back on training or even in their daily lives.
Fortunately, there are plenty of therapeutic exercises, and manual therapy techniques like joint and soft tissue mobilization, stretching, massages, or treatments such as electrical stimulation, or tapping can help ease pain and restore muscle and joint function. Such physiotherapies can also prevent pain from returning.
Physical therapy is also a better and more effective option than pain killers, as movement-based treatments can improve mood, weight control, blood pressure, bone density, strength,
endurance, and sleep. Therapies also help reduce strain and restore fluid movement that will help alleviate any pain.
Besides, unlike other methods of reducing pain, physical therapy doesn’t focus on eliminating the pain temporarily. Instead, it ensures that any discomfort is relieved for the long term, which is a beneficial aspect to any athlete. Athletes won’t have to rely on a particular medicine but focus on improving their body functions to block any physical attack and painful hits.
It is also perfect for combat fighters who don’t want to take opioid painkillers for pain control due to its substantial detrimental effects on the body. Opioids can treat pain, but it is only for short periods, and it becomes less effective over time with huge risks and side effects.
Physical therapy also carries a variety of treatments for different types of athletes. If a fighter doesn’t respond to one method, he can find relief in another. There are also infinite ways to modify a fighter’s program to keep it comfortable and keep making progress. Some procedures include massages, electrical stimulation, or dry needling.
Takeaway
Incorporating physical therapy into the healing process can help an athlete regain mobility, reduce pain, and improve overall fitness and health. Extending a body’s life is the key to success for many professional fighters as it is their principal instrument.
Thus, it is essential to avoid further injuries and surgeries that are detrimental to the body. Physical therapy can provide optimal care for athletes and improve their performance and rehabilitation.
