Body Mechanics Helps Improve Sports Performance & Prevents Injuries

Dec 20, 2022

Sports Injury

You’ve most likely heard of the term body mechanics in reference to lifting heavy objects around the home or at work, but did you know it also applies to sports performance? At Austin Physical Therapy, we emphasize the importance of your body mechanics in sports to improve our patient’s athletic performance and minimize the risk of injury.

A fundamental aspect of sports performance and injury prevention is the body’s ability to initiate, direct, and grade purposeful voluntary movement. The correct posture and movement patterns help ensure our body functions at optimal levels. We work with them on their motor control to ensure our athletes can perform at their best.

Another way of talking about body mechanics is athletic stance. Using correct body mechanics in sports helps athletes relate to their environment while playing sports which helps to not only improve performance but also prevent injuries.

At Austin Physical Therapy, our physical therapists will perform a comprehensive analysis focusing on assessing the athlete’s ability to produce controlled movement through coordinated muscle activity (i.e., neuromuscular control) to reach their peak performance!

Contact Austin Physical Therapy today to learn more about how body mechanics and sports performance goes hand in hand!

How body mechanics can help you in sports

If you have ever dealt with a sports injury, you know how they can hold you back from training, competition, and even regular non-sports-related activities. Research has shown that programs emphasizing neuromuscular control, reduces the risk of injury and enhances your overall sports performance.

The body’s ability to perceive and respond to the inherent changes of sports and then coordinate movements effectively is the key to avoiding injury and maximizing your physical performance day in and day out.

Many sports injuries are caused by an athlete not having proper body mechanics and motor control, leading to awkward or inappropriate body movements and muscle contractions. Deceleration (slowing down) and changing directions often cause non-contact injuries. Fortunately, our skilled therapists can work with you to improve how you move your body, so you not only avoid injury but enhance your overall performance.

Learning about your body mechanics (athletic stance) and how your body moves is an integral part of your training. The relationship between your spine and your extremities is a fundamental part of running, jumping, cutting, throwing, and catching. If you are slouching, your body simply can’t function as effectively.

Helping athletes “feel” where they are in space is trainable with a skilled physical therapist. Coordinating the nervous system with our muscles and joints is an area where physical therapists excel. We will identify any restrictions or limitations you may have and develop a plan to address them and resolve them.

What to expect at your Austin Physical Therapy sessions

During your first appointment, one of our skilled physical therapists will conduct a thorough evaluation of your body and ask questions about your medical history, pain symptoms, and your typical sports environment.

Your therapist will want to know what kind of training you have done, and we will assess your functional movement capabilities. Our team is skilled at identifying all the possible factors contributing to pain or injury and what you may lack to achieve your full physical potential.

We will use this information to develop a comprehensive program that includes any appropriate pain relief technique for the individual athlete and exercises to restore joint and soft tissue mobility. We will build a program that gradually progresses in intensity using targeted strength training, postural training, core stabilization, motor control drills, and neuromuscular training.

Next, we will focus on progressing your strength and dynamic stability to restore function and prevent injuries. The emphasis will shift to work on balance and coordination exercises to stimulate the nervous system and help ensure you can cut, decelerate and land in the correct position to avoid an injury.

Finally, your therapist at Austin Physical Therapy will create a targeted, individualized plan of care for you to continue on your own, including in-season training, to maximize your recovery and prevent future injuries! Our highly trained therapists will create sports-specific tasks for you to perform. Depending on your progression, we may recommend specific drills to improve your body mechanics, motor control, and neuromuscular control.

The bottom line is that you should reach your maximum performance potential while keeping yourself safe and pain-free.

Request an appointment today!

Austin Physical Therapy is focused on keeping our athletes healthy and safe during their game. We want to ensure each patient can use their bodies effectively and efficiently. We will emphasize teaching them ways to adjust their movements for injury prevention and peak performance.

Contact our office today for more information on rehabilitation and how incorporating body mechanic training into your exercise routine can heal or prevent future injuries.

Body Mechanics Helps Improve Sports Performance & Prevents Injuries