Rugby is a demanding high-intensity sport with a high risk of injury, combining the running and endurance of soccer with the contact and tackling of American football. Common injuries include concussions, jersey finger, muscle strains of the hamstrings or quadriceps, ACL or MCL tears, ankle sprains, shin splints, and shoulder joint injuries. Physical therapists can help rugby players prevent and manage sports-related injuries through a targeted exercise strength and conditioning program.

Check out our February 2024 Newsletter, highlighting: the importance of balance training to prevent falls in older adults, addressing ski-related MCL injuries with physical therapy, hamstring injury treatment, and physical therapy for Lisfranc injury.

MCL sprains or tears are the most common ski-related knee injury, accounting for up to 20% of all ski injuries and 60% of all ski-related knee injuries. An MCL injury can occur while skiing when pressure or hard contact from a collision or fall impacts the outside of the knee, straining or tearing the ligament. Physical therapy is the preferred treatment for the majority of MCL injuries, restoring function, mobility, stability, and strength to the MCL and knee joint through a targeted therapeutic exercise program.

Hockey is a high-intensity collision sport that requires athletes to skate a narrow contact surface (blade of the skate) on a low friction surface (ice) while moving in all planes of motion. The intensity of the sport can lead to a variety of injuries, such as concussions, shoulder separations, wrist fractures, MCL sprains, high ankle sprains, or FAI or hip adductor muscle strains. Physical therapy can help hockey players recover after injury and help hockey players prepare for the hockey season and reduce the risk of injury through a personalize strength and conditioning program.

Basketball is a high-intensity sport, requiring running multi-directionally, shuffling the body laterally, jumping, and quick starts and stops. The intense physical demands of basketball heighten the risk of injury. Physical therapists work with basketball players to not only prepare them for a successful basketball season through a customized strength and conditioning program, but also address any in-season injuries and help athletes regain strength, mobility, balance, and function for a safe return to sport.

Skiing is one of the most popular winter sports, demanding significant strength, agility, and coordination while moving down the snowy slopes. The most common ski injury is to the knee, accounting for 30% of ski injuries and often resulting in an ACL or MCL tear. A physical therapist can help you prepare for the slopes through a customized strength and conditioning program, addressing muscle imbalances and targeting specific muscle groups to increase stability and muscle control. Should an injury, physical therapists accompany you every step of the rehabilitation process to help you return to skiing safely.

The MCL is the most commonly damaged ligament in the knee that can be sprained or ruptured when a large force is applied to it. The MCL provides support and stability to the knee during lateral and cutting movements and prevents the knee from bending inward toward the other knee. A physical therapist can help an athlete restore function, mobility, stability, and strength to the MCL through therapeutic exercise and targeted strengthening for a safe return to sport.