Top 5 Benefits of Hockey Physical Therapy for Injury Prevention and Performance
Hockey is a demanding sport for athletes and when considering performance and longevity, physical therapy care that is specific to hockey players is key so that they can play hockey and maximize sport performance.
As a sports physical therapist, I specialize in working with athletes in the Kennewick, WA area.
Inside this blog post, I'm going to give you an inside look at the benefits of physical therapy for hockey players to improve performance and mitigate the risk for common hockey injuries on the ice.
The Benefits of Hockey Physical Therapy
Identify areas of potential injury and vulnerability (before injury happens)
Hockey is a sport that requires a lot of strength, stability, and mobility and it is an incredibly fast paced game that requires use of many muscle groups, always.
Even professional athletes struggle with the demands of the sport. I'd argue that in sports injury land, hockey has a lot of potential to take the cake when it comes to risk.
So, how can we reduce that risk?
Scheduling an evaluation with a sports physical therapist is a great place to start.
During your first appointment the physical therapist will test your strength, mobility, and endurance, and observe how you move during different activities, such as a single leg squat and lunge.
They take this information, along with any details you provide about areas that feel tight or painful, and analyze it.
This helps to identify what areas might require more attention in your training to avoid injury.
Many times, we can see certain movement patterns or areas of vulnerability that put you at risk for an injury (ex. Weakness in hips may result in knee injury and weakness in the core may result in an upper body or shoulder injury)
Find out what areas to focus on in your strength routine to stay healthy on the ice
Not only are we testing muscle strength on each side, but also looking comparatively at strength between left and right sides and between front and back sides of the body
Strength and conditioning routines that are specific to the needs of hockey players are key. And not only that, but a goalie will need a different plan than a center will.
Improve flexibility to maximize your shot power and accuracy
Most people think that injuries are due to a lack of flexibility. And while flexibility is something to consider, a lot of times injuries are a result of lack of control of the flexibility that athletes DO have, which is a sign of a strength and motor control deficit (and off we go back to #2).
But, if we have a true mobility deficit, we need to improve that flexibility in a way that allows us to move through the full range with control and "own" the mobility or range that we need as an athlete.
Shooting the puck with maximal power and accuracy requires adequate flexibility through the trunk, upper body, and hips. If you find your shot lacking a little “oomph,” you may want to take a closer look at your flexibility.
Learn how to add plyometrics to your training for power and explosiveness on the ice
Hockey players need to be able to move fast, be explosive when skating, and move well. So, we have to learn how to not only control our movement, but initiate it quickly, and then put force behind that movement.
And here's the thing: that initiation of movement often happens at the same time that we feel a muscle pull.
To avoid muscle strains like in the quads, hamstrings, and groin, we need to train our muscles to fire quickly and efficiently in the range of motion we do have in order to propel our body forward.
This is exactly what plyometric training will help you do. It trains the explosiveness and power behind the movement - from stop to start, jumping, hopping, skipping, and more.
Hockey-specific speed, strength, and mobility programming
As a physical therapist who specializes in treating hockey players and athletes overall, I create specialized hockey programs that can help you not only improve your performance on the ice but also avoid future injury.
With hockey-specific programming, you can make the most of your training with a customized treatment program to help target what you need - strength, flexibility, power, endurance which means NO time wasted.
If you're local to the Kennewick, WA area, you can work with me for performance training (in-person) at my physical therapy clinic, Game Changer Physical Therapy.
If you're not local to Kennewick, I offer online hockey-specific training programs as well.
To get started, book a free discovery call! I'd love to chat with you.
Get a hockey-specific speed training program
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