It’s impossible not to get a thrill from watching the mastery of talented tennis pro Serena Williams, gifted gymnast Simone Biles, or stellar soccer player Abby Wambach.
Unfortunately, just like their male counterparts, women athletes suffer their fair share of sports-related injuries, and they tend to suffer certain injuries more often. This doesn’t just go for the pros either. It applies to avid runners, dedicated dancers, and team sports enthusiasts alike.
At Empire Physical Therapy & Athletic Rehabilitation in New York City, Paul LaRosa, MS, PT, and Billy Reilly, MS, PT, offer innovative, proven treatments for women who experience common injuries as a result of playing organized team sports or as a result of solo workouts.
Here at Empire, we develop highly customized treatment plans for each of our patients and administer care with sensitivity. Since you see the same practitioner every time, you can build both continuity and trust.
The “why” part of women’s sports injuries is hard to answer, but prevailing theories reveal that it’s likely due to a combination of factors.
A key distinction is women’s anatomical differences. They have wider pelvises than men, for example, which affects the alignment of their ankles and knees. This means their bodies work and move a bit differently than men’s when in action.
Another movement difference is that typically when a woman jumps, her knees are closer together when she hits the ground, and she lands in a more erect stance. The very fact that these types of differences exist set women athletes up for some injuries.
If you’re a woman, you also have more fatty tissue and less muscle mass than men, and your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in each knee has a narrower space travel through, both of which explain why women deal with ACL injuries far more frequently than male athletes.
Many of our female patients benefit from a functional movement screening, an assessment we offer that closely examines your movement patterns and analyzes your risk for injuries, balance issues, and more.
As an active woman, you should be aware of the injuries you’re most at risk for:
Another unique but widespread phenomenon that affects female athletes is known as the “female athlete triad,” a combination of insufficient nutrients and calories that results in low energy, menstrual cycle irregularities, and bone loss.
Even though the condition doesn’t stem from an injury, its symptoms raise your risk for injury, and we can treat these symptoms safely and successfully.
We educate you about lifestyle practices and exercises you can do at home to lower your chances of experiencing these common injuries. We also discuss the importance of proper alignment and technique when performing any type of sport or physical activity, and even considerations like wearing activity-appropriate, well-fitting footwear to lower your injury risk.
Our fully equipped, state-of-the-art gym is on-site and makes it easier to treat you and to teach you techniques you can use at home.
The broad array of advanced physical therapy treatments we offer include:
Depending on your injury, your treatment plan is designed to speed recovery, improve your blood flow, increase your muscle strength, and improve stability and balance.
Call our office to schedule an appointment, whether you’ve experienced an injury or you’re just looking to prevent one. You can also book appointments with us online. Our office is located in the Midtown East neighborhood in Manhattan.
Rest assured that we institute complete COVID-19 safety protocols to keep you safe during your visits.
