Sports Rehabilitation

Sports Rehabilitation at UVM Health

Setback from an injury can be frustrating for any athlete. At University of Vermont Health, we work one-on-one with you, incorporating sport-specific activities and exercises to help you recover and safely resume physical activity.

Our expert team has decades of experience and has achieved local, regional and national recognition for our excellent care.

A Central Vermont Medical Center rehabilitation therapist watches as he client uses the boxing bag at the facility's gym.

Why Choose UVM Health?

As one of the leading rehabilitation programs in the region, we offer:

Convenient care: We provide sports rehabilitation services in multiple locations throughout Vermont and northern New York. No matter where you live, you have access to expert care.
Specialized skills: Our physical therapists have advanced training and experience in sports therapy. As an academic health system, we commit to high-quality treatment, continually bringing you the latest techniques and tools.
Patient-centered treatment: We listen to your concerns and create care plans customized to your goals. We work to make sure you understand your treatment and feel equipped to actively participate.

Conditions We Treat

We treat athletes recovering from all types of sports injuries, including:

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears: A tear in the thick band of tissue that connects the shinbone and thighbone
Bursitis: Inflammation in the fluid-filled sacs (bursae) that cushion joints
Dislocations: A bone that has been forcefully pushed out of its usual position at the joint
Fractures: Partial or complete breaks in a bone
Meniscal tears: A tear in the meniscus, the C-shaped cartilage between your thighbone and shinbone
Strains and sprains: Injuries to the muscles, the bands of tissue that attach muscle to bone (tendons) or the bands of tissue that attach bones to each other (ligaments)
Rotator cuff injuries: Tears or other damage to the group of tendons and muscles in the shoulder (rotator cuff)
Tendinopathy: Inflammation in the tendons (tendonitis) or degeneration of the collagen in the tendons from overuse (tendinosis)

What to Expect

Your first appointment is an evaluation with one of our sports therapists. This therapist will examine you, ask about your goals and assess your overall function. Then they will create a personalized treatment plan designed to help you recover well and optimize your performance. Sports rehab treatment may include:

Rehabilitation During Injury Recovery

After an injury, a variety of exercise-based and non-exercise-based therapies can reduce pain and help you heal. Rehabilitation may include:

Braces and custom orthotics to improve alignment and stability
Dry needling (inserting fine needles into trigger points to promote healing)
Manual therapies, such as soft tissue or joint mobilization, to help relax muscles, loosen joints, increase circulation and ease pain
Therapeutic exercises selected to address specific needs and help you return to your sport sooner
Blood flow restriction training to continue to build strength while injured

Performance Enhancement and Injury Prevention

When your pain is under control, we can work with you to correct movement patterns and imbalances that may increase injury risk. Correcting these patterns can help you return to activity safely while improving your performance. Performance enhancement may include:

Agility exercises
Cardiovascular conditioning
Exercises to improve flexibility
Functional movement screens (tools that help identify asymmetry or weaknesses in your movement patterns)
Gait analysis and running clinics
Sport-specific conditioning
Strength training

Return-to-Sport Evaluation

After you complete your treatment plan, we evaluate you to make sure it’s safe to return to your sport. Our therapists use a range of tests to assess your strength, balance, agility and overall function.