Sports Medicine

Titan Athletes athletic trainers are skilled and knowledgeable at incorporating the best evidence to evaluate athletes of any age or sport. Injuries should be evaluated right away to result in the best possible return-to-sport participation.

An injury is defined as damage to the body that restricts activity or causes disability to such an extent that the athlete is not able to practice or compete. Incidence of injury can be studied from several points of view: age, gender, body regions or occurrence of different sports (contact, limited contact, noncontact). 

Common Injuries can include: concussion, sprain/strain, impingement, neuropathy, and chronic Inflammation.

Understanding how a specific sport is performed, the sport's specific potential for trauma, kinesiological and biomechanical principles that apply to sport is key to helping diagnose and understand an athlete's injury.

Here at Titan Athletes our athletic trainers are skilled and knowledgeable in injury evaluations. The evaluations are detail-oriented, looking not only at the injury site, but all of the factors and parts of the body that can contribute to the predisposition and cause of injury. Every exam checks the athlete's strength, range of motion, muscles, ligaments and nerves. 

At the end of each exam, the athlete will go through a functional movement screening to provide additional information to the cause and understanding of injury. The functional movement screen is also used for the treatment and rehabilitation portion to provide feedback to the athletic trainer and athlete on their recovery process. Improper movement is often the cause of acute and chronic injuries. Improving function and proper body mechanics will prevent many athletic injuries. 

After the evaluation is completed, the athletic trainer will develop a treatment and rehabilitation program for the athlete that can involve any treatment therapy we provide, along with a rehabilitation program that provides some strength and performance training.

Titan Athletes offers a variety of treatment options depending on the athlete's injury and needs. Treatment of injuries will help eliminate pain and improve range of motion and movement patterns. 

Treatment options can include: manual therapy, IASTM, dry needling, cupping, vibration.

Manual Therapy

Manual therapy is a hands-on technique without the assistance of devices or machines. Not to be confused with massage therapy techniques, manual therapy can be used for soft tissue mobilization and/or joint mobilization. The benefits include but are not limited to: improving mobility, reducing pain, increased motor control, and promoting tissue healing. Often times when performing manual therapy, it can be described as a "stretch" feeling. The athletic trainers at Titan Athletes are skilled in the use of manual therapy and recommend a hands-on approach to treatment. 

IASTM

Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) is the use of specialized instruments that work in direct relationship with the involved soft tissue structures. This technique is used in the place of the athletic trainer's hands and allows for a broader contact for large muscle groups or for a targeted treatment of small structures. IASTM is great for improving mobility, decompression of tissue, improving blood flow, tissue remodeling and break up of connective tissue such as scars. IASTM often feels like a "light massage" or "deep massage" depending on the treatment and targeted area. This form of treatment is perfect for acute injuries and chronic injuries.  

Dry Needling

Dry needling is where a sterile, thin filament/acupuncture needle is inserted into the body, predominantly muscles, without the use of any liquid injection or withdrawal. Dry needling works at the cellular level by producing changes such as promoting healing, improving the circulation, tissue remodeling, increasing nerve communication, and decreasing muscle tightness. Dry needling can be done several different ways depending on the athlete's need. The number of needles used varies on the treatments, and when the needles are inserted, it feels like a deep muscle cramp for a couple seconds then disappears. The short-term and long-term results from dry needling are well worth the treatment time. 

Cupping

Cupping is a great form of treatment to help increase circulation of blood, improving range of motion, decreasing pain, break up of adhesions and most importantly promote healing. At Titan Athletes, we use dynamic cupping which involves two different approaches. The athletic trainer will move the cups themselves while the athlete is stationary, or the cups will be applied to the athlete and he/she will perform specific movement patterns. Cupping has minimal to no pain when performed. Cupping will commonly leave bruising after treatment that will disappear after a few days. 

Proper body mechanics and strength training is the number one priority for recovery and preventing injuries. Titan Athletes provides athletes the capability to function to their goals and abilities.

Rehabilitation options can include: physical injuries, mental reconditioning, traumatic injuries, post-operative, post-concussion.

Improper conditioning is one of the major causes of sports injuries. Athletes unable to perform an action that the environment is requiring results in stress on the body's structures. When enough stress is put on the structure, it will eventually break. Effects of inactivity due to injury or surgery can result in loss of fitness level, muscle strength, endurance and coordination.

Here at Titan Athletes, we understand it is important to properly train and rehabilitate athletes in an aggressive approach while balancing between being too easy and too hard. 

Our rehabilitation programs focus on the major components of injury recovery:

• Minimize Initial Swelling

• Controlling Pain

• Restoring Range of Motion

• Restoring Muscular Strength

• Increasing Endurance and Power

• Neuromuscular Control, Proprioception, and Kinesthesia

• Postural Stability

• Cardiorespiratory Conditioning

• Functional Movement 

Decisions about when/how to alter program should be based within framework of the healing process and the progression of the body's response to rehab. Often times athletes are not pushed enough in rehabilitation, creating setbacks and improper functionality. 

Titan Athletes designs rehabilitation programs that are individualized for that specific athlete and injury. 

Titan Athletes has teamed up with Hope Chiropractic to keep athletes functionally moving! Hope Chiropractic is here to help treat many different injuries such as headaches/migraines, sciatica, upper/lower cross syndrome, hip impingement and several more. By combining proper spinal and extremity joint adjustments with musculoskeletal treatments and strength training, you can correct majority of injuries caused through sports, stress, and accidents. The chiropractic adjustment is performed to maintain proper function within the spine and joints. When the spine is moving appropriately, the nerves are able to communicate better with the body. When the spine is restricted, the nerves are unable to communicate to the muscles of the body which can lead to dysfunctions. There are several different methods to perform adjustments that can be tailored to each patient's individual needs.