When it comes to skiing and snowboarding, nothing can compare to the exhilaration of gliding down a freshly powdered slope. However, as with any high-speed sport, injuries are common—in fact, concussion or head injury is the third most common skiing injury and the second most common snowboarding injury. Many people aren’t aware that physical therapy can play a vital role in recovering from these potentially serious injuries. At Forza Physical Therapy, our dedicated physical therapists can aid your recovery by addressing issues with the neck, inner ear, autonomic nervous system to recover balance and performance to get you back to your sports and activities as soon as possible.

‍

Physical therapy can help with recovery from concussion by:

• Addressing function of the neck and shoulders. Following a blow to the head, the neck muscles can become tight and overactive, leading to pain and difficulty with moving the head, holding the head up for prolonged periods, and holding the head still enough for the eyes to focus. Dysfunction of the neck can contribute to headaches, blurred vision, dizziness, and poor balance. A Forza physical therapist can help with these issues using a combination of soft tissue mobilization, joint mobilization, and muscle re-training exercises.
• Improving the performance of the vestibuloocular system. Head injuries can lead to problems with coordination between the vestibular system in the inner ear and the small muscles of the eyes. This can make it hard to focus, leading to issues with reading, focusing on screens, and causing headaches and visual problems like blurred vision. A Forza physical therapist will perform a thorough evaluation to determine the source of these symptoms and guide you through exercises to help retrain your vestibular system to coordinate properly with the eyes.
• Improving exercise tolerance. A head injury or concussion can lead to decreased tolerance to even mild exercise due to problems with the autonomic nervous system. This can be addressed with progressive exercise, and a Forza physical therapist can help guide you through safely and systematically increasing your activity level to allow return to your previous activities including sports, hobbies, work, and home care.
• Recovering balance and motor control. Often, high level skills like balance and quick reactions—key skills for sports—are the last things to come back following a head injury. Once issues with the neck, vestibular, ocular, and autonomic systems have been addressed, Forza physical therapists are uniquely qualified to work on these high-level skills to get you back to your favorite sports and hobbies.

‍

With the beautiful, snowy landscapes of central Maine beckoning, it’s crucial to prioritize your recovery and get back to the activities you love as safely and efficiently as possible. At Forza, we recognize the importance of personalized care and are committed to providing top-quality physical therapy services to help you recover from concussion or head injury and return to the slopes with confidence and peace of mind. Trust us to guide you through your journey to optimal health and wellness.