Sports Injuries

Smarter recovery. Earlier return to play.

Whether you play competitively, hit the gym, or love staying active, a sports injury can derail everything fast. Maybe it came on suddenly—a bad step, a pull, a twist—or it’s been building slowly for weeks as an ache that just won’t go away.

At Timpanogos Physical Therapy, we help athletes and active adults recover from sports injuries and overuse problems—and get back to their sport faster and more confidently than with “rest and hope” alone.

We combine:

Shockwave therapy
Electromagnetic therapy (EMTT)
Hands-on treatment
Targeted strength and conditioning
Red / near-infrared light therapy
Taping and KT taping when appropriate
EMS body sculpting / muscle-building technology to help specific muscles gain strength and endurance faster

…and, when needed, we can directly order X-rays or MRIs from our clinic so you get answers quickly, without extra appointments.

Because of this combination of advanced therapies plus smart, sport-specific rehab, many athletes can return to play sooner than they typically would with more traditional approaches like rest, medication, and generic exercises alone.

Sports-minded care from someone who’s been in the game

Your care is led by Dr. Phil Richards, DPT, who has real-world experience in the sports world—including a residency with the Cleveland Guardians professional baseball organization.

That background matters because:

He understands the pressures of seasons, tryouts, and rosters
He knows how to balance healing with performance
He’s used to working with athletes, coaches, and medical teams to build clear plans and timelines

You’re not just getting “clinic PT”—you’re getting care from someone who knows what it’s like behind the scenes in professional sports and can scale that mindset to your level of activity.

Sports & overuse injuries we treat often

We work with:

Running injuries – shin splints, plantar fasciitis, Achilles pain, IT band issues, hip and knee pain
Lifting/gym injuries – shoulder pain, low back or hip strain, knee irritation, elbow or wrist problems
Court & field sports – ankle sprains, knee pain, hamstring and groin strains, patellar tendon issues
Overuse syndromes – tendinopathies (Achilles, patellar, rotator cuff, elbow), stress-related soft-tissue irritation
Post-surgical athletes – after ACL reconstruction, meniscus surgery, shoulder labral repair, etc.
Youth, adult, and masters athletes who want a real plan, not just “take a few weeks off”

If your injury is very new—something you just rolled, pulled, or sprained—our Acute Strains & Sprains approach folds right into your sports injury plan.

Why sports injuries keep coming back

Most sports injuries aren’t just “bad luck.” They often stick around or keep returning because of:

Training load issues – big jumps in intensity, volume, or frequency
Strength or control gaps – especially in hips, core, shoulders, and calves
Technique factors – running mechanics, jumping/landing, lifting form, or cutting patterns
Old injuries that never fully regained strength or power
One-speed training – always going hard, rarely building a base first

Our job is to look beyond the painful area and answer two big questions:

Why did this happen here?
What needs to change so it doesn’t keep happening?

How we help athletes & active people

1. Detailed, sport-focused assessment

We take time to understand:

Your sport or activity (pickleball ≠ , baseball ≠ , CrossFit)
What specific movements provoke your symptoms
Where you are in your season or training block
Your injury history, goals, and timeline

We test mobility, strength, control, and sport-specific tasks so your plan actually fits what you do—not just what hurts when we poke it.

2. Shockwave Therapy – a significant lever for stubborn sports injuries

We use shockwave therapy frequently in our sports population, especially for:

Tendinopathies – patellar, Achilles, rotator cuff, gluteal, elbow
Chronic muscle tightness and hotspots after strains
Plantar fasciitis and long-standing heel pain

Shockwave delivers targeted mechanical pulses that help:

Decrease local pain and sensitivity
Encourage better tissue remodeling
Make loading and strengthening more comfortable and effective

When shockwave is combined with the right mix of strengthening, loading progressions, and movement changes, athletes often find they can return to training and competition sooner than with traditional methods that rely primarily on rest, medication, and basic exercises.

3. Electromagnetic Therapy (EMTT)

EMTT uses pulsed electromagnetic fields over injured or overloaded areas to:

Help overworked muscles and tendons relax
Support micro-circulation and recovery
Calm irritable tissues so you tolerate training and rehab better

We often pair EMTT with shockwave therapy for a one-two combination: reduce irritability + rebuild capacity.

4. Manual Therapy & Taping

Hands-on care and taping support the bigger plan.

We may use:

Joint mobilization (spine, hip, knee, ankle, shoulder, etc.)
Soft-tissue work for overloaded muscle and fascia
Taping and KT taping to offload painful structures, guide motion, or provide short-term support for practices, games, or workouts

If taping helps, we can also teach you or a family member how to apply it between visits.

5. Strength, power, EMS & sport-specific progression

This is where you really earn your way back to sport.

Your program may include:

Rebuilding base strength in the right areas (hips, core, shoulders, calves, feet)
Tendon-loading plans – isometrics, eccentrics, and heavy-slow work when appropriate
Balance, agility, and change-of-direction drills for court and field athletes
Jumping, landing, and plyometrics when you’re ready
Structured return-to-running or return-to-sport progressions with clear steps and criteria

When it’s appropriate, we can also incorporate our EMS body sculpting / muscle-building technology to:

Intensively recruit and train specific muscle groups
Help rebuild strength and endurance more efficiently
Support an earlier and more confident return to play—especially when pain or deconditioning has made traditional strengthening harder to start

Our goal isn’t just to get you out of pain—it’s to get you performing again with a body (and plan) you trust.

6. Red & Near-Infrared Light Therapy

We often use red and near-infrared light therapy to:

Support recovery after heavier sessions
Help manage post-workout or post-game soreness
Promote tissue health without adding more mechanical load

It’s a simple way to help your body recover between the demands of rehab and sport.

7. Imaging when it actually changes the plan

If we suspect a fracture, significant tear, or other structural issue where imaging would change your care, we can:

Order X-rays or MRIs directly from our clinic
Review results with you in plain language
Coordinate with your physician, orthopedic surgeon, or other provider as needed

That means fewer hoops to jump through to figure out what’s really going on.

What progress can look like

Running farther or faster without the same pain flaring at the same point
Playing full games or matches without constantly worrying about “that spot”
Lifting, jumping, cutting, and sprinting with more confidence and less guarding
A clear plan for training load so you’re building capacity instead of bouncing between injury and rest
In some cases, avoiding or delaying surgery by getting tissues stronger and movement more efficient

FAQs

Do I have to stop my sport completely?
Not always. Often, we can modify volume, intensity, or specific movements while treating the injury and building capacity. Sometimes we’ll pause specific activities for a bit, but our default is to keep you as active as we safely can.

Can you help even if I’ve tried PT before?
Yes. Many athletes come to us after basic rehab that didn’t address load management, stubborn tissue irritability, or the real demands of sports. With tools like Shockwave, EMTT, EMS muscle-building, and a more detailed return-to-sport plan, we can often move beyond where you got stuck.

Do you work with youth athletes?
Absolutely. We regularly see middle school, high school, and club athletes. We adapt plans to growth, practice schedules, and sport demands, and keep parents in the loop.

What if I’m not a “serious athlete”?
If you move, you qualify. Weekend warriors, rec-league players, gym-goers, hikers, and active parents are exactly who we see all the time.

Ready to get back in the game—with a better plan?

Whether your goal is a race, a season, a PR in the gym, or just keeping up with your kids, you don’t have to navigate a sports injury alone.
Schedule an evaluation with Timpanogos Physical Therapy, and we’ll build a clear, realistic plan that uses advanced tools—including shockwave, EMTT, and EMS muscle-building technology—to help you recover, rebuild, and return to your sport—often sooner than with traditional methods.