Stay in the Game!
Overhead Athlete Program
Located in Manhattan's Union Square, NYC
Our program is dedicated to helping individuals reduce risk of injury and maximize performance through an integrated approach of elite one on one physical therapy and detailed mechanics training.
When treating overhead injuries, our physical therapists use their expertise in movement science to identify specific biomechanical impairments. These impairments create breaks in the kinetic chain and lead to improper timing, thereby increasing the risk of injury. After identifying causative factors, an individualized program will be devised incorporating a combination of skilled manual therapy, corrective mobility/strengthening exercises, and mechanics retraining. The goal is to correct impairments and transition the athlete back to their respective sport.
The athlete will obtain a deep understanding of proper overhead mechanics. They will learn how to transfer force and power through the entire kinetic chain, perform movement efficiency, and ultimately reduce injury risks while optimizing performance.
Book Now!What to Expect from the Overhead Athlete Program
Key Principles
- Postural Restoration
- Correction of Muscle Imbalances
- Optimizing Mobility and Stability
- Education on Developing Power through the Entire Kinetic Chain
Goals
- Enhance Skill and Performance
- Reduce Injury Risk
- Rehabilitate from Existing Injury or Surgery
- Maximize Movement Efficiency
- Meet YOUR Specific GOAL
Four Critical Components
Arm Care
The term "arm care" encompasses a delicate process aimed at reducing arm soreness, pain, or related injury. While arm care procedures slightly vary depending on whether the athlete is in-season or off-season, these techniques work to improve upon the necessary shoulder girdle muscle strength, balance, endurance, and mobility needed for players to perform at their highest level while minimizing risk of injury.
Interval Training Management
If the athlete's body is not conditioned to the specific levels of repetitive movement involved in playing overhead sports, they are predisposed to increased risk of injury. This aspect of the program will reduce the likelihood of injury related to inappropriate levels of loading by strategically programming game and practice time; similar to a running plan that gradually increases the mileage of someone training for a marathon.
Sport Specific Strength and Conditioning
As with any sport, there is prerequisite muscle strength, stability, and flexibility required to engage in overhead athletics; and deficiencies in these areas predispose participants to injury. The complexities involved in the movements required to play overhead sports require strength and flexibility throughout the entire body. We do not pitch or strike a tennis ball solely with our arm. This program's strength and conditioning component takes on a holistic and specialized approach to ensure that each player is able to perform their specific sport at their highest level by developing their bodies from the ground up. This tactic dramatically reduces the strain placed on the part of the body most often injured – the players' arm.
Education on Rest Days
Rest is a vastly undervalued tool to help athletes recover. Whether you have just completed a vigorous training program, played in a weekend tournament, or are rehabbing an injury, this program will help each individual understand the value of rest and how to properly implement it for maximum benefit to keep you in the game and off the sideline!
Meet Your Physical Therapists:
James Fowler PT, ACSM, CEAS, Founder
James is one of the lead physical therapists of the Overhead Athlete Program at JFPT. James specializes in sports medicine and movement science, with over 30 years of experience treating athletes. James coordinated the Motion Analysis Laboratory at Beth Israel Medical Center, developing evaluative tools used to analyze running, golfing, and throwing mechanics. He is a former D1 middle distance runner at University of California.
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Book your appointment today.