Sports Medicine Physical Therapy

Sports medicine physical therapy for young athletes is a subspecialty profession of physical therapy. At Children’s Hospital Colorado, our sports medicine physical therapists help athletes heal properly from injury, but they also have extensive experience in sport-specific movement analysis. This means we can help identify ways that an athlete can reduce their pain during participation in sports, lower their risk of reinjury and even improve their sports performance.

About our Sports Medicine Physical Therapy program

The Sports Medicine Physical Therapy program at Children’s Hospital Colorado provides sports injury physical therapy services for active children and young athletes. Our team of sports medicine physical therapists provide each athlete with a customized, at-home exercise program. They also offer both the athlete and their parents information about the important role physical therapy plays in making a safe and healthy return to sports. If an injury requires surgery, a sports medicine therapist acts as a liaison between the surgeon and the family, reporting progress to the doctor on a regular basis.

Sports physical therapy residency

Sports physical therapist residents work alongside our providers to support young athletes with their recovery. Learn more about our sports physical therapy residency.

Why choose us for sports medicine physical therapy care

Not only do children and adolescents have different injuries and healing times than adults, but they are still growing and changing. This means that their healing process can greatly affect the way they move. At Children’s Colorado, we understand all the ways kids are different, and we factor that into our highly customized physical therapy plans.

Nearly all of our sports physical therapists are board-certified in sports medicine or orthopedics — a component that sets us apart from many other sports medicine physical therapy programs in Colorado. Additionally, we prioritize individualized care. Our patients receive a 1-hour evaluation, and we provide 45 minutes of one-one-one time during follow-up appointments.

Evaluations and one-on-one appointments are held at our sports physical therapy gyms at various locations around the region. These gyms were specifically designed to accommodate strength, agility, speed and endurance training. An additional benefit of our sports injury therapy program is that outside of scheduled appointments, athletes can work on their exercise plans wherever is most comfortable, including school or a community gym. This allows the athlete to relearn their body independently, which helps them regain optimum athletic performance and overall health.

We recognize that there are many people who play a role in an athlete’s return to play after injury. An athlete’s sports medicine therapist will continually work to ensure that these care providers — parents, referring physicians, athletic trainers, coaches and performance specialists — understand where the athlete is on their recovery journey and the level of activity that is currently safe based on rehabilitation progress.

Outdoor sports therapy field

Children’s Colorado South Campus, North Campus and Colorado Springs Campus (Telstar) are equipped with a versatile outdoor complex that includes a sizeable field, basketball court, track-like surface and soccer goals where athletes can practice their return to sport in a safe and controlled environment.

Sports medicine research

The sports medicine team reviews current industry research and is developing new research to help advance sports medicine treatment methods and best practices. Our goal is for young athletes to have easy access to resources that help them return to their activities as quickly as possible, enhance their performance and reduce their risk of reinjury.

Who we treat at the Sports Medicine Physical Therapy program

We specialize in treatment of athletes between the ages of 12 and 20 who are returning to competitive sports. Learn more about the sports injuries we treat.

Contact the Sports Medicine Physical Therapy program

• Greater Denver Area: Scheduling Sports Physical Therapy

Phone Number: 720-777-6655

Includes Network of Care locations: North Campus (Broomfield), South Campus (Highlands Ranch), Health Pavilion (Aurora) and Parker Campus

• Colorado Springs: Scheduling Sports Physical Therapy

Phone Number: 719-305-8000

Includes Network of Care location: Colorado Springs Campus (Telstar)