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What’s the Difference Between Sports Therapy and Sports Rehabilitation?

by | Aug 25, 2022 | Sports Injuries

Sports Therapy or Sports Rehabilitation
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If you’re active in sports – whether professionally or recreationally – you know how important it is to take care of your body. Physical therapy is crucial for preventing, treating, and healing injuries from sports.

You’ll often find two specific physical therapy services come up for athletes: sports therapy and sports rehabilitation. What’s the difference between the two? And how do you know which one is right for you? Let’s break it down.

What is Sports Therapy?

Sports therapy are all types of therapy related to the sport to help optimize movement and performance. This includes strength training, dry needling, kinesiology tape, or any other recommended physical therapy service. Sports therapy is a broad umbrella for physical therapy services that are aimed at keeping your body working in top form for your sport.

➡ Read Now: 10 Benefits of Sports Physical Therapy

What is Sports Rehabilitation?

Sports rehabilitation is a subset of sports therapy. Most often, sports rehabilitation is used to treat a specific injury or pain caused by a sport.

What’s the Difference Between Sports Therapy and Sports Rehabilitation?

Truthfully, there is a Venn diagram of the two that overlap very similarly. For that reason, you’ll often find these terms used interchangeably. Sports therapy refers to the broader array of physical therapy treatments for athletes while sports rehabilitation generally is a response to an injury – so it’s also accurate to say that sports rehabilitation is a subset of sports therapy.

➡ Read Now: Can Physical Therapy Really Improve Sports Performance?

Sports Physical Therapy with PRO Therapy

Our Doctors of Physical Therapy have the expertise to help you prevent injury, recover from injury, and improve your performance.   We utilize a combination of manual therapy, cupping, dry needling, strength training and balance training to further improve our varying levels of athletes’ performance to achieve their specific goals. We’re here to help with any injuries or pain caused by recreational activities as well, including:

  • Biking
  • Golf
  • Gardening
  • Hiking
  • Jogging
  • Lifting
  • Rollerblading
  • Running
  • Swimming
  • Weekend Warrior
  • Etc.

Do you have any questions for our team at PRO Therapy? Are you hoping to avoid injury specific to a sport or in general? Are you currently dealing with an ache or pain and need help? Give us a call! We offer complimentary phone and in-person consultations. We aim to meet our patients wherever they are in their journey and answer all questions we can to ensure a smooth experience at PRO Therapy. We want to help you make the best decision for you!

Dr. Kevin Spahr
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Read our reviews from other people like you who came to see the physical therapy team – and left much healthier and happier.
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Johnnell L.
I love this place let’s start off with there communication the best when it comes to that and I feel comfortable with the environment I’m around. I feel like there getting the job done
Andrew K.
ashley M.
I’ve been dealing with plantar fasciitis for years and I thought there was no going back from the pain I felt all day everyday. Pro therapy has truly been a game-changer. From the very first visit, with Brooke she made me feel heard, supported, and hopeful. She took the time to explain my condition, tailored a treatment plan specifically for me and listen to the feed back from each visit to see what the next best thing was. Pro therapy staff been incredibly encouraging every step of the way.

The care I’ve received has been top-notch — professional, compassionate, and effective. I can already feel a huge difference in my pain levels and mobility. I genuinely look forward to my appointments because of how much relief I’ve gotten in just a handful of visits.

I Highly recommend pro therapy to anyone dealing with plantar fasciitis. They truly care about your recovery and go above and beyond to help you heal.
All in all, I am beyond satisfied with the care I’ve received with pro therapy
Greta H.
I was dealing with painful posterior tibial shin splints from running, and after just two StemWave sessions with Dr. Kevin Spahr, I noticed a significant reduction in pain. After the third session, I was running completely pain free! As a college athlete I've tried many recovery tools, but StemWave has been a game changer for me! The results were real, fast, and Dr. Kevin along with the the entire care team was knowledgeable, genuinely caring, and supportive! I would highly recommend StemWave for anyone struggling with inflammation or looking to speed up recovery! Being able to run without pain again was such a relief, and it truly meant the world to me!
Harrison E.
Started doing PT at PRO in April for some intense plantar fasciitis that I'd been experiencing for over a year and hadn't been able to remedy it on my own. Lily gave me a very effective Home Exercise Program to strengthen my arches & toes and did lots of great soft tissue / needle work in our weekly sessions. Two months later, my feet are feeling the strongest and most capable they've felt in a very long time and I can walk around & sleep without thinking about foot pain. I'd recommend PRO to anyone looking to deal with physical annoyances once and for all.
antonishia M.
Jennie is always pleasant and so helpful with any and all of my questions which makes me feel safe to come to her with anything. Dr. Kelvyn is my PT and he has been great to work with so far. Dr. Kelvyn listens to my goals and I’m excited for him to keep pushing me towards my goals of PT.
Karsten J.
I fractured 3 transverse spinal processes in November 2025 and had a C section baby 3 days later. I was in quite a bit of pain with very limited mobility, and about a month after the injury, started physical therapy to ensure I could heal well and run again. Dr. Lily helped me both heal and get my back moving again, as well as some pelvic floor exercises since even though I had a C section, I had pelvic floor pain after being pregnant. After a few months, we tapered off appointments and I have sucessfully been able to run, do yoga, lift weights, and return to normal daily life again with no pain! They were very conveniently located in NE Minneapolis near me, and had great scheduling availability. I'd go again!
Anne W.
Dr. Spahr and his team at PRO Therapy work together closely to provide state-of-the-art healing therapies that help people return to doing the activities they love best. The entire team, including the front office staff, exemplifies a model of care and professionalism that really stands out to me. I highly recommend PRO Therapy.
Andrew M.
Had a great experience, they helped me recover from a calf injury I sustained during training for a half marathon. The stretching, exercises, and therapy they provided me helped me get back on track and I was able to run my race! Would recommend to any athlete!
Michelle P.
Exactly what I was looking for in a PT office. I really wanted one-on-one care that included massage/cupping and other therapies. Lily was amazing and my posture has literally never been better. Can’t recommend enough!
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