In a room located directly to the right of the main entrance of the Recreation Center, hundreds of students and members of the community are seen each week to be treated for sports related injuries and to receive physical therapy to reach their optimal health.
Housed within the student recreation center is Champion Sports Medicine, a team of physical therapists and athletic trainers working to ensure the health and safety of all residents of the Tuscaloosa community.
Sam Chen, a staff physical therapist and athletic trainer, said the clinic mostly deals with club sport athletes suffering from sports related injuries.
“Usually we [work] more with the wheelchair basketball team,” Chen said. “The student athletes that play here are all treated by their own athletic training staff and so rarely will they make it over here unless they are in really, really big trouble.”
Champion Sports Medicine clinic, which has been around for about eight years, works independently of the student Rec Center, Chen said, even though it is housed within the building. The facility provides benefits to all students, from those who participate in intramurals to recreational runners and bikers.
“For a young, active population here, [physical therapy] really gets them back to their activity levels a lot faster than if they sustain an injury and try rehab themselves,” Chen said.
The clinic is a physical therapy provider of choice for several UA groups, including the Million Dollar Band and intramural sports, as well as for high schools and other colleges throughout the Tuscaloosa community, according to the facility’s website.
Ryan Sunshine, a patient of Champion Sports Medicine, said he was able to see results of the physical therapy within two visits after being injured.
“I was able to get back to lifting a lot faster,” Sunshine said.
The facility is open 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Students who wish to be treated by the physical therapist must receive a doctor’s prescription prior to treatment, Chen said. Prescriptions can be obtained from general health clinics in Tuscaloosa or the Student Health Center.
