What Is Sports Physiotherapy?

Sports physiotherapy primarily involves rehabilitation of muscle groups overused by sports persons due to continued movements.Thus, a sports Physiotherapist will help you in treating the injuries and providing safety measures to athletes. They play a vital role to recover effectively and regain the bodily & mental strength required for better performance. It has become an integral part of the sports medicine team.

The most common injuries faced by a sportsperson may include:

• Tennis elbow
• Knee injuries
• Sprains, muscle strain
• Dislocations,
• Strained hamstring,
• Shin splints 

Why are such treatments worth considering though, aside from the usual pain relief?
Below are great benefits that athletes should know about.  

• Helps reduce susceptibility to future sport-related injuries
• Improves mobility restrictions with personalized exercises
• Improves overall muscle and ligament health
• Helps peak athletic performance

 The Physiotherapists may use the following five techniques in rehabilitation for a sports injury:

1. Range of Motion (ROM) Exercises – Physiotherapists often use a range of motion exercises to reduce stiffness of joints and muscles. ROM exercises are carried on a particular part of the body which is injured. ROM exercises are of two types:

• Active ROM : When patients perform the exercise without any help from their Physiotherapists.
• Passive ROM When Physiotherapists perform the exercise with zero movement from the patient’s side.
  

    2.  Strengthening – A Physiotherapist uses a combination of exercises and therapies like  static & dynamic activities of muscle strengthening.

• Static exercises exert muscles at high intensity without movement of the joints, such as holding a squat position or holding a push-up position. 
• Dynamic activities keep your muscles moving while walking, running, or lifting light weights.
  

3. Low Level Laser – This is an alternative technique used by the Physiotherapists in case of musculoskeletal sports injuries where a low-level laser therapy is used to reduce inflammation and muscle pain.

 4. Ice pack application – The application of an ice pack on an acute injury is usually the first step followed by a Physiotherapist. The ice pack plays a vital role in preventing excessive swelling in the injured area.

5. Hot pack application – This technique is done by a Physiotherapist to provide relief from pain and stiffness from a chronic injury lasting 3 months or more.

What to expect when you see a sports Physiotherapist?

You can expect to be fully assessed before the treatment. Your Physiotherapist will ask you questions about your health, medical history, sports you play and where you feel the most pain in your body. When assessing the injury, the session might involve some functional movement. This will help them determine the situation and point out the root cause to prepare a customized treatment plan for you. 

If you are looking for a Sports Therapist, look no further! PhysioRehab Group is in Brampton and Bolton. We are a Physiotherapy, Massage therapy, Acupuncture clinic. We help athletes receive personalized treatment plans to optimize their performance on fields.