What is Sports Physiotherapy?
Sports physiotherapy is the branch of physiotherapy that deals with the prevention and management of sports injuries and all other issues related to sports at every level of participation.
Practitioners are referred to as sports physiotherapists and they play a major role in ensuring that persons involved in recreational or professional sports are injury free and are in the best possible shape for sporting events. They are trained in the promotion of safe physical activity, prevention of injury and the enhancement of sports performance.
Their major functions include prevention of sports injuries, management of such injuries and post-injury rehabilitation.
Prevention of Sports Injuries
All sporting activities have some level of risk associated with them. The more the contact in a sport, the higher the risk of injury associated with it. Sports physiotherapists design sport specific screening programmes aimed at identifying risk factors that may lead to injuries.
Such programmes incorporate specific exercises and movements which highlight areas of muscular weakness or tissue overloading that may lead to injury. In the course of the screening exercises, areas of sub-optimal movement are also identified and worked upon to enhance performance.
Overzealous effort to attain a level of proficiency or skill in a sporting activity can lead to excessive or wrongly made movements, which can inflict injury on a section of the body. The role of a sports physiotherapist is to intervene and provide advice that will prevent such situation from escalating or progressing further.
Sports physiotherapists also offer advice on how to train properly and how to maintain good posture during strength training. They can provide professional instructions on how to train a range of muscles involved in specific movements.
Management of Sports Injuries
Sports physiotherapists are trained to evaluate injuries and to identify signs of more profound damage to body structures which might require referral to the hospital for medical attention. Generalised injuries may include various sprains, pulled muscles and in extreme cases, fractures, torn ligaments and tendons.
A detailed history of the incident is taken and a thorough examination of the affected area is carried out. Treatment modality is generally tailored to the specific requirement of the individual.
Sports physiotherapists apply treatment through physical means such as manual therapeutic techniques and they may deploy electrical, thermal, mechanical or hydraulic equipment in the process.
Post Injury Rehabilitation
Sports rehabilitation is led by the sports physiotherapist although a multidisciplinary team is often involved in the exercise. Rehabilitation is aimed at accelerating the recovery process and a quick return to full functionality.
Some athletes' livelihood depends on their ability to get back to their sporting activities within reasonable time. Therefore, one of the most important decisions made by the sports physiotherapist is the readiness of the athlete to return to full sporting activities
Share25 July 2017
I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes ten years ago. Since my diagnosis, I have been committed to learning how to modify my lifestyle and adopt healthy practices, such as daily exercise and eating wholefoods, that help control my diabetes and improve my quality of life. I started this blog to connect with others living with this condition and to share what I've learned on my personal journey to better health. I also update the blog with the latest research and news relating to type 2 diabetes. If you have a specific question that's not been addressed in a blog post, feel free to send me an email.
