Author Dr Supriya Joshi (BPTh, Masters, Sports Science) is a Sports Physiotherapist & Ergonomist from Pune, India. Dr Supriya is a Symposium Panelist at the DentalReach Conference & Awards (DRDCA) 22: Sports Dentistry Edition. Brochure & Registration Link: Click here
Overview
Sports physiotherapy is a branch of physical therapy that is geared towards both athletes and casual players who have suffered an injury or want to prevent one. Sports physiotherapy is a specialized form of physiotherapy which is designed to help with injuries or conditions occurred during sports activities. The modalities include hands-on treatment and rehabilitation. It is a safe, secure, and effective way to help get the athlete back on track as soon as possible. Sports activities, whether professional or otherwise, can cause muscle strain or even serious injuries. If these problems are not given proper medical attention and treatment, they can worsen. However, these unwanted injuries can now be alleviated and prevented from happening again through the application of sports physiotherapy. It can also help the athlete maximize their performance. The key areas of sports physiotherapy include:- Prehabilitation
- Examining and diagnosing injuries
- Identifying the cause of an injury
- Designing an individual treatment plan
- Rehabilitation
- Performance enhancement
Types of sports injuries requiring physiotherapy
Sports injuries are commonly caused by- over-use
- direct impact
- application of forces which are greater than which the body part can structurally withstand
- improper training practices
- incorrect warm-up or stretching before the event.
- Sprains. Overstretching or tearing the ligaments results in a sprain. Ligaments are joint stabilizers that connect two bones to one another in a joint.
- Strains. Overstretching or tearing muscles or tendons results in a sprain. Tendons are thick, fibrous cords of tissue that connect bone to muscle.
- Fractures. broken bones.
- Dislocations. Sports injuries may dislocate a bone in the body. When that happens, a bone is forced out of its socket. This can be painful and lead to swelling and weakness.
Sports Pre-habilitation
Studies show that ,more than 40% sports injuries occur due to incorrect postures during the practice or game. Good news is, they are avoidable!Clinical evaluation tools are used by physiotherapists to forecast joint problems. This helps in planning a Pre-habilitation. The goal of prehabilitation program is to maximize the output and minimize the energy expenditure. It is targeted on development of muscle fitness, strength training, flexibility and balance along with cardio vascular fitness. Prehab helps athletes to achieve targeted results for muscle specific activation and training. Following a systematic and planned prevention program is highly beneficial for players in all the phases of their game. Experts have advocated three “E’s” of injury prevention which include Education, Engineering and Enforcement. The most important aspect of prevention is providing accurate and sports specific ergonomic education to reduce the risk of injuries.
Sports Re-habilitation
Losing freedom of movement due to an orthopedic injury or surgery can be challenging. It is very important for a professional and recreational athlete to get back on field with confidence after sports injury. The physiotherapist’s approach goes beyond addressing pain. Effective therapies are provided to facilitate early return to an active lifestyle. Sports injuries are high-performance injuries that require utmost care. A Sports physiotherapist works closely with the athlete/ team to identify the requirements of a particular sport and bring out the best result post-injury in performance.For instance, a midfield footballer injures his ankle while playing football and goes through rehab. He is given specialized rehab exercises to be able to run, cut directions and manipulate the ball like pre-injury as per his sport. Depending on the sport a customized rehab program is designed to assist the athlete back to the sport. If it’s a cricket injury like hyperextension in a fast bowler, then the bowler is guided to exercises that prevent hyperextension or stabilize the spine and assist in his return to cricket.
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