How Does Physiotherapy Help with Sports Injuries
If you are an athlete, the chances of you sustaining a sports injury at some point in your career are significantly higher. In fact, in 2021, 3.2 million people were treated in emergency departments for injuries involving sports and recreational equipment.
While some athletes are able to immediately bounce back from their injuries and return to their previous level of performance with minimal care, others require more rehabilitation and may even be forced to take a break from their sport altogether. This is where physiotherapy comes in. Many athletes turn to physiotherapy to help them recover from their injuries and get back into the field as soon as possible as the treatment can help patients effectively regain strength and flexibility in the affected areas, as well as reduce further risk of injuries.
What Is Physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy is a hands-on health profession that provides treatments to alleviate pain, promote healing and prevent further injury to the back, neck, shoulder and more. The main aim is to restore movement and function to as close to normal as possible, and can be used to treat a wide range of conditions including sports injuries, musculoskeletal disorders, neurological conditions and respiratory conditions.
Physiotherapy treatments typically involve exercises, massage, heat or cold therapy, electrical stimulation and ultrasound. Used in both the acute and chronic phases of injury or illness, physiotherapy is an important part of the rehabilitation process of helping patients rebuild their strength, flexibility and range of motion, and return to their previous level of function.
5 Ways Physiotherapy Can Help with Sports Injuries
Anyone who has suffered a sports injury will attest to the fact that they are not only painful, but can also be extremely debilitating. Not being able to participate in the sport you love can be frustrating, especially when the road to recovery is long and difficult. However, physiotherapy can help to speed up the healing process, reduce pain, and improve mobility through a combination of treatments. Here’s a look at how physiotherapy can be used to treat sports injuries:
1. Reinforce Existing Muscles
Physiotherapy helps with sports injuries by strengthening the surrounding muscles. This can help to reduce the amount of stress that is put on the injured muscle, and speed up the healing process at the same time. The treatment works by increasing blood flow to the injured muscles, which aids in removing toxins and bringing in nutrients that are necessary for healing. Additionally, physiotherapy can also improve the range of motion and flexibility around the injured area, which may prevent long-term stiffness or joint pain.
2. Alleviate Tendonitis and Strain
Sports injuries such as tendonitis and strain are common, especially among athletes. Tendonitis is a condition in which the tendon becomes inflamed, causing pain and stiffness. A strain is a type of injury that occurs when the muscle or tendons are stretched beyond functional limits. With physiotherapy, pain and inflammation associated with both conditions can be relieved by strengthening the muscles and tendons around the area of injury. This will reduce the load on the injured tendon or muscle, allowing it to recover even faster.
3. Enhance Range of Motion Through Conditioning Exercises
Physiotherapists use a variety of techniques to help improve movement and restore function after an injury. These techniques may include massage, mobilisation, and conditioning exercises which are often prescribed to help patients regain their strength and range of motion through the restoration of normal movement patterns and mechanics. This is especially important for athletes who may have developed bad habits or compensatory movements while the injury was sustained. By correcting these movement patterns, physiotherapy can help to reduce the risk of future sports injuries.
4. Decrease Tightness and Inflammation
Sports injuries can be caused by a number of things, such as overuse, direct impact, or sudden changes in direction. When these injuries occur, there is often inflammation and swelling around the injury area which usually leads to pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion. Physiotherapy can help to decrease this inflammation and allow the patient to move more freely through targeted treatments and therapies such as bracing, massaging or stretching to address the root cause of the problem.
5. Treat Your Sports Injuries with Rapid Physiocare Today
Physiotherapy is an important part of any athlete’s toolkit for recovering from sports injuries and preventing future ones. Through a combination of rehabilitation exercises, injury prevention strategies, and guidance on proper warm-up and cool-down techniques, physiotherapists can help athletes get back on the field quickly and safely.
Rapid Physiocare is a leading clinic for physiotherapy and strives to deliver the highest level of care to our patients. Apart from providing rehabilitation for a variety of sports-related injuries, we also offer an extensive range of services such as clinical pilates, weight management and spine care. Contact us today by giving us a call or sending us an email for more information about how we can help you.
