Sports Physiotherapy

Tips for choosing your physio and physiotherapy treatments

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The very term sport incites, an image of a person involved in some form of vigorous physical activity. Sports, of all sorts, demand a strenuous routine of fitness and if in case you are an athlete, there is always a chance that you could get injured. So, how does an athlete handle pain and injuries in sport?

Who avails Sports Physiotherapy?

Sports physiotherapy focuses on sportsmen and their injuries. The need for an exclusive branch to handle sports injuries is essential due to the intensive physical demands of sports which often lead to muscles, bones and joints injury.

Recovery and Physiotherapist tips

In order to get back to your game at the earliest, follow these tips for recovery and choosing your physiotherapist:

Do not rush to resume training. You must be wondering when you’ll be able to resume full training or go back to your game. Your physiotherapist will give you an estimated period of time by which you would heal. Sometimes, you’ll be allowed to plunge back into training and other times, you’d need to do so gradually.

Follow the routine set by your physiotherapist to achieve the best and faster results. A little bit of cycling or biking never harmed anyone. Indulge in it and other lifestyle activities, besides your regular physiotherapy to recover sooner.

Sports Physiotherapy

Choose a physiotherapist who has experience in treating patients with similar injuries before and who understands the demands of your profession. He will prioritize your return into your game and set your routine accordingly.

If you’re wondering if you should select a physiotherapist who’s an independent practitioner or someone from the private hospital, it is always best to choose someone who is dedicated and best in his field. His affiliation hardly makes a difference, but his/her professionalism does.

The Three Most Common Modes of Treatment

Although the methods involved in the treatment of an injury is subjective to the needs of the patient, nevertheless the basic steps which can be evoked for diagnosis are:

1. Hot/Ice Pack Application

Ice pack application is the first line of treatment in sports injury that helps to reduce the swelling and pain. Sports Physiotherapists will wrap a towel around the injured area with ice for about twenty minutes. This basic physiotherapy treatment, provides immediate pain relief, allowing the athlete to engage in exercises without the obstacle of pain. Ice packs are used to reduce swelling and pain while hot packs are used in cases of bleeding and absence of swelling.

2. Therapeutic Exercise

Exercise is the most common method of treatment. However, the form and dosage of the exercise posture is directed by the therapist in accordance with the condition of the client. The most prevalent modes of exercises are stretching, strengthening, and range of motion exercise, gait training and/or use of specialized instruments like mobilization instrument, joint manipulators and others. All of these enable the athlete to regain balance and strengthen his muscles. It also aids in the mobilization of joints, performance enhancement and most importantly quick recovery.

3. Muscle Activation Techniques

MATs aim to address the issue of muscle tightness, muscle injuries and other forms of imbalance with an aim to set right the alignment of the body thereby reducing the pain.

Sports and Pain are often said to accompany each other but with Physiotherapy one can break such companionship. Whenever you’re availing sports physiotherapy, it is pertinent that you remember to prioritize your recovery. Always look at the long-term benefits, without rushing into hasty decisions and you shall live a healthy life!

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