Sports Physiotherapy Guide: What is it? | Roles | Benefits | Rehab Station

What is Sports Physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy, also popular as Physical therapy, is an allied health science branch. A physiotherapist with his expertise in exercise therapy and prescription, joint mobilization, manual therapy, and electrotherapy rehabilitates various musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary and neurological conditions. The aim of physiotherapy is to improve quality of life and enhance performance.

Sports physiotherapy is a specialised branch of physiotherapy that deals with injuries and other problems associated with sports.

According to Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy, New Zealand, a sports physiotherapist is defined as-

“A recognized professional who demonstrates advanced competencies in the promotion of safe physical activity participation, provision of advice, and adaptation of rehabilitation and training interventions, for the purposes of preventing injury, restoring optimal function, and contributing to the enhancement of sports performance in athletes of all ages and abilities, while ensuring a high standard of professional and ethical practice.”

What does a Sports Physiotherapist do?

A sports physiotherapist works as a part of the larger team that looks after the complete health and fitness of the team or an athlete.

The primary team members involve the athlete and the coach. However, a physician, a masseuse, sports scientist, video analyst, a strength and conditioning coach and a sports nutritionist play a key role in building the team stronger.

Sports physiotherapists assess the athlete, perform a detailed evaluation and devise a plan of action. The exercise programs incorporate tackling the weaknesses, working on the imbalances and certain workouts to reduce the chances of re-injury.

Roles of Sports Physiotherapist & Competence Areas

In India, especially at the grass-root level, sports physiotherapist might be the only medical personnel available on the field in training and tournaments. In such situations, the sports physiotherapist need to have sound knowledge in first aid and essential life support.

Additionally, in endurance events, a sports physiotherapist may have to give advice on subjects like nutrition.

It is a critical part of the on-field sports physiotherapist’s job to take the crucial decision of whether the athlete continues to play post an incidence of injury.

Sports physiotherapists are often aware of the rules and regulations of the specific sport and the norms set by the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) in order to ensure fair play.

Roles in Sports Physiotherapy

*PREHAB = Preventive Rehabilitation, REHAB = Rehabilitation(Credits Rehab Station)

The assessments mainly involve identifying muscle strengths, muscle lengths (flexibility), faulty postures and movement patterns. This can be achieved by performing manual physiotherapy assessment tests, on and off-field tests, posture and movement video analysis.

With the advancement in technology, newer, more sophisticated equipment are available, that provide quantitative data.

As we all know, some injuries are common to a particular sport depending upon the demands, repetitive nature of movement, and position of the player in the sport.

Most of the injuries arise due to the demands of the sport and the training done for the same on and off-field. Since none of the athletes simply trains, there are many demands placed on the body that goes beyond the sport.

Let us consider an example of bowlers in cricket. The demands placed on the bowler are significantly different when you are a fast bowler and a spin bowler. The injuries that could arise due to the demands of bowling and off-field training also vary.

This makes the work of sports physiotherapists more challenging as they have to customise programs for each player separately!

What are the benefits of Sports Physiotherapy?

• Sports physiotherapists help minimize the risk of overuse injuries. Suppose you are a footballer, you are most likely to injure your knee ligaments (the most common being the Anterior Cruciate Ligament [ACL]).
• A sports physiotherapist will help you reduce the chances of developing a tear in this ligament.
• They will do so by strengthening your appropriate group of muscles and lengthening the others to bring about a biomechanically correct movement with lesser loads on the ligament. This, in turn, will help you to increase the length of time you can perform well on the field!
• To execute it in a better way, the modern approach is to develop a structured exercise plan that includes working on your weaknesses all the while aiming to maintain your strengths. The structured exercise plans consist of adequate proportions of strength, flexibility, endurance and balance, just like in a balanced diet. We all know there is no alternative to exercises.
• A sports physiotherapist specializes in planning an effective ‘return to sports training’ that helps an athlete return on the field after an injury. This program also helps reduce the incidence of re-injury to reduce dropout rates.
• Post an extensive rehabilitation program; the sports physiotherapist focuses on incorporating sports specific and goal-oriented drills in the plan of care. 
• Sports-specific routines mainly contain exercises that mimic the whole or a part of the movement necessary in the respective game. The sports-specific movements are reanalysed to bring about pattern correction.
• These seemingly minor corrections are essential to reduce the risk of injury. Especially in sports with tremendous repetitive movements like cycling, swimming, running (track and field), etc., correction of the faulty pattern becomes crucial to prevent injuries. Pattern corrections in such events also help enhance performance by changing muscle efficiency.
  
  

  Frequently Asked Questions

What is physiotherapy treatment?

The aim of physiotherapy is to improve quality of life and enhance performance. Sports physiotherapy treatment includes healing, minimising, and preventing the risk of sports injuries, disorders or diseases.

What happens at physiotherapy?

Sports Physiotherapy includes using methods like massage, physical activity, and manipulation among others to heal and prevent injuries. It also includes a structured exercise plan to strengthen weak muscles and ligaments prone to injuries.

What are the benefits of physiotherapy?

A sports physiotherapist not only specialises in treating injuries but also planning an effective ‘return to sports training’ to help reduce the incidence of re-injury. Sports physiotherapists also help minimise the risk of overuse injuries.

Suppose you are a footballer, you are most likely to injure your knee ligaments (the most common being the Anterior Cruciate Ligament [ACL]). A sports physiotherapist will help you reduce the chances of developing a tear in this ligament.

What is Rehab Station?

REHAB STATION is a sport and musculoskeletal centric physiotherapy lab, situated in the heart of Pune city. We, the physiotherapists at REHAB STATION, strive to ensure that we live up to the statement that defines an ideal sports physiotherapist.

“Prevention is better” than cure is the least applied phrase in the modern world. REHAB STATION aims at spreading awareness regarding Preventive Rehabilitation. We, as sports physiotherapists, can help you prevent injury and overcome the plateau in your performance!