Whether you are a professional sportsperson or preparing for a weekend sporting event, incurring injuries while playing sports or exercising can be frustrating for both the athlete or the team they are playing for.
Sporting injuries do differ from our day-to-day injuries. Sport often demands high-level performance and a test on endurance that demands athletes to push their own physical limits. This creates a lot of stress and exhaustion on an athlete’s body impacting their muscles, bones, joints and their overall health.
This is where sports physiotherapy comes into action.
What is sports physiotherapy?
This specialised branch of physiotherapy involves the use of various techniques including evidence-based approaches to prevent and manage injuries resulting from sports and exercise.
Sports physiotherapy helps sports players or elite athletes to perform at their best.
It provides a variety of services to manage a wide range of sports injuries and related health issues as well as prescribing exercise programs that utilises mobilisation, strengthening and cardiovascular training.
What do sports physiotherapists do?
As we play a wide variety of sports in Townsville, sports physiotherapists play a vital role in providing the advice, rehabilitation and training intervention to prevent injuries, restore functionality and contribute to enhancing performances for sports players.
Sports and exercise physiotherapists work in a variety of settings from being working in private practices like STRIVE Physiotherapy to being involved with elite sports teams and athletes.
Sports physiotherapy requires additional expertise and education to provide the best care services for athletes. However, they don’t only treat high-level athletes, they can help people from all walks of life. They undergo extensive training in treating injuries from a variety of sports and are accredited by the Physiotherapy Broad of Australia. They must also hold a current membership from the Australian Physiotherapy Association to practice sports physiotherapy.
What techniques Sports physiotherapists use?
While evaluating and creating a treatment plan, a sports physiotherapist can use certain techniques or a combination of techniques to treat and rehabilitate an injury. The techniques can involve:
- Acupuncture
- Bodywork
- Exercise prescription
- Manipulation
- Massage
- Patient education
- Mobilisation
- Strength training
- Stretching
- Taping
What are the different roles of a sports physiotherapist?
When you sustain an injury playing sport, your sports physio will create a management plan to help you return to your sport while ensuring you’re at the minimum risk of reinjury and helping to enhance your performance.
1. Injury Management
Sports physiotherapists carry out an initial assessment of your condition and your overall health to assess the intensity of the injury. They assess the risk of injury associated with participation in a specific sport or physical activity.
They help in identifying areas of weakness and inflammation that can otherwise lead to injury.
They are also well equipped to inform and train any sports players so that further injuries do not occur.
2. Sports Rehabilitation
Sports physios are focused to develop one-on-one training plans specific to a patient’s requirement. Furthermore, they are skilled to implement evidence-based interventions that aim to strengthen bones, ligaments, joints and muscles.
3. Performance Enhancement
Sports physio can also contribute to enhancing an athlete’s performance by advising and optimising performance in a wide variety of sports.
They use a combination of physical therapy, training and coaching to help perform better at sports.
At our Townsville Sports Physiotherapy Clinic
Our sports physio team are qualified and trained to provide assistance with a wide range of sports including:
- Athletics
- Rugby League
- Aussie Rules Football
- Soccer
- Cricket
- Golf
- Hockey
- Netball
- Swimming
- Surfing
- Tennis
We also tailor all our services according to your requirements to provide the best results throughout your treatment. If you are concerned about your health, get in touch with our team. You can avail of online booking or alternatively call us at (07) 4773 6133 for further information.
