What is sports physiotherapy?
Sports physiotherapy encompasses a wide range of services and treatments performed by physiotherapists to prevent, treat and rehabilitate sports injuries.
Why is it performed?
Sports injuries are very common in both professional and amateur athletes. Sports physiotherapy techniques can be useful in treating a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions, including sports injuries.
Some of the injuries that Sports Physiotherapy can treat, among many others, are:
- Ankle sprains
- Tendon strains
- Tennis elbow
- Knee injuries
Anyone who plays any sport, at any level, can benefit from Sports Physiotherapy. Even patients without injuries can benefit from the physiotherapist’s advice to prevent injuries and improve performance. While a general physiotherapist can help the patient achieve his or her goals in daily life, the sports physiotherapist can specifically discuss how to continue playing sports in the best possible way.
What does this involve?
The physiotherapist will treat the patient’s injury with exercises that will improve core stability and mobility. A sports massage will also be applied to accelerate recovery and the patient will be taught how to apply it himself or herself afterwards, when training. In addition to treating the injuries themselves, sports physiotherapists can also give advice on how to avoid future injuries and evaluate specific sports (such as golf or cycling, for example), to analyze limiting factors in the patient’s performance, as well as recommend a progressive exercise program for improvement.
Preparation for sports physiotherapy
No specific preparation for sports physiotherapy is necessary. It may be advisable, however, to wear comfortable sports clothes to the consultation, as you may have to do exercises.
Care after the intervention
Normally no aftercare is required after the intervention. At most, the physiotherapist may recommend applying cold or heat to an area, as well as an ointment or cream.