Whether you’re an athlete or a regular citizen of the world leading an active lifestyle, sports physiotherapy can provide a wealth of benefits. But what exactly does it entail, and what does it do for you? Let’s find out!
What Is Sports Physiotherapy?
Sports physiotherapy is usually carried out across several sessions with the sole intention of improving an athlete’s performance in their field of sport. While generally popular among athletes, dancers, and those whose field of work require active participation, sports physiotherapy can also be beneficial to the average sports enthusiast.
Sports physiotherapy sessions include an array of activities, which include, but are not limited to:
Initial consultation and discussions
The setting of sports physiotherapy goals
The designing of exercise circuits
The treatment of physical injuries
Further discussions and realignment of goals, if needed
Warm up
Exercises
Cool down
The monitoring of progress
What Is Goal-Based Sports Physiotherapy?
All sports physiotherapy sessions are designed to meet the specific needs and desired goals of individual patients. That’s why it’s of vital importance that all goals are discussed beforehand, so as to allow the physiotherapist to curate and design a treatment plan and exercise circuit to better meet these goals and targets.
You may be asked to reflect on what your personal goals are before your session, so it can be helpful to assess your performance to see what you would like to improve. Physiotherapists are also equipped with the tools, knowledge, and skills to help with assessing your performance, so you’ll be able to talk it through for a more realistic take on how far you can push your body for optimum performance.
What Are Some Commonly-Set Goals?
Many athletes are able to improve their performance on the field with sports physiotherapy. However, the goals of each athlete are defined by their different skills and health levels, as well as the sport in question. In broad strokes, some commonly-set goals among athletes include:
Improvement in speed for running, swimming, et cetera
Improvement in flexibility for optimum movement
Improvement for bursts of energy
Improvement of stamina for prolonged period of exertion
Stabilisation of the core for better balance
Improvement of strength
When Should Someone Engage A Sports Physiotherapist?
Many athletes suffer sports injuries throughout their years on the field. Those seeking non-surgical treatment options may find pain relief and improvement through physiotherapy and chiropractic treatments. Engaging a sports physiotherapist immediately upon suffering an injury can ensure that the injury in question is given immediate treatment. The sports physiotherapist can help by assessing, treating, and further managing the injury, improving the rate of healing and optimising recovery time.
A sports physiotherapist will also be able to provide observations on the athlete’s performance, thereafter providing suggestions on ways to further improve on the field. This is done through corrective exercises for optimising movements, as well as exercises that can help with the athlete’s specific goals.
Engage a sports physiotherapist if you:
Live an active lifestyle and want to improve your performance
Notice imbalances in your sports-related movements
Want tips and advice on how to prevent injury
Have suffered an injury that requires rehabilitation
Want to improve your endurance during sports
Need to strengthen your body for a specific event (a competition, a big hiking trip, et cetera)
And more!
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