Sports physiotherapy is similar to normal physiotherapy regarding the structures and tissues we treat. For example, treating a hamstring torn by overstretching whilst gardening is really the same as a hamstring torn by playing football. You do not need to be a professional athlete to require sports physio – it is more about the type of injury than the person who’s sustained it. A recreational runner will get just as much benefit from coming to see us as a professional will.
However, the main difference between ‘normal’ physio and ‘sports physio’ is that to rehabilitate a sportsperson back to full fitness, we need the experience, knowledge and understanding of the requirements of that sport. For example, football requires a lot of changes of direction and changes in pace; rugby requires more contact; Olympic weightlifting requires a lot of shoulder stability and CrossFit and Hyrox require everything!
Common injuries include:
- sprains and strains
- trauma
- joint injuries
- spinal injuries
- shoulder injuries
- fractures
- dislocations
- overuse injuries
- torn muscles
We have to use our knowledge of strength and conditioning and fitness to get the athlete match fit again. This will quite often see us doing on-location appointments at the gym with patients or heading outside to work on running techniques or plyometric drills.
We know how to get sports injuries better and can advise on how to continue training whilst recovering. We can also develop strength and conditioning programmes to work on any weaknesses or components of the sport that need improvement. Running is a large component of most sports and so athletes will usually benefit from our ‘Running Gait Analysis’ service too.
In addition to this, we have access to all the latest equipment to treat these injuries quickly and successfully, including the K-Laser machine and shockwave therapy.
Most people with sports injuries will require an initial consultation followed by 6 – 10 follow-ups. These will usually take place over 12 weeks but can take longer for things like ACL surgery recovery.
