Outline
- Understanding physiotherapy
- Who is an athlete?
- Common athlete injuries that require physiotherapy
- Can physiotherapy enhance an atheist performance
- Summary
- Reference
Understanding physiotherapy;
Physiotherapy is a health profession that adopts a holistic approach to restore movement and function when an athlete gets affected by injury, illness, or disability.
Physiotherapy helps through physical rehabilitation, injury prevention, health promotion, and fitness.
A physiotherapist will involve you directly in every stage of the treatment. Physiotherapy management variation depends on history, age, occupation, and your biggest desire or outcome expectations. 1
Who is an Athlete?
The American Heart Association defines an athlete as “someone who takes part in a team or individual sport that requires regular competition against other people as an essential component and sets significant emphasis on excellence and achievement, requiring a degree of structured training (usually severe).”
Different Types Of Athletes;
- Elite athletes are those whose athletic performance has reached the highest level of competition and who exercise for more than 10 hours per week.
- Competitive athletes are those who exercise for more than 6 hours per week with an emphasis on enhancing performance;
- Recreational athletes exercise for more than 4 hours per week for unrestricted competitions.
Exerciser engages in more than 2.5 hours per week of physical activity. Their primary goal is to maintain health and fitness. 2
Common athlete injuries that require physiotherapy;
Athletes may get injured while participating in organized sports, contests, practice sessions, or fitness activities.
Some high-injury risks sports are Football, basketball, cricket, volleyball, and tennis.
Sports injuries can affect bones, soft tissues (ligaments, muscles, and tendons), or other organs like the heart, lungs, and eyes.
They occur due to acute (immediate) trauma or repetitive stress brought on by sports activity.
The most common types of injuries are;
- Strains,
- Sprains,
- Fractures,
- Shin Splints.
- Tennis elbow.
- Back and neck pain.
- Concussions (Head injury)
- Rotator cuff injuries. (Shoulder injury)
- Injuries to the spinal cord, internal organs, and brain
- Knee injury (e.g. ACL tear, Patellofemoral syndrome, etc.) 3
Can physiotherapy enhance an atheist’s performance?
Yes, physiotherapy can improve an athlete’s performance. The physiotherapists who work with athletes are called sports physiotherapists.
The essential role of the sports physiotherapist is to provide treatment and rehabilitation of injuries.
Physiotherapists are essential in solving sports-related issues involving an athlete’s physical and mental health. Effective treatment and structuring of athletes’ expectations depend on a solid athlete-physiotherapist relationship.
Physiotherapy aims to increase body capacity rather than return athletes to normal function. The sports physiotherapist improves performance in addition to restoring function by improving posture and balance, increasing strength and endurance, reducing recovery time between workouts, and increasing overall athleticism. 4
Other Benefits of Physiotherapy for Athletes
Athletes can reap various advantages from physiotherapy. Here are some of the significant benefits.:
- Improved Mobility: Physiotherapists employ various methods to increase the movement in muscles and joints.
- Pain Relief: For athletes, pain relief is crucial. Physiotherapists can target painful regions with particular treatments that can help ease discomfort. 6
- Rehabilitation After Injury: Injured athletes require physiotherapy as a rehabilitation program for speedy recovery.
- Reduced Risk Of Future Injury: Regular physiotherapy sessions that teach you how to defend yourself against future sports-related injuries.
- Mental Health Benefits: You can stay focused on your goals by learning better strategies to manage stress related to athletic performance.
- Increased Self-Confidence: Physiotherapists assist athletes in enhancing their self-confidence by teaching them the correct techniques to use their bodies during physical activities. 5
Summary
Sports physiotherapy helps athletes stay healthy and on top of their game. They teach athletes how to prevent injuries and improve their performance. When an athlete has an injury, physiotherapy techniques promote healing and aim to return the athlete to the field as a better performer. Athletes need physiotherapy to perform better.
References
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/physiotherapy/#:~:text=Physiotherapy%20helps%20to%20restore%20movement,directly%20in%20their%20own%20care.
- Campa, F., & Coratella, G. (2021). Athlete or Non-athlete? This Is the Question in Body Composition. Frontiers in physiology, 12, 814572. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.814572
- Maffulli, N., Longo, U. G., Gougoulias, N., Caine, D., & Denaro, V. (2011). Sport injuries: a review of outcomes. British medical bulletin, 97(1), 47-80.
- https://www.physio-pedia.com/The_Role_of_the_Sports_Physiotherapist#cite_note-:1-1
- Dhaliwal, A. K., Kaur, M. A., & Hitesh, D. A. (2022). Role Of Physiotherapy on Physical and Mental Health of The Athlete-A Review Paper. Journal of Positive School Psychology, 6401-6408.
- https://bodymotionsphysio.com/blog-post/understanding-chronic-and-acute-pain/
