Post-Injury Recovery: Why Sports Physiotherapy Is Key for Athletes in Edmonton

Athletes must be physically and mentally healthy to perform optimally in their chosen sports. However, this may not always be possible due to sports injuries they may suffer while playing. Sports injuries are damage to the bones and soft tissues of the body that occur due to accidents during sports and physical activities. Sometimes, these injuries may be so severe that they even limit the ability of such athletes to perform their normal daily activities comfortably. If these sports injuries are not properly cared for, they may lead to further complications and reduce the athlete’s quality of life. Hence, there is a need for sports physiotherapy for post-injury recovery. 

Sports physiotherapy is a branch concerned with preventing, treating, and managing sports injuries in athletes of all ages. For athletes, injuries can be challenging, as they may face numerous setbacks trying to recover while maintaining top performance. However, sports physiotherapy can ensure quick and proper recovery and restore mobility and physical function. This article will explore various sports injuries and how sports physiotherapy at Vira Physiotherapy can help.

What Are Sports Injuries?

Sports injuries refer to muscle, bone, and soft tissue damage that may commonly occur during athletic activities, due to accidents like collision, trauma to the body, falls, excessive force, etc. There are 2 major types of sports injuries, depending on how long they take to develop, severity, and healing duration. These include:

• Acute sports injuries: These types of sports injuries occur suddenly and can be traced to a particular cause. They are caused by unexpected events and can cause severe pain and discomfort. Acute injuries are typically easier to treat and have shorter recovery periods. 

• Chronic sports injuries: This type of injury develops over time due to wear and tear from repetitive motion or overuse. They may also be caused by using the wrong equipment or improper technique during exercise or athletic activities. This type of injury may be persistent or recurring over a long period. Chronic injuries are the most common type of sports injury and they take longer to heal.

Regardless of their type, sports injuries cause pain and may limit an athlete’s mobility and physical function. These negative effects of sports injuries can put athletes on the sidelines in their chosen sports and even affect their performance in daily activities. Since athletes are constantly expected to turn out high performances, they may be pressured to return quickly, leading to a risk of re-injury. However, sports physiotherapy can aid full recovery from sports injuries and reduce the risk of re-injury. Common sports injuries that sports physiotherapy can address include:

• Strains and sprains: The body is full of soft tissues that connect one organ to another. An example of a soft tissue is the tendon that connects the muscle to the bone or other structures. A strain occurs when this soft tissue becomes damaged from a twist, pull, or tear due to repetitive motion or overexertion. On the other hand, a sprain is the stretching or tearing of the ligament (bands of tissues that connect the bones and other organs). Athletes may commonly develop a sprain in their ankles, wrists, or knees due to trauma or excessive force. 

• Dislocation: This injury occurs due to an abnormal separation of two or more bones in a joint. A joint holds two or more bones together, allowing movement and other physical functions. However, falls, direct blows to the joints, and other forceful actions can cause a bone to slip out of its natural position. Dislocations are very painful and may cause swelling, discoloration, numbness, and a tingling sensation. You may also experience limited mobility and physical function.

• Rotator cuff injury: The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons surrounding the shoulder joint to keep your shoulder stable and allow you to move your arm. However, you may damage these muscles and tendons through inflammation if you overuse them or sustain sudden injury. Rotator cuff injury causes severe pain and weakness in the shoulder, making it difficult to lift the arm. 

• Ligament tears: A ligament is a band of tissue made of collagen and elastic fibers that connect the bones, joints, and other organs to enable range of motion, mobility, and physical function. However, these ligaments are susceptible to tears due to twists and overextension during athletic activities. Athletes may commonly tear their anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament tears. These ligament tears occur when the knee is twisted or overextended from a sudden change of direction or wrong landing. 

• Achilles tendinitis: The Achilles tendon is a fibrous connective tissue connecting the calf muscles to the heel bone at the back of the leg. The Achilles is the largest tendon in the human body you use it to walk, run, jump, and perform other activities with your feet. However, when overused, the Achilles tendon may stretch, tear, or become irritated, causing severe pain and discomfort. 

Other sports injuries that sports therapy can treat include shin splints, bone fractures, bursitis, tendinitis, tennis elbow, etc. 

What Does Sports Physiotherapy Entail?

Sports physiotherapy is a specialized type of physiotherapy that focuses on diagnosing, treating, rehabilitating, and preventing sports-related injuries. Sports therapists work closely with athletes of all ages and levels to ensure they turn out the best athletic performance while minimizing their risk of injury. If athletes get injured, sports physiotherapists at Edmonton, AB, ensure that they recover faster and better to compete again in no time

Why is Sports Physiotherapy Important For Athletes in Edmonton, AB?

The following are the goals of sports physiotherapy that make it key for athletes in Edmonton, AB:

• Pain management: Sports injuries are accompanied by severe pain and discomfort that may frustrate athletes. However, sports physiotherapists can combine several pain management techniques to relieve and manage pain from sports injuries. Pain management can promote faster healing of sports injuries.

• Injury management: Acute and chronic sports injuries limit mobility and physical function, preventing athletes from participating in athletic activities. Sometimes, these sports injuries make it more difficult to participate even in daily activities. However, sports physiotherapists employ several therapeutic techniques to treat and manage sports injuries and their symptoms. 

• Rehabilitation: Sports injuries may alter an athlete’s biomechanics and ultimately limit their ability to perform as they used to if they are not treated properly. However, sports physiotherapy ensures safe and effective recovery from injuries for athletes through comprehensive rehabilitation programs.

• Performance enhancement: Sports physiotherapy can improve an athlete’s performance before and after an injury. Sports physiotherapy helps athletes achieve this by improving their strength, agility, flexibility, and overall fitness.

• Improvement of overall quality of life: Sports therapy may promote a sedentary lifestyle due to the pain and limited mobility and function it causes. These negative effects can be frustrating for athletes, subsequently reducing their overall quality of life. However, sports injuries treatment promotes an active lifestyle to ensure that athletes maintain and improve their quality of life. 

Some common techniques that sports physiotherapists may employ during sports injury treatment may include:

• Manual therapy (Joint mobilization, soft tissue and deep tissue massage, dry needling, etc).
• Exercise therapy
• Electrotherapy (Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, ultrasound therapy, laser therapy, etc).
• Other modalities

Conclusion

Sports physiotherapy plays an essential role in recovering from sports injuries. Therefore, if you suffer from sports injuries, consider undergoing sports physiotherapy at Vira Physiotherapy in Edmonton, AB.