Sports physiotherapy
What is sports physiotherapy?
Sports physiotherapy is the efficient and specific treatment of recreational sports and athletes of all levels. Whether you are young or old, physiotherapy can be an excellent solution to help you heal or prevent an injury related to the sports you practice.
Several treatment modalities can be used including: joint mobilizations, muscle and myofascial release, subdermal needling (or dry needling), taping, exercise programs, correction of certain movements related to your sport, and much more!
Why consult a sports physiotherapist?
There are many reasons to consult in sports physiotherapy. Whether it is for prevention, following a trauma, before and after surgery, to promote an effective return to sport, to heal a recent or recurring injury, to improve technique, etc.
Examples of problems treated in sports physiotherapy
- Muscle pain
- Ligament sprains
- Ligament instability
- Concussion
- Chronic pain related to sports
- Injuries related to poor training techniques
- Overtraining injuries
- Tendinopathies
How does a sports physiotherapy assessment session work?
First, the physiotherapist performs a subjective assessment of the patient by asking them several questions related to their injuries and sports.
The physiotherapist then assesses various objective aspects related to the patient’s injury such as peripheral and central nervous system integrity, joint mobility, muscle strength, muscle control, muscle tension, joint stability and neural mobility, among others. The physiotherapist may also perform a more specific assessment related to the patient’s sport, such as a running pattern assessment or the evaluation of specific movements related to the sport.
At the end of the session, the physiotherapist explains the analysis of the evaluation to the patient and proposes a treatment plan while giving advice related to the sport the patient practices. An exercise program adapted to the patient is also provided. Finally, when time permits, the physiotherapist begins the treatment by using the different techniques learned, which will be applied in greater depth during the subsequent treatment sessions.