Role of Physiotherapy in sports

Sports involves rigorous motion of the body. The continuous action of the body at times creates stress that’s why a sportsperson needs conditioning of the body. But sports has one integral aspect without which a sportsperson will never be able to grow- PAIN. It is certain that an athlete will get hurt while being in the field. That’s why you see athletes rushing to a nice sports injury treatment center whenever they experience sudden uneasiness. The thing is, even players are aware these days as to what should be the best options for them. Physiotherapy is a non-invasive treatment technique that’s focused on strengthening the body and eliminating pain with a total hands-on approach.

You might have seen professional sports teams and clubs have physios who tenaciously observe the physical capabilities of each player so that when they need any physical guidance, they are always there to help. Physios have years of theoretical and practical knowledge of athletes of all level be it intermediary, state, national or international level. Even till the last century, players used to visit an orthopaedist for treatment of muscle and bone injury. This was because the awareness wasn’t there. Nowadays, physios work extensively with sportspersons and prepare their body in advance so that they can avoid certain jerky actions during the game or if any involuntary actions hamper their bodies, physios make sure, they recover very quickly.

People living in cities have this merit of visiting a physiotherapist centre in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata or other metropolitans. Sports injuries are very different from everyday injuries as the body of normal being and an athlete is quite different both externally and internally. The latter is more in need than anyone else. A player will follow the exercise chart consulted by the physiotherapist more than a regular guy because it’s something he/she does as a routine and will be able to conform to it more easily than anyone else. It is also necessary to understand that athletes have a completely different mindset which reflects in their perception of day to day things.

How sports physios deal with injured players

Following are some common practices which sports physios practice with professionals

Hot and Cold Packs- These traditional pack methods are extremely useful when a player has some sort of cramp or dislocation which leaves a severe pain to live with. Ice packs are usually recommended by physios for fresh wounds where there are chances of swelling. The ice helps to lower the swelling and the temperature which reduces the impact of the pain. Hot/heat packs, on the other hand, have more of an internal effect. It is used to lower the pain of the joint or the muscles and loosen the stiffness of the muscles.

Strengthening exercises and ROM- The strengthening exercises given to a sports guy/girl are different and more rigorous than prescribed to a normal person. These are used to increase strength with the ever-effective ROM (Range Of Motion) techniques in order to maintain the body flexibility and resistivity power of the joints.

TENS- Since athletes and players are in need of a more advanced physiotherapy technique, this is one method that defines it. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator or TENS as it is acrynoymed, is an important method to provide temporary relief to severe pain in the joints and muscles. The therapy includes the use of low-voltage electric currents produced via a device where they pass through nerve fibres thwarting the pain receptors to be sent into the brain.

Stretching and massage- Stretching and massaging are perfect for muscles. Especially after a tiring sporting event, even a player needs to relax his muscles, and such exercises help him/her to loosen up and become more comfortable so that he/she is not tired for the following day.

So now you are through with the basic set of differences between physiotherapy for sports and a normal being. Although one thing is for sure- it serves as a better alternative to surgical operations due to its non-invasive technique.

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