Physiotherapists play an important role at sports injury clinics, just like one of our 9 locations at Panther Sports Medicine in Calgary, Alberta. A physiotherapist is a specialist in physical rehabilitation and can help guide you back to sport in a safe and timely manner. The goal of physiotherapy is to restore, maintain, and improve your mobility and function. Following a sports-related injury, it is recommended to book an assessment for proper diagnosis and treatment plan options for your return to sport.
It is important to have your condition evaluated by a physiotherapist so they can determine the appropriate course of treatment and safely guide you back to your activities.
Benefits of physiotherapy treatment at a sports injury clinic
Why Physiotherapy following a sports injury?
Physiotherapists provide education for activity modifications and determine the proper conditions for healing. They provide hands-on treatment combined with a gradual return to sport exercises to minimize or prevent an injury. Physiotherapy is a safe approach to help athletes treat pain and return to optimal performance levels post-injury. Your physiotherapist will help determine your appropriate treatment plan whether you can heal with conservative management or whether you require a specialist consultation (such as a sports physician or orthopedic surgeon) for further medical management.
What is Physiotherapy Treatment?
Physiotherapy treatments can include but are not limited to:
- Education on your diagnosis, activity modifications, return to sport timelines, etc.
- Manual therapy
- Intramuscular stimulation (IMS) or Dry Needling
- Acupuncture
- Local therapeutic modalities (i.e. ultrasound, TENs machines)
- Generalized and sport-specific exercises (muscle reconditioning, coordination and proprioceptive training)
- Bracing or taping
Having a physiotherapist guide your therapeutic exercise program is very important. It is important to load the muscles and tendons depending on the stage your injury is at. Your physiotherapist will be able to determine this based on your individual needs. For more information on why exercise is important and how it can assist with your return to sport, please see our Importance of Therapeutic Exercise Provided by a Sports Physiotherapy Clinic blog post. There are numerous treatment plan options for a return to sport, but therapeutic exercise is an essential aspect of your recovery. Specific return to sport exercises for both the high-level athlete or the weekend warrior is imperative in your recovery and a physiotherapist is highly trained to guide you in your recovery.
What are some sports injury conditions that can be treated?
- Acute and chronic sports injuries
- Muscle strains
- Ligament or meniscus sprains (i.e. ACL or MCL injuries of the knee, or ligaments in the ankle)
- Tendon injuries (i.e. tendinitis)
- Dislocations and subluxations
- Bursitis
- Post-surgical muscle, tendon, or ligament repairs (for example, ACL reconstruction, meniscus repairs, rotator cuff repairs, etc.)
This list of sports injury conditions is not exhaustive. If you have an injury and want to determine a diagnosis and the next steps towards reducing your pain, improving your flexibility, strength, and overall function, now is the time to visit a physiotherapist. We have 9 locations throughout Calgary, Alberta and have many sports trained physiotherapists to assist with your goals to recovery.
References
Frontera W.R. (2003). Rehabilitation of Sports Injuries: Scientific Basis. Vol X of Encyclopedia of Sports Medicine. An IOC Medical Committee Publication in collaboration with the International Federation of Sports Medicine. Blackwell Science Ltd. Hall, C. M., & Brody, L. T. (2005). Therapeutic exercise: Moving toward function. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Kisner, C., & Colby, L. A. (2007). Therapeutic exercise: Foundations and techniques (5th ed.). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis.
