sports physiotherapy

Physical injury can occur in a wide variety of circumstances, but with the fast movement, use of equipment and contact between players the risk of injury playing sports is higher. Sports injury rehabilitation is a major field of care covered by physiotherapy and we have experienced specialists who can treat you.

sporting injuries

TRICEPS MUSCLE TEAR

A brief description of the condition.
Triceps muscle present back side of the arm. This the condition where there is inflammation of triceps muscle due to tear in muscle belly or tendon tear. Occur due to overpressure, repeated movements, weight bearing abnormal movement. Most common in sports persons.

Symptoms of those condition.
Swelling
Pain starts Suddenly…
Bruising (discoloration of skin)
Weakness (unable to lift weights. or movement difficulty)

Causes
Lifting heavy weights repeatedly
Elbow straightening against resistance
Sports persons (tennis, throwers, baseball, hammering, bench presses, and gymnastics)

4. Physiotherapy Treatment.
Cryotherapy and moist heat
Ultrasound
Joint mobilisation
Strengthening protocol
wax therapy

WRIST FRACTURE

Introduction
A wrist fracture can be easily described as a broken wrist. The wrist is made up of
small bones having connection with the two long bones in the forearm(radius and
ulna). severity of the fractures may differ .some fractures may shatter into many
pieces may making the bone unstable.

Symptoms
pain and swelling are the first symptoms making, it hard to move or use the hand and
wrist. The wrist or hand may look deformed. The fingers tingle or feel numb at the tip
in some cases.

Causes
An injury such as falling down onto an outstretched hand. Severe trauma such as car
or motorcycle accidents or falls from a ladder cause this injury. Weak bones (
osteoporosis) tend to break more easily.
Conservative treatments
A padded splint is worn at first in order to align the bones and support the wrist.
Fractures can be fixed with many devices such as Pins, screws, plates, rods or external
fixation.

Physiotherapy treatment
During recovery, it is necessary to keep the fingers moving hence keep them from
getting stiff. Hand therapy is often helpful to recover motion, strength and function.
Wax therapy,ultrasound for scar , mobilization and active and passive movement.

HIP MUSCLE STRAIN

A brief description of the condition.
Hip muscles are more responsible for weight bearing, stability
during walking, running and all day to day activities...which
may get fatigue due to repeated stressful activities. Sudden
catch of muscles… Overweight, weakness, fall or direct blow
on hip...leads to hip strain...

Symptoms of those condition.
 Sudden onset of pain
 Movement restriction (feeling difficulty to move limb)
 Discomfort can be felt around hip
 Pain up to knee or ankle
 Tenderness
 Swelling
 Stiffness

Causes
 Trauma
 Forceful contact during sports
 Overuse of muscle leads to Weakness of muscles
 Abnormal postures...

Physiotherapy Treatment.
 Moist heat and ice packs
 Tens
 Isometric exercises
 Strengthening protocol (Thera band)
 IFT
 Kinesiotaping .

SWIMMER'S KNEE

Introduction

Swimmers knee refers to pain in knee joint especially in medial side due to strain in medial collateral ligament usually as a result of
breaststroke swimming technique .It is also known as ‘breaststroke knee’ because it is most commonly developed during this stroke while
swimming.

Causes
The most common cause is poor experience of swimmers, performing the whip -kick movement during breaststroke put too much pressure on this ligament. Swimmer’s knee can occur experienced one due to overuse.

Symptoms
Main cause is pain in the knee which will worsen during physical exertion. Other symptoms may include swelling and reduced mobility, swimmer loses ability to swim quickly, Decreases flexibility, redness, bruising, tingling , numbness of thigh and muscle spasm.

Treatment
Minor discomfort is treated with increased warm up sessions and reducing the intensity. Stretching and strengthening exercises will increase muscle strength. conditioning exercises, Restoring Range of motion of knee joint, Ice, Home exercises program.
How do you prevent swimmer’s knee

Learning the correct technique during each stroke will prevent this condition. But additionally, it can be prevented by specific stretches and exercises through warm up and cool down sessions.

FOOTBALLER'S ANKLE

Introduction
A footballer’s ankle medically seen as an anterior ankle impingement, happening when the ligaments and tendons in the ankle get pinched .The pinching of the ligaments or tendons comes about from excessive bending, kicking, or stretching of the foot, which, in turn, leads to severe pain, swelling, and inflammation.

Symptoms
● Pain on the front-outside part of ankle and continues even after ankle has healed ,Pain lifting, foot up, when using stairs. walking or running uphill, or squatting low
● Weakness in ankle(s)
● Less range of motion when moving toes upward
● Feeling tenderness when you touching ankle

Causes
Footballer's ankle is caused by any activity that requires repetitive and forced,upwards pointing
your foot (dorsiflexion) Conservative treatments anti-inflammatory medications can be prescribed to athletes to relieve pain and swelling.

Physiotherapy treatment
● Icing the ankle to reduce swelling and inflammation
● A cast or brace, or an alternative shoes for support for ankle and controls movement
● Modalities and exercises to help improve your range of motion, break down bone spurs, and restore overall ankle function .

WHAT IS TERMED AS SPORTS INJURIES?

Recreational physical activities and competitive athletics account for a significant number of injuries. Musculoskeletal injuries are therefore an inevitable result of sport participation. Football has the highest incidence of catastrophic injuries, with cricket, hockey, long jump, etc close behind.

Tissue injury from sports can be classified as macro-traumatic and micro-traumatic.

Macro-traumatic injuries are usually due to a strong force – such as a fall, accident, collision or laceration – and are more common in contact sports such as football and rugby. These injuries can be primary (due to direct tissue damage) or secondary (due to transmission of forces or release of inflammatory mediators and other cytokines).

Micro-traumatic injuries are chronic injuries that result from overuse of a structure such as a muscle, joint, ligament, or tendon. This type of injury is more common in sports such as swimming, cycling and rowing.

This phase lasts approximately 4-6 days. The body's first response to an injury is inflammation. Its main function is to defend the body against harmful substances, dispose of dead or dying tissue and to promote the renewal of normal tissue. The goals during the initial phase of the rehabilitation process include limitation of tissue damage, pain relief, control of the inflammatory response to injury, and protection of the affected anatomical area. The pathological events that take place immediately after the injury could lead to impairments such as muscle atrophy and weakness and limitation in the joint range of motion. These impairments result in functional losses, for example, inability to jump or lift an object. The extent of the functional loss may be influenced by the nature and timing of the therapeutic and rehabilitative intervention during the initial phase of the injury. If functional losses are severe or become permanent, the athlete now with a disability may be unable to participate in his/her sport.

The process of rehabilitation should start as early as possible after an injury and form a continuum with other therapeutic interventions. It can also start before or immediately after surgery when an injury requires a surgical intervention.

HOW DOES SPORTS REHABILITATION HELP IN RECOVERY?

The rehabilitation plan must take into account the fact that the objective of the patient (the athlete) is to return to the same activity and environment in which the injury occurred. Functional capacity after rehabilitation should be the same, if not better, than before injury.

The ultimate goal of the rehabilitation process is to limit the extent of the injury, reduce or reverse the impairment and functional loss, and prevent, correct or eliminate altogether the disability.

The rehabilitation of the injured athlete is managed by a multidisciplinary team with a physician functioning as the leader and coordinator of care. The team includes, but is not limited to, sports physicians, physiatrists (rehabilitation medicine practitioners), orthopaedists, physiotherapists, rehabilitation workers, physical educators, coaches, athletic trainers, psychologists, and nutritionists. The rehabilitation team works closely with the athlete and the coach to establish the rehabilitation goals, to discuss the progress resulting from the various interventions, and to establish the time frame for the return of the athletes to training and competition.

Communication is a vital factor. A lack of communication between medical providers, strength and conditioning specialists and team coaches can slow or prevent athletes from returning to peak capability and increase the risk of new injuries and even more devastating re-injuries.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF SPORTS INJURY REHABILITATION ?

Restoring full function as soon as possible.

A faster recovery and return to sport.

Strengthening weakened muscle groups.

Reducing any pain and inflammation from your injury.

Maintaining cardiovascular fitness whilst you are out of sport.

Minimising the risk of future injuries.

WHAT ARE THE STAGES OF SPORTS REHABILITATION

Phase 1 - Control Pain and Swelling.

Phase 2 - Improve Range of Motion and/or Flexibility.

Phase 3 - Improve Strength & Begin Proprioception/Balance Training.

Phase 4 - Proprioception/Balance Training & Sport-Specific Training.

Phase 5 - Gradual Return to Full Activity.

Bethany Navajeevan Physiotherapy Clinic
& Rehabilitation Centre

'Learn to Heal' with Care & Compassion