What Is Sports Rehabilitation?

Sports rehabilitation is a multi-disciplinary approach used to treat injuries sustained through sports participation so the athlete can regain normal pain-free mobility. The primary goal is to return to pre injury activities, whether the athlete is a professional, amateur or casual player. The most common injuries treated are sprains and strains. A sprain is an injury to the ligaments caused by over stretching or tearing. A strain, on the other hand, is an injury or tear to the muscle itself.

How Can Sports Rehabilitation Help?

Sports rehabilitation typically begins with a pain management treatment program, some modalities utilised for pain relief include ice or heat application as well as osteopathic and massage techniques.

A big component of sports rehabilitation involves a stretching and exercise routine. Stretching assists the muscles shortened by injury or pain to regain its normal length to optimise pain-free motion. Exercise routines encompass things like strength, endurance, flexibility and balance to improve performance. The final progression of the exercise routine is the utilisation of functional exercises to help return the athlete to his/her former performance level. Functional exercises are often sport-specific.

Whilst athletic trainers can often supply immediate intervention of an injury. They can also be an integral part of the healing process and the prevention of further injury. An osteopathic therapist can supply the manual techniques to assist in the recovery of movement as well as the pain relief required for optimal participation in the sport.

Today many sports rehabilitation programs utilise osteopaths. An osteopath is a healthcare professional trained in the manipulation of the spine and other joints in the body, along with manual soft tissue techniques to aid in the recovery back to pre-injury performance. Most osteopaths are also trained in exercise and stretching techniques.

Sports rehabilitation begins with the treatment of the acute injury. It then follows the athlete through every step of recovery. From pain relief to optimising muscle length to returning to pre-injury performance to injury prevention, sports rehabilitation is a comprehensive rehab program that focuses on every facet of pain-free, effective, sports-specific motion.

If you are unsure whether sports rehabilitation is the right treatment approach for your specific complaint, feel free to contact me here for free advice.