Sport Physiotherapy
November 2016 Sport Physiotherapy
There are many aspects of physiotherapy with Sports Physiotherapy being one of the most popular. As the name suggests, this is physiotherapy pertaining to sports. It is a specific skill of the physiotherapist, as it encompasses all the mechanical injuries that occur during our busy lives of sport.
The most common sporting injuries involve the following areas:
- The shoulder joint is such a mobile joint that sacrifices its stability for mobility. As a result, we have a joint that can be moved in many directions which makes it susceptible to many injuries ranging from a dislocation to a tendon strain/tear. All these injuries are serious and need professional input by a physiotherapist to be rehabilitated in order to relieve pain and improve function.
- The knee joint works so hard to help keep us upright and ambulate/run from place to place. Two main problems can occur with knee, namely, a meniscus (cartilage) tear or a ligament tear. Whilst there are varying levels of injury to these structures, physiotherapy input may be the difference between surgery or not.
- The common ankle ligament sprain is synonymous in most households and frequently sustained playing football, basketball and netball to name a few sports. Whilst these injuries can be trivial at times, its imperative to rehabilitate this as subsequent tears can lead to further loosening of the ligament resulting in instability and osteoarthritis.