How to Prevent Injuries with Physiotherapy
Summer sports are a wonderful way to get fit, enjoy the outdoors and have fun with friends and family. As summer approaches, many of us will be starting new, or restarting our favorite outdoor activities. From hiking and baseball to running marathons and swimming, Physiotherapy is a great way to ensure that you’re in top shape. Most times we find ourselves attending physio following an injury, but taking a proactive approach can be incredibly beneficial for preventing injuries.
By seeing a physiotherapist before you start a new summer activity, you can prepare your body for the specific activity, reduce the risk of injury, and recover quickly from any injuries that do occur. With a thorough assessment of posture, joint range of motion and strength, physiotherapists can identify the common injuries you may be susceptible to, help maximize your performance and prevent future injuries by:
1. Improving Joint Mobility:
Using a wide range of physiotherapy exercises, you can gain greater control over your joint range of motion. This helps to reduce the risk of accidental, uncontrolled or sudden movements which can lead to injury like sprains, dislocations and repetitive strain injuries. Also, having greater control over your joints helps improve overall athletic performance(2).
2. Increasing Your Flexibility:
Physiotherapy can help increase muscle flexibility incrementally, making you less likely to pull, strain or tear a muscle (1).
3. Strengthening Weak Muscles:
Whether it is due to injury or poor biomechanics, weak muscles can cause a number of problems. Physiotherapy is a great way to strengthen the muscles that have become weak over time. Strength is key to joint health and stability and overall athletic performance (1 & 2).
4. Pinpointing Hidden Weak Points:
Oftentimes, people can unknowingly injure the same area of their body repeatedly due to a hidden weak point. Physiotherapy can help to identify these potential weak spots and help to correct any imbalances in your body. By doing this, you can resolve the issue and prevent your body from being vulnerable to future injuries (1).
5. Improving Body Awareness:
To help prevent injury, it is important that you are aware of what is happening to your body in space, also called proprioception. Physiotherapy can help with this by teaching you how to recognize when your body is starting to show signs of strain or fatigue. This can help you to take the necessary steps to avoid injury before it happens (1).
6. Education:
Physiotherapists can educate you about your injuries and their underlying causes. After a thorough health history and physical assessment, they diagnose the injury or biomechanical dysfunctions and from there create a custom plan for you, including recommended exercises, treatments or therapies that can aid any present injuries or prevent them from occurring. Physiotherapists can also recommend patients with various measures they can take to avoid any of the common injuries due to any physical activities or sports (3).
Whether you’re considering visiting a physiotherapist for a pre-summer assessment, or after you’ve sustained an injury, your physiotherapist will diagnose and assess your body and develop a plan tailored to your individual needs.
If you are in need of a Physiotherapist consider checking out the bio and booking a 45 minute or 60 minute assessment with our amazing Physiotherapist Jake Head.
References:
Annuziato Amendola MD et al., Injury Prevention Strategies at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup Display a Multifactorial Approach and Highlight Subjective Wellness Measurements. Journal of ISAKOS. May 2023.
Cannon, J et al.Gluteal activation during squatting reduces contract pressure in persons with femoral acetabular impingement syndrome: A patient-specific finite element analysis. Clinical Biomechanics, Vol 1, 2023. Article 105849
Hancock, Mark J. & McRae, Martin. Adults attending private physiotherapy practices to seek diagnosis, pain relief, improved function, education and prevention: a survey. Journal of Physiotherapy. 2017; 63: 250–256
