Physiotherapy in Sports Injuries

Sports Injuries are Injuries that occur in athletic and sport activities. In most of the cases these types of injuries are due to over use or acute trauma of a part of the body while Participating in a sport activity like running long jump, continous playing of cricket. Tennis etc. Injuries can also occur when some body parts come in contact with hard objects like ball, bat, falling on hard ground etc. This often leads to broken bone, torn ligament, tendon or repeated stress injuries due to over use.

Sports injuries are classified into

• Soft tissue injury
• Hard tissue injury

Also they are classified according to the cause.

• Direct Injury
• Indirect Injury

Management:

The immediate management would be.

• R-Rest
• I-Ice
• C-Compression
• E-Elevation

We at Relive Orthopaedic Physiotherapy & Wellness Clinic aim at relieving pain of the athletic and also train them such that they are able to return to sport activity with full strength endurance and power our management protocol may include.

1. Protection phase
2. Progress return to functional activity.
3. Final Rehabilitation.

1.Protection Phase:

We promote healing in this phase by using modalities like ultra sound, cryotherapy.Adequate rest is given to injured part, meanwhile keeping other parts active by giving exercise which will help in increasing strength & maintain endurance.

2. Progressive return to functional activity:

If the injury is moderate or mild severity, exercise should be started the day following the injury. This may include.

Strength & flexibility:

• To increase the strength & flexibility the following protocol may be followed.
• Isometric resistance exercise with in the available range of motion is given.
• Isotonic exercises with free weights which are increased slowly. In order to prevent edema and soreness which might develop after doing weight lifts.
• The strengthening programme given by us may also include.
• Weight bearing & non weight bearing exercises. Weight training is usually given daily in early stages and as the strength starts to increase it may be given on every alternate day
• Slow static stretching PNF-to gain normal flexibility and joint mobility is also given.

Endurance:

• Endurance training is given between strengthening exercises .this programme includes 30 minutes a day of low load endurance exercises.
• This includes warm up, jogging, cool down, low impact aerobic training etc,

Power:

• Athlete must regain power before returning to competition plyometrics technique is given to increase power. this increase double & single hop, depth jumping. Push up with dap medicine ball circuit training is also given which includes.
• Inclined press up, medicine ball chest pass, sit-ups, abdominal crunches, back extension chest raise, squat jumps, step up, bench squats.

3. Final Rehabilitation:

In final rehabilitation emphasis is given on agility and co ordination. We educate the athlete about prevention, misuse and repeated stress over the injured part and also advice follow up to determine complete healing.

Common Sports injuries treated at Relive Orthopaedic Physiotherapy & Wellness Clinic:

Neck: Cervical fracture (Broken neck) Slipped disc in neck Whiplash.(whiplash associated disorder) Shoulder: Dislocated shoulder Rotator cliff tendonitis Rotator cliff injury (supraspinatus tendinitis) Shoulder bursitis (shoulder impingement syndrome) Hip and thigh: Pulled ham string Hip bursitis Hip labrum tear Thigh muscle strain Calf and shin injuries: Broken leg( tibia and fibula fracture) Compartment syndrome. Hernia and Groin: Abdominal strain Groin strain Osteitis pubis Sacroiliac joint pain

Arm & Elbow: Golfers elbow Broken upper arm Tennis elbow Thumb & wrist: Fracture dislocation of thumbs. Broken wrist Mallet finger (base ball finger) Sprained thumb Wrist arthritis Knee injuries: ACL Knee injury Runner knee'MCL knee ligament injury Osgood schlatters Patella fracture (Broken knee cap) Jumper knee Ankle injuries: Sprained ankle Broken ankle Plantar fasciitis