Sport Injury Physiotherapy

Injuries occur in any sport, regardless of whether it is practised professionally or as an amateur. The main reasons can be:

• Fall, impact
• Insufficient warm-up or no warm-up at all
• No stretching
• Wrong technique
• Overloads
• Too short regeneration period
• Underestimated weight

It is crucial for us to know what to do in the event of an injury and how to prevent it in the future. In acute conditions, you need to focus on relieving the pain and maintaining function. The implementation of the Peace & Love method is helpful in this:

• P – protect
• E – elevate
• A – avoid anti-inflammatory modalities
• C – compress
• E – educate

• L – load
• O – optimism
• V – vascularisation
• E – exercise

The best option is to see a physical therapist who will assess the severity of the injury. He will perform lymphatic drainage to reduce swelling, establish an exercise program to strengthen the muscles, improve range of motion, and restore impaired function. He will re-teach the correct movement patterns and enhance the proprioception. He will intervene to support regeneration and return to physical activity using lymphatic drainage, irradiation with a Bioptron lamp, using ultrasound or magnetron.

The therapist will also provide information and tips on preparing and starting a new physical activity (e.g. motor preparation for skiing before going to the mountains). They will show you how to properly warm-up before training and muscle relaxation after it, which will prevent injuries.

The most common injuries are:

• Runner/jumper’s knee
• Sprain / strain, e.g. ankle
• Swimmer’s shoulder
• Tennis / golfer’s elbow
• Inflammation, rupture of tendons / ligaments
• Carpal tunnel syndrome

We must be aware that each trauma is different. The regeneration process is different for everyone. Our ailments are a complex problem. Therefore, the therapy covers the entire body, not only the place of the injury.

The 2019 research by Chen. ET. and al. concerned ankle joint injury. After an ankle sprain, the most beneficial intervention is an individual rehabilitation program, implemented as soon as possible.

Neuromuscular training and balance exercises support the return to sport. Manual therapy reduces pain and significantly improves stride length.

Dr Kotler et al. showed that overload has a large impact on injuries in cyclists. A poorly selected bike has an effect on pain in the knees, hips, and forearms. Correction of muscle balance disorders protects against injuries.

The work of Acevedo R. and others, published in 2014, describes the need for a comprehensive training approach to athletes. A good solution is a diverse exercise program tailored to the sport performed, the application of strength training, aerobic and pro-receptive or equivalent exercises. It is essential to teach the correct technique used in a given sport.