SPORTS REHABILITATION

Sport Rehabilitators help people suffering from pain, injury, or illness involving the musculoskeletal system. They help people of all ages to maintain their health and fitness, recover from and prevent injury and reduce pain using exercise, movement, and manual based therapeutic interventions.

Basically, there are 5 stages of sports rehabilitation

• Reduction of pain and swelling.
• Restoration of joint mobility and range of motion
• Recovery of muscle strength and endurance.
• Recovery of co-ordination.
• Recovery of sport-specific technical movements. 
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  Sports Rehabilitation is the process of deciding when an injured player may safely return to practice or competition. Injuries can occur in any sporting activity, and sports injury rehabilitation is a very important part of the athletes' sports life. All athletes over time, professional or not, are prone to injuries due to the excessive wear and tear associated with the demands of competitive sport. The right exercise program to maintain strength, flexibility, and stability can help athletes recover quickly after an injury, empowering them to resume athletic activities.

  The main goal is to return an injured player to training or competition without putting the individual or others at undue risk of injury or re-injury. Physical therapists are the professionals capable of using a safe, evidence-based and educated approach to this challenge.

• Physical Therapy – The Right Choice

  A physical therapist is a healthcare professional with extensive training in the musculoskeletal system. The therapist can work closely with athletes to assess muscle imbalance, range of motion, and functional requirements of that particular sport. For example, a baseball pitcher may need a shoulder stabilization program and a basketball player may need speed and plyometrics (explosive strength) training program. The physical therapist can evaluate, identify, and plan a sport-specific injury rehabilitation program.

  As part of the treatment process, a therapist will prescribe an exercise program consisting of stretching (to improve mobility) and exercises (to improve strength). The goal of physical therapy is to reduce pain and improve function as quickly as possible. Along with exercise, rest is an important part of the recovery process. The physical therapist will help you to balance rest and exercise to recover the best way from whatever sports injury you have.

  This sports rehabilitation process is criteria driven (not time driven). You must achieve certain levels of physical ability, criteria before you can progress through the stages. You will be treated according to the various Phase of the injury process you are in at the time of coming to the clinic and your rehabilitation process will begin there

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The growing popularity of the recently incepted hockey, football, and kabaddi leagues in India is evidence of a growing sports culture in a country predominantly favoring cricket. These sports are fast-paced

, played over a short timeline, and often pose a high fatigue and injury risk to the involved athletes. Studies from around the world emphasize the relation between the demands of the sport and the risks of injury.

The most important step is

Safe return to the sport

Return to the sport can be interpreted differently by different members of the rehabilitation team; therefore, the clinician needs to specify in what capacity the athlete will be returning. We need to transition from rehabilitation into competition gradually so that athletes do not get injured as soon as they return. The player needs to complete a full training session with the team a few days before game day and should be symptom-free throughout the training. One debate is how much of the game he should play in his first match after recovery; this depends on the demands of the sport and the position that he plays. For example, a goalkeeper coming back from lower limb injury could play an entire game, whereas a center forward with the same injury could face limited playing time. Similarly, a goalkeeper with a shoulder injury will have different transitions back into competition as compared to a center forward with a shoulder injury. This further cements the argument for an individualized and tailored rehabilitation approach to athletes. Another determinant is the time of the competition and these players return; some phases, such as finals or playoffs of an important series, require more physical loads on the body compared to normal league games.

thanks and regards

Dr.Jaishree Tiwari