What is Sports Rehabilitation?
Sports Injury Recovery This specific speciality of physiotherapy combines classic orthopaedic testing of traumatic injuries, dynamic movement assessments and understanding of how the body’s physiology responds to the demands of vigorous exercise or activities and sports that require higher performance.
Immediately after your injury
You can expect a few things to happen within the first few hours of sustaining a muscle injury. Other than the immediate pain, you might experience swelling and bruising. The initial sharp pain may give way to a throbbing ache. The injured area may also be sensitive to movement and tender to touch. You may not be able to use it normally for at least the first few hours.
Rest
Resting is one of the most effective ways to start your healing process. Your injured muscle will be weak and vulnerable to further injury, especially in the first few hours. Take a break from moving it to help it heal.
Ice
The benefits of applying ice are greatest within the first day or two after sustaining an injury. Apply a bag of crushed ice, a bag of frozen veggies, or an ice pack to your injury. It will help relieve pain and prevent swelling by decreasing blood flow to the area. To avoid frostbite, never place the ice directly on your bare skin. Instead, wrap it in a thin cloth or towel before applying it to the injured area. Apply ice for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, and allow your skin to return to normal temperature in between icing.
Compress
An elastic bandage wrapped firmly around your injury can help minimize swelling by preventing the buildup of fluid. It can also help ease pain by keeping the injured area somewhat immobilized. The bandage may not be enough to immobilize the injured area entirely, but it will provide some support and remind you to keep it still.
If the bandage causes tingling or numbness, remove it and rewrap it more loosely. It shouldn’t be so tight that it causes discomfort or interferes with your blood flow. Even gentle compression can help keep fluid from collecting around the injury.
Elevate
Elevating an injury above the level of your heart will helping minimize swelling by allowing fluid to drain away from the area. If you can’t raise it above your heart, try to keep the injured area at the same level as your heart or close to it. If you suffered an injury to your buttocks or hips, try lying down with a pillow or two wedged under your buttocks and lower back to help lift it.
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What is Injury Management?
Our therapists use their clinical physiotherapy knowledge, our physical assessment and testing can lead us to diagnose whether the part in question has been damaged and how severely, where we would categorise your injury using the following fields.
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Type of injury acquired (Traumatic, Overuse)
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Tissue type affected (bone, muscle, tendon, ligament, nerve)
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Severity of injury (grade 1,2,3 sprain / strain / rupture / dislocation )
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Duration of Injury (Acute / Subacute / Chronic)
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Your Activity or Sport of Choice
Foods and supplements to support healing from sports injuries Recovery
1. Protein-rich foods
Protein-rich foods such as meat and fish enhance the body’s muscle-building process.
2. Vitamin C
Citrus fruits and dark leafy greens rich in vitamin C help with the production of collagen that rebuilds tissues and has anti-inflammatory properties.
3. Omega-3 fats
Omega-3 fatty acids from supplements and natural sources such as salmon, sardines, chia seeds, walnuts and soybeans limit excessive inflammation and help speed up recovery.
4. Calcium-rich foods and vitamin D
With bone injuries such as fractures, taking more calcium-rich foods such as milk, cheese, yogurt, soft-boned fish, almonds and dark leafy greens is essential. The body also needs vitamin D to absorb calcium, which you can get through exposure to sunlight.