This is one of the most common questions that any sports therapist gets asked. What exactly is there profession suitable for and who needs the help of a sports therapist? We hope that in this article we can help clear up any confusion you might be having and shed some light on the role of the sports therapist..
- Recent Injuries
If you have just recently injured yourself, a sports therapist will have the necessary skills to not only treat the area of pain, but also provide appropriate rehab exercises to help strengthen the area. This will help prevent the issue from happening again and help you understand your body a little more!
- Ligament/Muscular Damage
The human body is made up of a wide variety of soft tissues such as muscles and ligaments. Using a wide variety of treatments such as massage, mobilisation and electrotherapy, not only with a sports therapist help the area heal, but in fact heal stronger structurally than ever before. This will help stabilise the area and prevent further damage.
- Long Term/Chronic Injuries
Sports therapists have a wide variety of skills to help the body cope with pain. With biomechanical based study, sports therapists will help you identify any movement issues which may be causing you pain! From here they can use corrective exercises to help correct these faulty movement patterns. This should help with the management of current pain as well as giving you as much chance of being pain free as possible!
- Pre and Post Operative Rehab
Most sports therapists will have worked in professional sport before, they will have seen patients who have come straight out of surgery before. By using knowledge on early stage rehabilitation, not only will they help recovery post surgery but help you recover stronger than you ever were before!
- Training Whilst Injured
This is where a sports therapist really comes into their own. Training around injury can be frustrating, especially when certain movements are cause too much pain. This is what separates the sports therapist from a physio, by using their knowledge of strength and conditioning, not only can they program exercises which will help strengthen the affected area, but also movements which will work the rest of the body without causing additional harm. This way you can continue to train hard whilst managing the current pain you may be in.
- Sports Specific Rehab
Also known as RTP or return to play, being able to get athletes back on their chosen pitch is a massive strength of a sports therapist. By using their understanding of sporting needs and requirements, they are more than capable of giving you the appropriate exercises to help get you back on the sports pitch as soon as possible!
- Prehabilitation and Preventative Exercise Programs
This is an important factor of training which is often ignored. Once fit and able, preventative exercise is the process of exercises designed to help you prevent the same injury from reoccurring! By completing the exercises, it can help with performance as well as long term health and longevity.
- Weight Loss, Strength Gain and Functional Training
Much like a personal trainer, sports therapists are also coached on strength and conditioning. With an understanding in weight training, the cardiovascular system and all your dietary needs, they are more than capable to help you in your training journey. Whether you are a newbie or experienced, a sports therapist will be able to mould a training program for you.
- Recovery From Occupational Injury
Of course injury is not just based around sport. Injuries can occur occupationally in the workplace or at home. By using their vast knowledge on injury diagnosis and examination, not only can they help you diagnose what exactly the issue is, but put you on the right path to help correct the issue that is going on.
- Pre/Post Natal Training
A more specialised service but some sports therapists are more than capable to help train anyone is either pre or post natal, depending on the specific stage of pregnancy or recovery. However if this is you, I would suggest asking for professional advice from a doctor before pursuing training of any kind.
And that concludes our article on who sports therapy is suitable for. We hope it answered all the questions you may have or opened your eyes to how sports therapy can help you! If you have any questions then please leave them in the comment section below. If receiving sports therapy is something you are interested in, then please let us know! At NRG we also offer personal training (including a complimentary free session), sports massage, injury assessment with a free phone consultation, all within this sports injury clinic!
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