Part 1: Sports rehabilitation principles and practice

[physiobob]

by Dr Philip Glasgow PhD, MTh, MRes, BSc (Hons), MCSP

Abstract
Rehabilitation of sports injuries present the physiotherapist with a wide range of challenges. While there is often no inherent pathophysiological difference between an injury sustained by an athlete and a similar injury sustained by a non-athlete, the ramifications can be significantly diverse. Due to the competitive nature of sport, the physiotherapist is under constant pressure to facilitate the safe return of the athlete to competition in the shortest possible time. In order to accomplish this, the sports physiotherapist must skilfully integrate a range of therapeutic training variables to ensure that the athlete is able to work at the limit of their capacity while simultaneously ensuring that sufficient time and space is allowed for healing. An overly aggressive approach to rehabilitation may result in reinjury and delayed return to sport, while an unduly conservative approach will keep the athlete out for longer than necessary. The current article describes key components of the rehabilitation process and provides guidelines for their application in the management of the injured athlete.

Article Credit:

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