Role of Physiotherapy in Sports (Athletes): Physiotherapy Isn’t Just for the Injured

Role of Physiotherapy in Sports (Athletes): Physiotherapy Isn’t Just for the Injured

Article by:

Dr. Jasmine Anandabai

Principal, Jyoti Rao Phule Subharti College Of Physiotherapy

 

Physiotherapists played a key role & formed the single largest group of health care professionals at Tokyo Olympics 2020. The protection of the health of an athlete is a core objective for different Sports. In the Tokyo Olympics 2020, our athletes have won accolades for India: Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Our alumina Dr. Gaurav Ahluwalia, is working in Netaji Subhash National Institute of Sports, where sports personalities like Neeraj Chopra and Mirabai Chanu got trained. He has been an official Sports Physiotherapist for various National Sports Events like- UP Ranji cricket team, Swimming team, National table tennis team, National weightlifting team, also with the National men boxing team for preparation for Tokyo Olympics 2020.

He has also been an official Sports Physiotherapist at International Sports Events like

–        Commonwealth Games, Scotland in 2014

–        Asian games, South Korea in 2015

–        Rio Olympics in 2016

–        Commonwealth Games, Australia in 2018

–        Asian games, Indonesia in 2018

Physiotherapists work for the prevention and management of injuries resulting from sport & exercise participation with evidence-based advice on safe participation. The high level of physical performance in sports puts stress on joints, bones & Muscles. As a result, Athletes are particularly prone to develop injuries & require special attention from sports Physiotherapists in preventing injuries and later in managing injuries. 

Physiotherapy is multi-dimensional. Although there is a high level of awareness of its curative capabilities (i.e., treating chronic pain), there is a relatively low level of awareness of its preventative and proactive capabilities. While physiotherapy can definitely treat pain and it can also be used to prevent future injuries, it can also be used to prepare an athlete’s body for gruelling sports activities.

How exactly does physiotherapy boost sports performance? 

 “By…identifying an athlete’s ‘anchors’: conditions that are holding him back.” For example, if a baseball pitcher has functional limitations that prevent him from pitching at a high velocity, those functional limitations act as anchors that hold that pitcher back from becoming great at his sport. A physiotherapist goes through many years of training to learn to diagnose and correct athletic anchors; that’s why it’s wise for athletes to seek out the expertise of these health care professionals.

Physiotherapy augments athletic abilities, aids in injury prevention, and increases awareness of how to effectively care for a body destined for intense sports performance. Slow and sustainable repair of the muscles and the body – As for an athlete, the body is placed under much more stress than the average person, and muscles are forced to work much harder than usual and to take a great deal of punishment in the process.

These therapists, rather than concentrating their efforts solely on the part of the body that is most heavily afflicted, will instead look at the causes that could have led to the injury/discomfort in the first place. Because of this, the entire body benefits overall, rather than just one or two body parts and muscle groups. Using a number of techniques, including sports massage therapy, multi-level postures, strengthening exercises, stretching movements, and much more besides, the body has a chance to heal itself slowly, which is one of the reasons why physiotherapy is so beneficial for people looking to recover following a particularly strenuous workout or activity.

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