Sports Injuries Physiotherapy: Better, Faster!
Don't let sports injuries keep you from taking part
Early treatment is vital to ensure full recovery and a rapid return to sport. Sports injuries can be acute or chronic. Acute sports injuries occur as a result of a sudden impact or awkward movement. Examples include a muscle tear or a sprained ankle ligament. Chronic sports injuries develop over time, often due to continual use of the same joints or muscle groups. Chronic sports injuries can occur due to bad technique or occasionally structural abnormalities, such as inherited bone or muscle problems.
Sports Physiotherapy to get you back training soon
Sports Injuries Physiotherapy treatment will help to reduce pain, build up muscles, strengthen joints and improve co-ordination. We also provide sports specific rehabilitation.
Preventative advice will be given in order to minimise the chances of recurrent injury. Cotswold Physiotherapy Centre and Sports Injuries Clinic LLP are known for their speedy response to calls from athletes and are open daily Monday to Friday including Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and Saturdays and Sundays.
We are a preferred provider for the Cheltenham Knee Clinic.
Kinesiology Taping (K-Tape)
K-Tape is a rehabilitative taping developed by Dr. Kase from Japan and was first seen in use with elite athletes at the Beijing Olympics of 2008.
Unlike other methods of taping, K-Tape does not restrict movement in the skin, joints or muscles but encourages it with sensory input from the tape, activating the body’s own healing mechanism.
Knee Pain - Up to 35% of all Sports Injuries involve the knee.
The knee is the most frequently injured joint in sport. A 25% to 35% of all injuries affect the knee.
The knee is a complex joint and when injured often more than one structure is affected. An American football injury is O’Donaghue’s Unhappy Triad where there is tearing of the medial ligament, the anterior cruciate ligament and the medial cartilage. With this in mind it is always important to get your knee injury treated as you don’t want to let it get worse and end up with this “unhappy triad”.
Long term disability following knee injury in sports is common often because there has been inadequate treatment in the early stages. All knee injuries should be treated with Sports Injuries Physiotherapy from the outset to help to prevent later problems. Some knee pain can present as pain in daily activities without any particular cause.
What to do Following an Injury
R.I.C.E. REST ICE COMPRESS ELEVATE
Rest
Ice the injured knee for 10 minutes
Compress it with a bandage (take care not too tight especially over the back of the knee)
Elevate it to help limit the swelling
Then book an appointment with a physiotherapist, get a diagnosis and a treatment rehabilitation plan.
Some Common Knee Disorders
Runners Knee
‘Runners Knee’ which is caused by a tracking problem of the kneecap. It is also known as anterior knee pain or PatellofemeraI Pain Syndrome (PFP) Pain is felt at the front of the knee especially when bending down, going up and down stairs, kneeling, running and prolonged sitting and bending.
Possible causes
- Sudden increase in sporting activity
- Going up and down stairs more frequently
- Repetitive exercises
- Muscle weakness around the knee or hip
- Vastus medialis of the quadriceps and the gluteal muscles
- Stiffness in the calf and hip areas
- Poor knee control
- Foot position
How treatment can help
- Multifaceted approach guided by your sports injuries physiotherapist to include ‘hands on’ ultrasound, acupuncture, taping and bracing
- Prescriptive rehabilitation, exercises tailored to you will involve stretching exercises and strengthening work
- Returning you to full sport once you are asymptomatic
- You may need prescriptive orthotics to support your foot arch if necessary
Iliotibial Band Syndrome
The iliotibial band is a thickened band that runs down the outer part of your thigh. The friction is caused by the band rubbing over the lower part of the thigh bone which may cause an inflammatory response. The resulting lateral knee pain is felt above the joint on the other side of the knee
Possible causes
- Often occurs in runners who over pronate
- Long distance cyclists
- Cross country skiers
How treatment can help
Physiotherapy treatment involves “hands on” techniques, orthotics to correct foot position if needed, stretching exercise and graded exercise programme, rehabilitation back to sport.
Jumpers Knee - Patella Tendonitis
Jumpers Knee, also known as patellar tendonitis, is characterised by inflammation of the patellar tendon. The patella tendon begins on the quadriceps muscle (at the front o the thigh), and extends down toward the patella (kneecap) where it attaches to the rear and the front of the shin bone. This tendon allows for motions such as running, walking and kicking and is most common in athletes who’s sports require jumping, and/or stopping from high speed. Jumper’s knee weakens the tendon and can lead to tears if untreated.
Possible causes
- Repetitive overloading of the quadriceps mechanism as in jumping
- All types of running, football, rugby and other high impact sports
How treatment can help
- Rest
- Ice
- Non steroid anti inflammatory drugs (NASAIDS)
- Physiotherapy
- Quads strengthening exercises
