Sports therapy is an offset of healthcare that is concerned specifically with the aim of preventing injury and the rehabilitation of patients back to the peak level of sports-related fitness. It employs the theory of sport and exercise sciences to its practices and processes of getting a patient back to their work, training, or competition.
What Is Sports Therapy?
The term sports therapy was created around 25 years ago and still to this day, there is confusion around what it actually is and the differences it has to normal physiotherapists and the services that they offer to clients.
A sports therapist who engages in injury assessment and rehabilitation is suitable for the following:
- Use sport and exercise sciences to create preparation, performance, and injury prevention programmes
- Creation, planning, and implementation of rehabilitation programmes
- Providing immediate care for injuries
- Carry out sports massage in the appropriate environment
- Assess and treat appropriate injuries and if needed, refer on to a specialist in the field
To carry out sports therapy you need to be educated to degree level and trained in sport science methodologies from an accredited field of study.
Sports therapy isn’t just about sports massage. Although it is a crucial part of a sports therapist’s assets due to the importance of it when treating a sports injury. Sports therapy is not physiotherapy.
What Is The Benefits To Your Health?
There are many health benefits related to sports therapy. The benefits also help your physical, physiological, and psychological self. These include:
- Pain Reduction – Tension in the muscles and any waste products within them can often cause pain. A sports therapist can also help reduce this by manipulating the soft tissue.
- Relation – The muscles relax via heat generated, stretching and circulation.
- Stress relief – Sports therapy can help a person manage stress. When a person receives sports therapy, their body releases neurotransmitters called endorphins.
Sports Massage and Why It Is Important
The main reason sports massage is important is to support the minimalisation of tension and stress which builds up in the body’s soft tissues when training. As a result of excessive use, minor injuries and wounds can occur, sports massage can easily break them down rapidly and efficiently. Sports massage targets the treatment of soft tissues and the goal is to recuperate the patient when they’ve suffered an injury from training, exercising, or whatever it may be.
The benefits of sports massage include:
- Improvement in ability to relax
- minimalised muscle tension
- Improved range of movement
- Improvement tissue scars
- Raised blood circulation to the injured area
Now you know what sports therapists do, why not check out our specialist sports therapy services?
It caught my attention when you said that by manipulating the soft tissue, a therapist can reduce the tension in the muscles. This is something that I will consider because my son had an accident while playing basketball at school. His right foot was injured, and he has been complaining about pains since yesterday night. I will be sure to get the help of an orthopedic injury rehab specialist.
I found it helpful when you said that a sports therapist provides immediate care for injuries and creates rehabilitation programs. This is something that I will share with my nephew whose right foot ankle was injured while playing basketball yesterday. He wanted to recover quickly so he could play again, so I will ask him to consider undergoing sports rehab sessions.
Great. If we can be of any help please let us know.