4 Reasons To Visit Your Physiotherapist After a Gym Injury

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Regardless of your fitness goals, surely getting injured is not one of them. Some injuries are caused by mishandling gym equipment, some by poor posture, and some are just unfortunate accidents.

In fact, the Exercise Association in New Zealand confirmed that although gym attendance rose by 50 percent over the last five years, gym-related injuries are increasing at an even faster rate. Whatever might have happened to cause that injury, the next step has to be mitigation and management to allow you to get back on your feet as soon as possible.

With that in mind, here are some of the reasons why you should visit your physiotherapist after a gym injury.

1. Physiotherapy helps with pain management

One of the most nagging reminders of having an injury is pain shooting up every time the affected part is moved or even touched. Brampton Physiotherapy, on one hand, is focused on pain management as a part of injury rehabilitation. There are different treatments and modalities available which are intended for helping patients process pain, increase tolerance, and manage its source altogether.

Some treatments your clinic might offer include stretching to relieve tension and spasms, and soft tissue massage to reduce inflammation. They also offer joint mobilization exercises and corrective exercises to mitigate pain from incorrect habits and postures. In terms of modalities, some therapists recommend and facilitate the use of acupuncture for pain inhibition as well as for the stimulation of the spinal cord and the brain. Another modality often used for pain management is TENS, or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. It provides pain relief by stimulating nerves through the application of low voltage over the affected area.

2. It allows you to enjoy a guided, personalized recovery with a care practitioner

For the duration of your injury up until you are fully recovered, your physiotherapist will serve as your primary care practitioner. In the Information Age, a lot of people are lured towards self-medication, if not following everything they read online. A trained professional guiding you through the process gives you better chances for a full recovery.

Physiotherapists are extensively trained in injury assessment and they are even capable of identifying health risks or other underlying causes of pain. They can detect health red flags which can mean anything from herniations to fractions and even chronic illnesses and make appropriate recommendations.

It is important to understand that your injury is unique. Your sprained ankle is not at all similar to any of the millions of the sprained ankles that came before you – and your physiotherapist is aware of it. These trained professionals assess your medical history, make you undergo physical mobility tests, and come up with a plan specifically to suit your needs. They can recommend the right combination of treatment methods and modalities to start your road to recovery. Also as you progress through your personalized recovery program, your therapist will perform a routine assessment to understand if adjustments have to be made to your program.

3. They help you increase your endurance, flexibility, and stamina

One of the underrated benefits of taking the time to consult a physiotherapist is that they can help you attain levels of fitness which you didn’t even know was possible. A sedentary lifestyle adjusts our body to similar conditions which results in a reduced range of movement and stamina. Unless examined properly, most of us might even follow exercise routines without improving these conditions.

In the case of sports injury, the injured part might recover or heal slower than the rest of your body. Even though first aid has been applied, or you are already on your road back to recovery, it’s still unwise to immediately return to the routines you left off. In these cases, physiotherapists usually begin your recovery program with repetitive activities utilizing less than half of your maximum capacity. Over time, the percentage of your capacity, as well as the number of repetitions, are gradually increased. This allows your body, especially the injured part, to adjust to increasing loads until you are comfortable with your original range of motion.

Your physiotherapist can also increase your maximum capacity over time with targeted routines to further increase your range of movement, thus improving your flexibility. Also, the gradual increase of repetitions of these targeted exercises, depending on the particular activity, increases your stamina — allowing you to do more and more of the same activities without getting tired.

4. Physiotherapists can help you avoid re-injury

Usually we hear athletes and coaches say that people return stronger after an injury. While it has some truth to it, it does not necessarily mean that you are now completely immune from experiencing the same injury. One of the main objectives of injury rehabilitation is the prevention of relapse or recurrence.

Physiotherapists can also observe and assess the habits and techniques you employ in going about your routine or in playing your sport. From this, they can identify your practices which increase your risk of injury such as poor posture or applying unnecessary pressure to different parts of your body, like your joints. They can share techniques in maximizing movement and maintaining correct posture.

Even among physiotherapists, there are so-called post-rehab specialists. These are experienced professionals who can help you monitor your condition even after you have fully recovered. They monitor your pain perception as you move around your established range of motion. Also, therapists can assist you in re-educating muscles. After an injury, muscles tend to go out of balance, mainly due to reliance on its counterpart or on other parts. For example, when you experience a sprain on your left ankle, you tend to rest your weight on your right leg so as to avoid aggravating the injured part.

Conclusion

In recent years, more and more people are recommending a visit to your physiotherapist, both for injury recovery or for guided fitness programs. Their specialized knowledge and experience, as well as their commitment to providing personalized treatments, will allow you to maximize your every session towards the goal you are working for.

In terms of injury rehabilitation, you can expect a therapist to assist you every step of the way – from the control and mitigation of pain to the rehabilitation process. They even provide attention and support to make sure you don’t fall to the same injury again.

Find a professional who specializes in physical therapy near me.

Sources


  1. https://www.pthealth.ca/blog/return-to-the-gym-after-injury-with-physiotherapy/
  2. https://synergyhealthmanagement.com/recovering-from-a-sports-injury/
Author picture

Tammy Kamza graduated from the University of Toronto with an “Honors in Science” and obtained her Doctorate in Physical Therapy in the United States. Aside from manual therapy and dry needling, she is well versed in hydrotherapy, taping and corrective exercise. She is a true believer in active therapy, thus her treatment goals always include an emphasis on physical activity with the aim of improving the clients at White Pine Health & Wellness Centre's functional abilities.

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