Injury Rehabilitation Physio focuses on returning an injured athlete back to pre-injury levels of physical function and sports performance using advice, education, and manual therapies.
At the initial assessment, an injury rehabilitation physio Woodville will conduct a comprehensive physical exam of their patient before administering soft tissue and joint mobilisation training to restore early-stage range of motion.
Rest and Ice
Ice is often recommended as a treatment for injuries to reduce swelling and pain, typically by placing an ice pack, gel pack or bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in cloth over the injured area for 20 minutes every 3-4 hours. If skin sensitivity or allergy to cold exposure occurs during treatments it should be discontinued to avoid further tissue damage.
RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) therapy is often employed for sports injury treatment as well as muscle or joint injuries. Though rest can help heal an injury more effectively, movement also facilitates blood flow to an injured area and brings vital oxygen and nutrients essential for its healing process.
Intermittent 10-minute applications of ice combined with therapeutic exercise could aid recovery from soft tissue injuries while simultaneously reducing swelling. Further research is required to validate this theory; studies have also indicated that prolonged, frequent icing of injured muscles and joints can decrease conduction velocity of non-nociceptive nerve fibres and therefore muscle torque.
Manual Therapy
Manual therapy is a hands-on technique used as part of physical therapy treatment plans, where physical therapists employ pressure on muscles or other soft tissue structures in order to alleviate pain and increase flexibility.
Physical therapists employ many manual techniques, including joint mobilisation and myofascial release. Furthermore, manual therapy may include muscle energy techniques – gentle exercises designed to improve joint movement – and strain-counterstain movements (posing the patient in specific positions in order to alleviate pain and discomfort).
An injury rehabilitation physio Woodville performs these manual techniques by utilising extensive training in anatomy and physiology as well as understanding of how manipulating tissues will influence function. Manual therapy techniques are used to restore movement, activate muscle fibres, reduce inflammation, and alter tissue extensibility and fluid dynamics to promote repair and remodelling processes.
Stretching
Stretching is one of the cornerstones of injury rehabilitation physio, helping prevent future injuries and maintaining flexibility. Your therapist will use specific stretching exercises tailored specifically for your injury to restore range of motion to damaged muscles and aid healing.
Stretches should be performed regularly, yet properly to prevent injuries. Stretching should be followed by some light activity such as jogging to increase blood flow and warm the muscles – this reduces risk of overstretching of muscles.
Strengthening
Strengthening is an integral component of injury rehabilitation physio Woodville programs. Your physical therapist will guide you through exercises that build strength gradually in the injured area – these may include anything from climbing weights or playing sports to walking up and down stairs or playing sports – even simple daily activity like taking the stairs can help. Strengthening doesn’t need to be done exclusively at a gym but should involve working out harder than usual to strengthen them over time.
First and foremost, our aim should be to reduce pain and swelling in an injured area by employing methods such as ice, heat, electrical stimulation, and massage therapy. Once this goal has been accomplished, physiotherapists will then focus on soft tissue mobilisation techniques to restore movement and flexibility to injured areas; depending on their injury type trigger point sports massage may also be employed to relax muscles and promote flexibility.
Exercises
At this stage, soft tissue and joint mobilisation exercises are undertaken to restore motion and flexibility to an injured area. Incorporating sports massage into treatment programs helps reduce swelling while simultaneously improving muscle repair by providing oxygen, nutrients, and anti-inflammatory chemicals directly to affected muscles and joints.
As your injury heals, gradually increasing exercise levels may be added without aggravating it further. This should usually involve low impact strength training and cardiovascular exercises to build endurance and restore strength.
Your injury rehabilitation physio Woodville will instruct you in the proper technique for these exercises to minimise pain and maximise benefits. For instance, when exercising with resistance bands it is important to only select an appropriate level that allows slow, controlled movements without increasing stress on injured areas.
Strengthening the surrounding musculature also enhances balance and proprioception, helping prevent future injuries while returning you to pre-injury levels of performance and activities.