Rehabilitation After a Sports Injury
If you participate in sports, you will likely suffer a sports injury at some point. It happens to all of us, but how we deal with injury rehabilitation is key to moving forward. If sports injuries are not treated correctly in the initial stages, further tissue damage may occur.
Although the methods for sports injury rehabilitation vary with each case, the framework for recovery is relatively consistent. At Wellthy Clinic, we have over 20 years of experience, and the following outlines our recovery program.
The 5 Stages of Rehabilitation for Sports Injuries
1. Rest And Protect The Injury
The first stage of recovery is focused on preventing any further damage to the injury. Then, to let the body start its own natural wound healing process. The body’s first reaction to injury is inflammation, often accompanied by pain, which typically lasts up to 6 days. Inflammation is your body’s normal protective response to an injury. This natural defence process brings increased blood flow to the area, resulting in fluid accumulation and sometimes swelling. Keep the injury adequately protected, if necessary, by using a cast or sling, and allow your body’s inflammatory cycle to initiate the healing of your tissues. Then, the proliferative phase/tissue healing occurs (around 14 days after the injury). Finally, remodelling, which can take up to 2 years, depending on the extent of the injury, involves repairing muscles, tendons, ligaments, and/or bones.
2. Recover Your Motion
The next stage of the rehabilitation program involves regaining some motion in the injured area. The swelling and pain can make it difficult to move the injured body part like you used to.
Therefore, gentle joint mobilisations to increase joint range of motion and encourage lymphatic drainage can be beneficial for optimising your recovery with osteopathy. Likewise, sports massage can help reduce muscular tension and aid in recovery. However, if the injury and soft tissues are extremely painful, then a lighter treatment, such as Cranial Osteopathy, may be more suitable. It is at this stage that trying to do too much too soon can result in major setbacks. Stretching too far or starting an activity too early can slow or even reverse the healing process. If you take your sporting injury and sports rehabilitation seriously, get advice from a professional, ideally a sports Osteopath.
3. Recover Your Strength
Most people are shocked at how much muscle weakness and loss of range of movement happen during injury recovery. Objective measures of muscle weakness and wasting are commonly noted after injury and surgery within 4-6 weeks. Minimising muscle loss and strength deficits are important rehabilitation goals set in your recovery programme.
Often, due to extended recovery times from sporting injuries, cardiovascular endurance can decline. At Wellthy Clinic, we recommend low-impact rehabilitation exercises, such as Pilates, tailored specifically to you and your recovery. Additionally, non-weight-bearing, safer forms of exercise without fear of injury include swimming or other forms of exercise within the pool. Also, static cycling is considered a safe exercise to improve cardiovascular fitness during recovery.
The key to maximising recovery is performing exercises that minimise aggravation. Also, maintaining good form and the correct technique, and strengthening local, regional and central muscle groups.
4. Recover Your Form and Function
The final stage of your injury rehabilitation is to return to your pre-injury level of function. This phase of injury rehabilitation can include restoring coordination and balance, as well as improving speed and agility. At Wellthy Clinic, we recommend Reformer Pilates to increase your flexibility, balance, and overall strength in your deeper postural muscles. By combining Pilates and sports-specific training, this will give you a better balance of training activities. Gradually build up your sport-specific skills, starting with simple ones and then moving on to the more complex movements.
5. Proactive Prevention
Once you are feeling better with your sports injury, we want to manage your tension proactively. Studio Pilates helps address muscular imbalances to improve symmetry and enhance your sports performance. This can help prevent future injuries by improving your balance, flexibility, and strength. From working with many athletes, we find the combination of Pilates and sports-specific training will help improve their performances and timings.
What is The Right Treatment For Me?
It is essential to consult an experienced practitioner who can first diagnose your injury, educate you on the steps to recovery, and implement an effective treatment plan. The best treatment plans are custom-suited to each client. They should also take into account your lifestyle and any factors that might have initially contributed to your injury or impact your activity moving forward. Benefits of a sports massage may give some short-term relief, but for many injuries, this isn’t enough to provide long-term relief.
What Are The Consequences Of Disregarding The Recovery Plan?
As we have stated before, moving too soon on any of the recovery stages could result in an extended recovery time. Also, there is the chance of causing even more damage than the original injury.
The All-Inclusive Wellthy Clinic
We are Sports Osteopaths in London, and we have seen many sporting injuries, creating numerous sports injury and rehabilitation plans. We have the facilities and expertise to guide you through all the recovery stages. For an accurate diagnosis and a comprehensive treatment plan, consult our rehabilitation experts. Relying solely on pictures or descriptions of exercises can be misleading.
First Visit To The Osteopath
When you visit your Osteopath, your first session will be getting to know each other and your presenting issues. A case history will be taken to gather information about your medical history, current health, any sporting injuries, and to understand your goals. Our Osteopath can help reduce your pain levels and restore your mobility. An Osteopath emphasises the restoration of the structure and function of the human body by encouraging its innate ability to heal itself. They use various techniques on muscles, joints and viscera to help relieve tensions, thus improving mobility.
Proactive Programmes
Pilates is an excellent way to strengthen your core muscles and enhance your balance. In fact, if you attend our reformer Pilates to improve your flexibility and muscular strength, then you are more likely to prevent future injuries.
Your diet has a significant impact on your health outcomes and your body’s ability to heal. Nutritionists provide evidence-based information and guidance about the impacts of food and nutrition on health and well-being. By speaking with a Nutritionist, you can optimise your body’s inflammatory cycle to optimise your recovery.
Rehabilitation After a Sports Injury: Conclusion
At Wellthy Clinic, we are experienced sports injury experts who have an integrated approach to support you through the 5 phases of sports injury rehabilitation. As Osteopaths, we initially diagnose, educate and support you with passive treatments through the ‘recover your motion’ phase. We will teach you the best Pilates rehabilitation exercises to help you recover your strength, form and function.
Matthew is a structural & cranial Osteopath, Pilates Instructor with a background in sports science.