Revolution of Sports Physiotherapist: A Brief Insights About Key Roles and Significance

¹Department of Physiotherapy, PhysioAdviser India, NKS Hospital, Gulabi bagh, Delhi,110007, India

²Department of Physiotherapy, BLK Super Specialty Hospital, Pusa Road, Delhi, 110005, India

³Department of Pharmacy, Metro College of Health Sciences and Research, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, 201310, India

*Corresponding author: Niharika Lal, Department of Pharmacy, Metro College of Health Sciences and Research, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, 201310, India; Email: [email protected]

Received Date: December 2, 2022

Publication Date: December 27, 2022

Citation: Srivastava S, et al. (2022). Revolution of Sports Physiotherapist: A Brief Insights About Key Roles and Significance. Mathews J Sports Med. 2(1):02.

Copyright: Srivastava S, et al. © (2022)

ABSTRACT

Sports injuries are now quite widespread in India due to the country's growing interest in physical activity and sports. Sports-related injuries can reduce a person's performance and keep them from reaching their full potential. Sports medicine, usually referred to as sport and exercise medicine, is a discipline of modern medicine that deals with physical fitness as well as the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of accidents associated to sports and exercise. Physiotherapists are crucial members of the sports medicine team for the healing of sports injuries. A strong athlete-physiotherapist relationship is essential for efficient treatment and establishing athletes' expectations for injury recovery. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the expectations of the wounded sportsmen while creating a rehabilitation programme. The review brief expectations and role of sports physiotherapist in sports injury rehabilitation.

Keywords: Sports Physiotherapist, Physiotherapy, Sports Injury, Rehabilitation

INTRODUCTION

As sports perform until they gain popularity around the world, the "sports industry" has become increasingly competitive and profitable for athletes, with many aspiring to the highest levels of professionalism. As a result, sports are now more physically and psychologically demanding, entail longer training and practise schedules, and put those who participate at risk for injury. In today's competitive sports, wounded athletes face pressure to compete again as soon as feasible. This pressure typically comes from the team management as well as the athlete [1]. Due to the intense competition, athletes also run the risk of losing their spot on the squad and are consequently under more pressure to perform. Sports injury rehabilitation, in contrast to traditional rehabilitation after injury, necessitates greater attention, a highly structured, sports-specific approach, and should thus prepare the athlete and the injured tissue for the ensuing physical and psychological demands at the highest level of sport.

In a nation that favours cricket more than any other sport, hockey, football, and kabaddi leagues that were just recently established in India are becoming increasingly popular. The athletes that participate in these fast-paced, brief-duration sports frequently run a considerable risk of injury and exhaustion. Numerous studies highlight the connection between the demands of a sport and its injury risks. Injuries in sport can occur through contact or noncontact mechanisms and maybe of an acute or overuse nature.  Muscle, ligaments, or bone may be involved; stress fractures are rather specific to sports and overuse. Despite the increased understanding of injury processes, prevention strategies, and load monitoring techniques in athletes over the past 20 years, epidemiological studies have not found a statistically significant decline in sports-related injuries [2].

The world of sports has established its dominant position in the twenty-first century. Today's athletes are revered as important idols and role models. The athletes put themselves through rigorous training and push themselves to new limits in order to get the greatest results. The athletes should receive the right monitoring and training in order to meet the requirements. By looking after their physical health, physiotherapists assist athletes in producing at their highest level.

Physiotherapy has become an integral part of the sports medicine team and has a crucial role in the management of injuries during major national and international events. In international and elite sports (as well as at all other levels of sport, for that matter), a sports physiotherapist's primary responsibilities continue to be injury treatment and rehabilitation as well as performance support through interventions for injury prevention, management, and recovery [3].

The role of a sports physiotherapist in improving an athlete's performance is crucial. Before each regular-season and international competition, the physiotherapist places restrictions on the athletes, conducts screenings, controls their food, exercise, rehabilitation, medicine, and sleep schedule.

Athletes have a clear knowledge of the job of the sports physiotherapist, albeit occasionally with certain limitations. They think a sports physiotherapist's job is primarily focused on treating injuries. The following four themes came out of athlete interviews regarding the function of the sports physiotherapist:

•              Treating injuries

•              Avoiding injuries

•              Rehabilitation

•              Improving performance

Athletes indicated that these qualities are important for sports physiotherapists to possess:

•              Being professional

•              Good personal qualities

•              Being accessible

•              Good communication skills

•              Have an interest in the athletes that they are working with

•              Being open-minded with regards to athletes' ideas regarding their management and the use of other practitioners

The Need of Sports Physiotherapy

"Sports physiotherapy is a rising specialisation in cultures that try to foster an active lifestyle and athletic prowess," according to the International Federation of Sports Physical Therapy (IFSPT). Effective professional behaviour and the integration of particular knowledge, abilities, and attitudes for the setting of practise as a sports physiotherapist are described in the Sports Physiotherapy for All (SPA) document. Eleven competences that are necessary for sports and exercise physiotherapists have been identified as part of the Sports Physiotherapy for all projects. There are a number of particular abilities or criteria that must be upheld in addition to these competencies. These qualifications and requirements are connected to the many overlapping duties performed by sports and exercise physiologists [5].

Sports place a higher emphasis on physiotherapy. It aids in the recovery of athletes from acute and chronic ailments brought on by muscle stress in the joints, heart, lungs, and circulatory system. Additionally, the physiotherapist treats any neurological conditions or disorders. Including a few of the important functions of physiotherapy in sports.

Prevention of Any Injury

A given sport or physical activity's risk of injury is evaluated by sports and exercise physiotherapists. They are capable of educating and preparing players, coaches, and other interdisciplinary team members so that there is a decrease in the incidence and recurrence of particular injuries. They also provide the athletes a suitable warm-up workout before the game that helps prevent injuries.

Seeking Acute Intervention

Any disease or injury can be treated and managed effectively by physiotherapists. Physiotherapists that specialise in sports and exercise have the knowledge and abilities to respond to an acute sickness or injury in a variety of settings, including practise or competition. They help the athletes by giving them access to sufficient drugs for any physical problems. Physiotherapy helps an individual recover more quickly by regulating blood pressure, maintaining healthy cardiac function, and maintaining proper blood circulation [6].

Rehabilitation of Athletes

Through their clinical reasoning and therapeutic diagnoses for any ailments related to sports, physiotherapists assist in the rehabilitation of athletes. Along with evaluation and discipline, they are excellent at designing the schedules and carrying them out effectively. This guarantees that the athletes will return in their earlier, better form. Following the prescribed physiotherapy procedures also helps athletes perform better following any injury-related break. They become bright and dominant both physically and psychologically, and it brings about favourable changes [7].

Performance Enhancement

Regular physical therapy is important for improving an athlete's performance since these regular activities improve people's performance. The use of physical therapy reduces muscle tension and improves the amount of oxygen reaching the tissues. Along with effective cell-to-cell communication, it also aids in optimal regulation and coordination. It also improves the athletes' agility and speed, which is a more dazzling achievement in their performances.

Relationship between Athlete, Coach and Physiotherapist

The athlete and the sports physiotherapist need to get along well. There must be an atmosphere of trust and confidence between the parties. This suggests that both the athlete and the physio will feel comfortable confiding in one another and that the athlete. Since the coach is in charge of the athlete's performance and training, it is crucial to involve the coach in all medical decision-making. Unfortunately, some coaches mistrust medical specialists who work in the field of sports and occasionally believe rightly or wrongly that the primary duty of the medical professional is to prevent the athlete from engaging in training or competition. It's critical for coaches to comprehend that the goal of the sports physiotherapist is to maximise and enhance the athlete's performance and health.

Everyone benefits when the coach and sports physiotherapist have a positive working relationship. The coach will have a better and clearer awareness of what a sports physiotherapist does, which may encourage the coach to seek treatment for small issues and prevent injuries. The establishment of injury prevention measures can benefit from the sports physiotherapist's ability to learn from the coach and gain a greater grasp of the demands of the sport [8].

Physiotherapy to Promote Fair Play and Anti-Doping Procedures

Regular physical treatment and exercise participation by athletes promotes ethical, safe, and healthy athletic events. They are skilled and pay close attention to all the norms and regulations. They typically exhibit fair play in their competitions by adhering to all established protocol and anti-doping practises.

Improvement of a Healthy, Active Lifestyle

The physiotherapy exercises allow players to participate in a safe and acceptable manner. It improves and energises a person's way of life. This makes them a champion in many other spheres and capable of engaging in a variety of physical activities [9].

Enhancing Professionalism and Managerial Competence

The participant gains superior time management and resource management abilities through the physiotherapy exercises. These fundamental abilities are developed by individuals through professional, social, and ethical disciplines. Athletes always carry out their exercises in a structured and deliberate manner, which aids in their overall development. A professional athlete will undoubtedly exhibit positive behaviours and habits. These characteristics set them apart from the competition and elevate them to the status of remarkable role models. They serve as an inspiration to others who follow them. This not only enables the person to achieve the pinnacle of achievement but also to win the respect of others.

Living a Healthy Life without Disease

Physiotherapy is a great method to stay fit and active. An athlete benefits from leading a disease-free, healthy lifestyle. As previously said, physiotherapy has a tremendous impact on everyone's health. Regular physiotherapy helps athletes' immune systems by boosting their metabolism. It promotes appropriate immunogenicity and aids in the body's ability to produce targeted antibodies against the antigens. Even the doctor recommends appropriate exercise and physiotherapy as a vital mantra for an athletes' healthy regimen.

Preserving a Balanced Diet with Nutrients

The practise of physiotherapy is also subject to a few fundamental guidelines. In order to maximise its effects, the athletes are expected to adhere to a particular diet and workout regimen. The athletes gain a sound understanding of a balanced diet in this way. Any athlete needs a balanced diet that contains the right nutrients. Those who adhere to the programme unquestionably reap huge benefits, including a blessing of healthy and active living [10].

CONCLUSION

If you want to be a good sports physiotherapist, you must be knowledgeable about and passionate about the sport in which you participate. Being an advocate for physical activity is also crucial. Sports physiotherapists must comprehend the significance of the sport to the player as well as the psychological and physical demands of the activity. Knowing how to work out and play a sport well has two major benefits.

It will be easier for a sports physiotherapist to identify potential injury causes and to build rehabilitation plans that are tailored to the demands and technical elements of a particular activity.

The sports physiotherapist will be trusted by the player.

Attending practise and competitions as well as engaging in the sport itself are some of the finest methods to learn about and comprehend it. Being present at practise and competitions will help with this, both in terms of preventing injuries and bettering one's grasp of the activity.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to acknowledge support of management and Department of Physiotherapy, Physio Adviser India for accomplishment of this work.

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