Physio Explains: How Physiotherapy Helps Recovery
Optimal Recovery And Return To Sport Is The Aim Of The Game
Physiotherapy is often an important part of recovery after an injury. It aims to restore movement and function.
In this blog post, we will take a closer look at what physiotherapy can do for you and the various therapies used to support recovery. We will also discuss how physiotherapy can be used alongside other treatments.
What Is Optimal Recovery?
If an injury is something you are currently dealing with, then you know how frustrating it can be. You may also already know about the importance of optimal recovery.
In practice, it is often harder to slow people down and keep them from going back to sport too soon after an injury, than it is to motivate people to move more. A slow, graded, gradual return to sport is generally recommended to avoid another injury and an even longer rehabilitation period away from the court, field, rowboat, or track, along with a graded rehabilitation program.
Optimal recovery is when a muscle, ligament, tendon, nerve, or skin has been damaged (due to a trauma, like a fall or a tear, or an overuse injury) has healed as fully as it can and you are back to the level you were at before the injury.
Optimal recovery also means there is a lower risk of reinjury and a higher potential for the strength or contractibility of the muscle that has been damaged to be restored. It also means you are both physically and psychologically ready to return to sport.
How Do We Achieve Optimal Recovery?
Optimal recovery is achieved through a specific and tailored treatment plan. This often combines a few different approaches to support your recovery and, in the short term, to ease pain and discomfort.
Your physiotherapist may use a number of the following therapies:
- A graded rehab program.
- Laser therapy.
- Shockwave therapy.
- Manual therapy.
What Is A Graded Rehab Program?
A graded rehab program is a treatment plan that progresses in intensity as the tissue heals and its tolerance for load or exercise increases. This means that you do not underload or overload the tissue too quickly – because that can lead to disadvantageous results like an increase in pain or swelling – and we don’t want that. Your physiotherapist will assess your starting level or baseline, and gradually progress your rehab program from there.
A graded rehab program should always be challenging enough to elicit an adaptive or beneficial response in the tissue, but shouldn’t be too challenging that it causes an increase in damage or symptoms. However, a mild increase in symptoms after exercise during your rehabilitation journey is expected and normal.
Graded rehab programs usually start off with isometric exercises, or exercise involving a muscle contraction but no joint movement. This promotes muscle activity but at a very low level to start building strength. Then you may move on to the harder exercises, moving from walking, running, sprinting, and finally return to sport.
Dublin Chiropractic & Physiotherapy
We offer physiotherapy and chiropractic treatments to help you recover from injury.
At Dublin Chiropractic & Physiotherapy, our treatment options are tailored to you. They include physiotherapy, laser therapy, spinal decompression, joint traction, intrinsic core strengthening, and manual therapy (spinal adjustments and manipulations).
Treatment Options For Recovery In Dublin, Ireland
We see people with a wide range of injuries, such as whiplash injury after car accidents, sports injury (e.g., sprains and strains), arthritis pain/back pain, work injury (including repetitive strain injury – RSI) and neck or back injury. We also see people with a herniated disc, sciatica pain/nerve pain, and other conditions.
Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care is another treatment option at Dublin Chiropractic & Physiotherapy. Chiropractors use spinal adjustments and other manual techniques aimed at improving joint movement and easing pain, muscle tension or stiffness.
Class IV Laser Therapy For Pain Relief
Laser therapy is sometimes used alongside exercise for pain from longer-standing injuries. The evidence for it is mixed, and results vary.
Joint treatments aim to improve range of motion (ROM) and reduce pain in the affected area(s).
Exercise Therapy For Longterm Recovery
Exercise therapy is the most important part of long-term recovery, and it is well supported by research for people with long-term (chronic) pain.
Conclusion
Thank you for reading this blog on optimal recovery and ways to achieve it. I hope you found it interesting and helpful. If you have any questions, you would like me to answer send me at [email protected], and would be happy to answer them in a blog form.
References
[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27575834/
[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24942380/