Sports Physical Therapy at WSMC
Sports Physical Therapy
A sports injury that affects the muscles, tendons, ligaments and other parts of the musculoskeletal system requires immediate care by a sports medicine specialist. At the Wanderers Sports Medical Centre (WSMC) , your sports physical therapist will work closely with orthopaedic surgeons and primary care doctors who specialize in sports medicine i.e a sports physician. Together, we evaluate sports injuries and create a sports injury treatment plan that returns you to normal, and in some cases improved, activity as fast and safely as possible. This would also be the optimal time to start introducing injury prevention to the dialogue in a treatment session in preparation for implementation closer to your return to activity.
How can sports physical therapy help me?
Whether you are a weekend warrior, student or professional athlete, sports physical therapy can help you prevent or rehabilitate and recover from a sports or activity-related injury. We work to restore your optimal function, and even improve your sports performance.
Sports physical therapists are a vital part of your medical team if you have experienced an injury that affects a joint, tendon, muscle or ligament. Remember , even if you are not a sportsperson, you may still acquire a sports or activity-related injury. The manner in which you go about diagnosing, treating and rehabilitating such an injury would probably play the most important part in your return to normal function in that specific activity as well as other physical activities in the future.
At WSMC, we work side by side with a variety of sports medical practitioners. Our close interaction with your doctor means we work as a team to plan your treatment. Depending on the severity of your injury, physical therapy may be the first treatment your doctor recommends. If your injury requires surgery, a sports physical therapist can help you prepare for surgery, and oversee your physical rehabilitation after surgery.
We are focused on helping athletes, professional and /or amateur, return to their sport as safely and quickly as possible and often in better condition than before your injury. Whether your goal is to walk your dog every day, play youth or collegiate sports, or return to professional sports, we will work with you to help you reach these goals and hopefully exceed your own expectations.
What you should look for in a sports physical therapist?
Your therapist would have a vast array of skills and knowledge that covers the entire spectrum of sports physical therapy needs. Your sports physical therapist specialises in age-specific injuries that can arise in young athletes or following joint replacement in older individuals.
At WSMC, specialised and passionate attention is given to younger athletes and sports people in strategic prevention of injury, adopting solid physical foundations and ultimately the learning and teaching process required in making correct and adequate preparations to achieve various physical and sporting goals; from short term all the way into adulthood and beyond.
We also specialise in activity-specific populations including track and field athletes, footballers, cricketers, dancers, runners, throwers and tennis players.
Our facilities are equipped with the most advanced gym and exercise equipment supplied by Origin Fitness (see origin fitness), and our physical therapy expertise in the latest techniques and tools available including cryogenic treatments using liquid nitrogen (see cryotherapy), hyperbaric oxygen therapy (see oxygenate) , instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization, dry needling, and other innovative therapies to help your body heal better and faster.
More reasons to choose the WSMC sports physical therapy for your care.
Physical therapists at WSMC have worked on the field, in gymnasiums and alongside dressing rooms at high schools and colleges, youth and premier soccer leagues, provincial, franchise and national cricket teams, national athletics meetings and youth developmental academies throughout the region.
When an injury occurs, we provide immediate care and evaluative/investigative procedures (usually alongside our esteemed Sports Physician -Dr Lee Pillay) to acquire an accurate diagnosis as early as possible. Often this results in a follow up appointment on the same day or the very next day to see a physiotherapist and begin the rehabilitation process.
If investigations lead to findings which require a specialist opinion eg Orthopaedic Surgeon , Neurologist, or perhaps radiology; you will be referred to an acquainted specialist who forms part of the WSMC multi disciplinary team.
As the rehabilitation process continues, should we require expertise and interventions from other practitioners eg the podiatrist, Orthotist or even later on a referral to biokinetics or a conditioning specialist, spontaneous introductions will be made and reports exchanged to make the referral as smooth a transition as possible and to ensure continuity, and the best possible professional expertly guided care.
Treatments
We do a comprehensive physical therapy evaluation to determine how a sports injury impacts your range of motion, strength, and function. We then create a treatment plan and educate you on how to reach your realistic movement goals. In addition to traditional PT exercises, our services cover the full range of physical therapy treatments including:
Traditional physical therapy exercises
Focus on restoration of range of motion, strength and proper biomechanics.
These include but are not limited to specific Pre-habilitation, rehabilitation and sport specific activities :
- Dry needling A “dry” needle, one without medication or injection, is inserted through the skin into areas of irritable parts of the muscle, known as trigger points, which is causing pain or muscle tightness and restriction. Assists in pain relief and normalization of the body part.
- Manual therapy Sports physical therapists who are certified in manual therapy use their hands to manipulate and mobilize joints. This decreases pain associated with muscle spasm, tension, and pain related to joint issues.
- Soft tissue mobilization Sprains, strains, tendonitis and other soft tissue injuries may benefit from this type of manual therapy which applies pressure and/or lengthens the affected tissue. Depending on the joint or injury, a variety of instruments may also be used as part of the therapy.
- Postural restoration Manual techniques and specific exercises to correct an individual’s acquired postural inefficiencies and movement patterns.
