Physiotherapy

01 What is physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy in sport involves promoting recovery from injury using manual therapy, movement and education. Physiotherapists also play an important role in injury screening and reducing the risk of injuries in athletes.

Within sports and athletics a greater level of performance is required by participants, resulting in an increased demand being placed upon the body. This places a greater emphasis upon the prevention of injuries or optimal rehabilitation methods when injuries are sustained.

For endurance athletes, physiotherapists play a key role in:

• Identifying injury risk/injury screening
• Injury prevention
• Reducing pain
• Facilitating healing
• Addressing weaknesses or deficiencies in technique
• Improving function and performance
• Provide education and advice
• Pre-event ‘preparation’ treatments
• Post-event treatments

In sport, Physiotherapists play an important role alongside coaches in maximising performance. Our physiotherapist will have all of the information from your various assessments and can use this to work on areas of restriction, or provide exercises to optimise performance.

02 Common Injuries for endurance athletes

Due to the intensive levels of training required during preparation for endurance events, participants are often susceptible to sustaining a multitude of different sporting injuries.

This may often be attributed to existing ‘biomechanical’ factors, specific areas of weakness or overtraining injuries, which may occur as a result of placing repetitive stresses upon muscles, tendons and connective tissues across the body.

Whether you are a triathlete, or participate solely in swimming, cycling or running events training for your activity can lead to increased likelihood of developing injuries, such as:

• Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS)
• Rotator cuff injuries
• Lower back and sciatic pain
• Achilles/patella tendinopathies
• Muscle strains
• Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS)
• Biceps tendinopathies
• Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome (GTPS)
• Plantar fasciitis
• Swimmers shoulder
• Bunions and big toe pain
• Runner’s knee
• Shin splints
• Hip impingement

Many of these injuries can result in a lengthy layoff from activity, therefore injury avoidance remains of paramount importance in order to prevent disruption to training and allowing maximisation of potential.

03Physiotherapy Assessment

Physiotherapy assessment aims to accurately diagnose injuries or identify deficiencies so that a suitable treatment plan can be devised.

This is achieved by:

3.1 Subjective Examination

During the subjective examination, your Trinamics physiotherapist will have a discussion with you to identify:

• Current symptoms (onset and pattern of symptoms, location, aggravating and easing factors)
• History of your condition (relevant medical history, previous treatment and outcome, drug and social history)
• Event specific information (effect of injury upon training and performance, upcoming events or competitions)

3.2 Objective Examination

Your physiotherapist will conduct a physical examination, including assessment of:

• Postural observation (muscle bulk and tone, structural abnormalities, functional activities)
• Range of movement (active and passive joint mobility)
• Muscle testing (strength and power, muscle length, control and stability)
• Testing (diagnostic orthopaedic tests, neurological examination, palpation of structures)
• Movement screening (identification of deficiencies during functional movements)

04 Treatment

Based upon your assessment and specific training goals, our physiotherapists will devise an individually tailored programme that will allow you to return to activity as quickly and safely as possible.

Treatment methods will comprise of established, evidence-based techniques that are aimed to promote optimal recovery from injury, as well as encourage effective avoidance of subsequent injuries.

These may include:

• Manual Therapy
  • Joint Mobilisations
  • Massage Therapy
  • Passive Stretching
• Strengthening Exercises
  • Upper and lower limb strengthening
  • Core and postural exercises
  • Muscle endurance training
• Flexibility and Mobility Exercises
  • Static stretching
  • Dynamic stretching
  • Joint mobility exercises
• Other Therapies:
  • Taping
  • Electrotherapy
  • Acupuncture
  • Heat/cold therapy
  • Cupping
• Home Exercise Plan:
  • Pre-habilitation programme - event specific exercise plan to prevent injuries during activity (technique alterations, postural adjustments, pre-event warm ups and drills, post-event cool downs)
  • Rehabilitation programme - individually tailored to provide optimal recovery from injury (pain-reduction, strengthening and mobility exercises, activity modification and return to full function)

05 Giving Physio the tools to help you succeed

Trinamics provides a unique multi-disciplinary service to athletes. In order to get the most out of your physiotherapy sessions, your physiotherapist may recommend the following:

• Biomechanical analysis: Biomechanical analysis of running, cycling and swimming are available. These assessments provide your therapists with important information about your technique, and any strength or flexibility deficits whilst you are performing.
• Expert team - If you are accessing physiotherapy via one of our training packages your physiotherapist will be able to liaise with your coach or sport scientist about your training and goals. Together your team will be able to work together to improve your performances

MOT's

We want to ensure that all of our athlete’s stay injury free and are competing to their full potential, therefore all athletes who are registered on our package’s will receive a ‘MOT Check-Up’ every 6 months.

Physiotherapy MOT’s are 60 minutes in duration and include:

• Physiotherapy assessment
• Physiotherapy treatment
• Home exercise programme

MOT’s are also available to any individuals who are not registered on our package’s, and can be booked separately via our website.