Sports injury prevention, treatment & rehabilitation

Our sports injury clinic located in Clitheroe Lancashire, specialise in the prevention of injury, injury assessment, treatment and subsequent rehabilitation of sports injuries. Our aim is to return our patients to full functional fitness, ready to take on their chosen sport in the fastest possible recovery time while also preventing re-injury. We have years of experience working with many sports and have treated a variety of clients, from recreational amateur sport participants to elite athletes.

Typical injuries / conditions

We treat a wide range of sports injuries and musculoskeletal conditions (e.g. muscle strains, ligament sprains, osteoarthritis). These can be acute or chronic. Many are associated with overuse and/or biomechanical problems - which need comprehensive investigation to establish the causative factors. Ankle problems, knee pain, shoulder pain and back problems are most common. We also treat post-surgery joint conditions

We use a wide range of treatments

We use a wide range of evidence-based therapuetic interventions and techniques to achieve our goals. Treatments often include both manual and electrotherapy techniques devised to compliment each other. This may include; massage, physical therapy, mobilisation, therapuetic ultrasound, laser, TENS, interferential, acupuncture and specific individualised rehabilitation programmes designed to restore full function.  Without proper rehabilitation, the individual may return to sport too soon, with residual instability, weakness and imbalance.

Injury prevention

Prevention is the best cure (1). There are many aspects; both the athlete and Sports Therapist can do to assist with injury prevention. For example, according to research, ideally stretching should be carried out directly after the ‘cool -down’. This is because the muscle temperature remains elevated and more pliable (2). Stretching techniques are often under-valued as an excellent and effective means of preventing injury. However, to be effective, stretching must be selective and correctly applied (3).

Treatment of injuries

The mode, type, intensity and d uration of any treatment is dependent upon the clinical condition presented at the time of each visit i.e. acute / sub-acute / chronic, in addition to eliciting and respecting the patient’s preferences. Treatment is specific and tailored to each patient,s condition and to embrace the appropriate phases of tissue healing (4). Overuse injuries have become an increasing problem in sports medicine and they present three distinct challenges - diagnosis, treatment and an understanding of the aetiology (5). Furthermore, often injuries cannot be addressed effectively by any single discipline in isolation. Thus, for optimal progress, often both a multidisciplinary and an interdisciplinary approach are often required (6).

Principles of rehabiliation

Rehabilitation is the successful restoration of the injured athlete to the pre-injury level of physical fitness and competition (7,8), ideally, in the shortest, safest, possible time (9). It is generally accepted that treatment and rehabilitation should be based on sound scientific principles underlying tissue healing (10,11). When necessary, a multidisciplinary  approach should be used to ensure an optimum outcome. Often injuries recur as a result of inadequate rehabilitation, particularly in the absence of proprioception. Poor adherence to treatment and rehab plans is often documented as a limiting factor to the athletes recovery (9). Patient adherence can be enhanced by education, goal setting (12), and motivational strategies (13).

References        

1. Baker, J. (2007). Sports Injury - Prevention is the Best Cure. Journal of Sportex Dynamics. 14, 9-11.
2. Eaton, E. (2004). Injury Prevention: stretching a point? Journal of Sportex Health, 20, 25-27.
3. Roig Pull, M., Ranson, C. (2007). Eccentric muscle action: Implications for injury prevention and rehabilitation. Journal of Physical Therapy in Sport. 8(2), 88-97.
4. Kannus, P., Parkkari, T.L., Jarvinen, T., et al. (2003). Basic Science and Clinical Studies coincide: active treatment approach is needed after a sports injury. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports. 13, 150-154.
5. Brukner, P. & Khan, K. (2001). Clinical Sports Medicine. Sydney: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
6. Whiting, W. C., & Zernicke, R. F. (2008). Biomechanics of musculoskeletal injury. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
7. Clark, N. (2004). Principles of injury rehabilitation. Journal of Sportex Medicine. 19, 6-10.
8. Smith, G.N. (1998). Return to fitness. In: Orthopaedic Physiotherapy - Ed. Marian Tidswell. London: Mosby.
9. Glasgow, P. (2007). Sports rehabilitation: principles and practice. Journal of Sportex Medicine. 32, 10-16.
10. Bandy, W. D. (1992). Functional rehabilitation of the athlete. Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Clinics of North America. 1, 269-281.
11. Kannus, P., Parkkari, T.L., Jarvinen, T., et al. (2003). Basic science and clinical studies coincide: active treatment approach is needed after a sports injury. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine andScience in Sports. 13, 150-154.
12. Crossman, J. (1997). Psychological rehabilitation from sports injuries. Sports Medicine, 23(5), 333-339.
13. Ward, S. (2006). Enhancing motivation for rehabilitation adherence. Journal of Sportex Dynamics. 7, 6-8.