Is sports physiotherapy safe in athletes?

A sports physiotherapy assessment may review pain, joint movement, strength, balance, running or throwing mechanics and the demands of the athlete’s sport. Treatment can include education, mobility work, progressive strengthening, movement retraining and a staged return to practice. The programme should change as the athlete’s symptoms, control and workload change.

Safe rehabilitation is not the same as pushing through every symptom. A clinician may modify drills, reduce impact, change technique or substitute an exercise while a tissue heals. Training, sleep, recovery time and previous injuries also influence how much load is appropriate.

Describe the injury, when it started, what makes it worse and which sport movements are limited. Keep track of symptoms during the session and later that day. Use the prescribed warm-up, strength and recovery plan, and increase one training demand at a time when advised. Tell the physiotherapist about pain that changes your movement, swelling, giving way or a drop in performance.

Stop activity and seek prompt assessment for a suspected fracture, major swelling, a joint that looks deformed, inability to bear weight, new weakness or numbness, chest pain, fainting or severe shortness of breath. An injury with a sudden pop followed by loss of function also deserves timely review rather than an immediate return to sport.

What diagnosis are we treating? Which movements are safe now? What signs show that my training load is too high? What tests or functional goals should I meet before competition?