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What
is Sports Therapy?
Sports
Therapy is a type of health care that specifically focuses on the prevention of
injury and the rehabilitation of the patient back to optimum levels of functional,
occupational and sports specific fitness. Sports
therapy treatments should be tailored to meet the needs of each individual. In
some cases, a combination of treatments may be necessary for full recovery. What
is a Sports Therapist?
A
Sports Therapist is a practitioner who: - Has
the training and ability to provide first aid and attend to injuries in a recreational,
training and competitive environment.
- Has
the training and ability to assess and, where appropriate, refer on for specialist
advice and intervention.
- Has
the ability to provide sports massage pre and post activity.
- Can
plan and implement appropriate rehabilitation programs.
- Utilize
sports and exercise principles to optimize preparation and injury prevention programs.
Types
of Sports Therapy - R.I.C.E.
- R.I.C.E. stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.
- Rest the
injured body part immediately. If you feel pain when you move, this is your body
sending a signal to decrease mobility of the injured area.
- Ice: Apply
an ice pack to the injured area. Place a towel between your skin and the ice pack
to protect your skin from frostbite.
- Compress the injured area with
a bandage or wrap an ice pack over the area to help reduce swelling. If you feel
pain or a tingly sensation, loosen the pressure.
- Elevation: Raise or
prop up the injured area so that it rests above the level of your heart.
- A.R.T.
- A.R.T.
stands for Active Release Techniques
- A.R.T.
is a soft tissue system that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments,
fascia and nerves.
- Deep
Tissue Massage.
- Deep
Tissue Massage is a massage technique that focuses on the deeper layers of muscle
tissue. It is used to release chronic muscle tension through slow strokes and
direct deep pressure applied across the grain of the muscles as opposed to pressure
applied with the grain of the muscle.
- Thai
Massage
- Thai massage is a type of massage that incorporates, yoga, acupressure
and reflexology. It uses a wide variety of stretching movements and pressure points.
- Pre
Race Massage
- Helps
to prevent injury and prepares the body and mind for the stresses and exertions
of the forthcoming event. A pre race massage will warm muscle tissue, lubricate
joints, increase blood flow, increase oxygen intake.
- Post
Race Massage
- Helps
return the body and mind to an enjoyably relaxed state by. A post race massage
will relax muscle tissue, relax muscle fibers, and remove toxins and lactic acid
from muscles. It helps prevent overuse injury and following day aches.
Conditions
that may benefit from Sports Therapy? -
Tight and pulled hamstrings
- Pulled
groin muscles
- Achilles
tendon injuries
- Shin
Splints
- Heel
spurs
- Tennis
elbow
- Chronic
lower back problems
- Sciatica
problems
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