Sport Physiotherapy
Sport physiotherapy is an area of physiotherapy that focuses on the evaluation and rehabilitation of spinal and musculoskeletal injuries sustained from the participation in sport. A Sport Physiotherapist is a physiotherapist who has completed extensive training and examination under Sport Physiotherapy Canada. The Diploma of Sport Physiotherapy program requires expertise in theoretical knowledge and practical skills that leads the physiotherapist to be capable of providing treatment and rehabilitation for all sport teams during the whole course of the season. They may be involved with developing flexibility and conditioning programs, on- field coverage during practices and games, caring for the critical athlete, taping, bracing and using their strong manual therapy skills. A Sport Physiotherapist also has a role in providing education, health promotion, nutrition counseling and injury prevention.
Sport Conditioning Exercises
Today we understand that the nature of sport and daily life requires coordinated movement, full body strength, balance, and overall enhanced mechanics to reduce the chances of injury and improve performance of the human body. Sport conditioning draws upon the secondary characteristics of fitness (balance, agility, coordination, power, speed and reaction) and helps you move with greater efficiency and effectiveness. The primary goal is to improve an individual's ability to develop quick and controlled, yet powerful, deceptive and confident movement patterns that will provide the tools for improved sport skills, tactics and overall performance.
Kinesiology is the assessment of movement, performance and function and the rehabilitation, prevention and management of disorders to maintain, rehabilitate or enhance movement, performance and function, in the areas of sport, recreation, work, exercise, and activities of daily living. Our Certified Kinesiologists have specialized training in Ergonomic Assessments which will assist those individuals who develop problems from poorly designed workstations or repetitive/strenuous work tasks. An in-office ergonomic assessment can provide details on a healthy workstation set-up that will alleviate repetitive strain injuries and postural pain. Functional Capacity Evaluations may be performed to determine your current functional capabilities and to assess which work activities you may be most at risk in developing an injury. Our Certified Kinesiologists work with the direction of our physiotherapists to design extensive home exercise programs that will include education, aerobic activity, strengthening, core training, and stretching.
With our busy lifestyles, it is becoming more evident that maintaining a physical activity program is very important for good health. With increased work hours and time spent using keyboards, the incidence rate of repetitive strain injuries has risen as well. Physiotherapy can provide you with a physical conditioning program to improve your overall health and protect you from developing these injuries. This can be accomplished in numerous methods depending on your own situation. A Certified Kinesiologist can visit your worksite and perform a functional capacity evaluation or ergonomic evaluation. A Registered Physiotherapist can provide education regarding working positions, posture, stress management, and stretching. An individualized, rehabilitation exercise program includes aerobic activity such as biking or walking, a strengthening component with weights or bands, a relaxation activity such as stretching, yoga or TaiChi, and health and safety sessions to demonstrate proper body mechanics and modifications to daily functional activities.