Sports Physiotherapy
Sports physiotherapy is a specialised area of physiotherapy that’s essential to helping professional and recreational athletes prevent and recover from sports-related injuries while also improving athletic performance.
A sports physiotherapist’s role focuses on helping clients assess and mitigate injury risks, employ effective measures for looking after their physical well-being, and guide and educate them on the practical ways of recovering in the event they sustain an injury.
To learn more about sports physiotherapy at Conscious Healthcare SA, browse the questions below. If you have any questions or concerns not covered below, feel free to get in touch. We’re happy to help.
What is Sports Physiotherapy, and Who Can Benefit from It?
As the name suggests, sports physiotherapy is a specialisation within the umbrella of physiotherapy that’s focused on a variety of sporting and athletic pursuits.
Most professional sports teams have physiotherapists assisting athletes in mitigating the occurrence of injury and helping them safely recover in the event an injury does occur. They also assist in post-surgery rehabilitation that results from any sporting injuries.
Given its focus, the main people who benefit from sports physiotherapy are professional athletes and sportspeople. But it’s also beneficial for anyone who loves playing sports and wants to employ methods and exercises that help lessen the potential for injury.
How Does Sports Physiotherapy Help with Injury Prevention?
Sports physical therapy isn’t just for helping athletes and players recover from injury, it’s also a way of reducing the likelihood of injury through preventative exercises, stretches, muscle strengthening, and more.
For example, while back pain can be addressed through physiotherapy, several strategies can be employed to strengthen the back in general and prevent or lessen the intensity of future injuries or accumulated pain.
This could involve solutions such as:
- Muscle strengthening (the core, lower back, and upper back)
- Stretches that improve the flexibility and mobility of the spine and muscles to make them less prone to strain
- Ergonomic solutions (e.g. ergonomic chairs, desks, etc.) to reduce strain on the back
- Sports massage therapy and other manual therapies
What are the Most Common Sports Injuries Treated in Physiotherapy?
There are many common sports injuries that can be treated through physiotherapy. These include:
- Sprains and strains
- ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and other knee injuries
- Tennis elbow (aka lateral and medial epicondylitis, common in tennis, golf, and weightlifting)
- Shin splints
- Achilles tendonitis and tears
- Concussions
- Stress fractures
- Lower back pain such as spondylolysis and disc injuries
How Soon Should I See a Physiotherapist After a Sports Injury?
If you or someone you know has sustained a sports injury, it’s best to engage with a physiotherapist as soon as possible. The sooner your injury is examined and assessed, the sooner appropriate therapies and restorative exercises can be employed. Whether you see a physiotherapist via referral, NDIS eligibility, or through a direct booking, it’s best to do so ASAP.
What Sports Physiotherapy Treatments are Available at Conscious Health Care in Adelaide?
Many physiotherapy treatments are available to those who sustain sports injuries, and these treatments can overlap with those utilised for other forms of physiotherapy (rehabilitation, physiotherapy for physical disabilities, etc.). These treatments include, but are not limited to:
- Therapeutic exercises
- Targeted stretching
- Electrical stimulation therapy
- Kinesiology taping
- Cold and heat therapy
- Ultrasound therapy
- Hydrotherapy
- Massage
Can Sports Physiotherapy Improve Athletic Performance?
Absolutely. Sports physiotherapists have a solid understanding of how sports injuries can occur and, by extension, know how athletes can reduce the likelihood of incurring injuries. They also teach athletes how to optimise their movements on the field or track, which both mitigates injury and enhances their speed, agility, and coordination.
Much like a dietitian can help people improve their diets and nutrient intake to improve their overall health, so too can a sports physical therapist optimise someone’s physical performance and recovery to get more out of their efforts over the long term.
What Role Does Physiotherapy Play in Post-Surgery Sports Rehabilitation?
We’d argue that physiotherapy is an absolute must when it comes to safely rehabilitating after a sports injury-related surgery. Physiotherapists can guide their clients on safely implementing stretches, muscle strengthening efforts and other post-surgery recovery strategies.
It’s so important that post-surgery recovery be handled correctly, because too much strain or incorrectly implemented exercises can lead to further injury or set recovery back.
For those who play sports at a professional level, they need to get their muscle strength back without running a risk of injury. After surgery, if the impacted muscles, ligaments or joints are not used, they’ll atrophy. The further weakening of these will make recovery even harder down the line.
Post-surgery physiotherapy offers the following benefits:
- It helps restore strength and mobility by re-strengthening weakened muscles and improving joint flexibility.
- Pain and swelling can be reduced through manual therapies, cold and heat therapy, etc.
- Re-injury can be prevented by gradually reintroducing movement exercises while avoiding overstressing the healing area.
- The physiotherapist can guide the client on improving their movement mechanics, which helps correct imbalances or faulty movement patterns that could otherwise lead to future issues if unaddressed.
- Depending on the sport the client partakes in, the physiotherapist can also help them restore their functionality according to the specific demands of that sport so they’re in the best physical position to reenter.
Are There Specific Exercises I Can Do at Home to Aid My Recovery?
If you’ve sustained a sports injury and are at the stage where you can be back home, chances are your physiotherapist will provide you with exercises and stretches you can do that will help expedite your recovery.
These exercises will depend on your injury and individual health needs, and your physiotherapist will detail these exercises to you when appropriate. You should only perform the exercises your sports physiotherapist tells you to perform.
How Often Should I Visit a Sports Physiotherapist in Adelaide?
How often you visit a sports physiotherapist will depend on what your needs are. The frequency of visits when recovering from an injury or surgery is likely to be much higher than if you’re just seeing one for general care and injury prevention.
Ultimately, there are no hard and fast rules on this. The best way to determine the frequency of visits is to book an initial consultation with a Conscious Healthcare SA sports physiotherapist, who’ll advise you on the appropriate session frequency for your specific preventative or recovery-focused needs.
What are Some of the Latest Trends in Sports Physiotherapy in 2025?
Like most other therapies and areas of healthcare, sports physical therapy is evolving with contemporary advancements in technology and care practices. These trends vary in their implementation and viability to the broader practice of sports medicine and therapy.
Some trends you may see more of in the space include:
- A broadening utilisation of wearable technology can be used to monitor heart rate, movement patterns, and muscle activity in real time. This data can then be used by physical therapists to fine-tune preventative and recovery strategies.
- Motion capture systems are being used in some settings to more accurately map the movement of athletes. This motion capture enables physiotherapists to paint a clearer picture of how athletes move and how to modify these movement patterns to avoid potential injury.
- With a stronger understanding of the link between physical and mental health, more sports physical therapists are implementing strategies focused on managing stress, anxiety, and other psychological factors that can impact an athlete’s physical performance and ability to recover from injury.
- The rise of AI has been felt in almost every industry around the world, and sports physiotherapy is no different. Personalised data and deeper analysis enabled through AI are starting to be used within sports and the broader sports medicine industry, with the main aim being to give athletes more bespoke and personalised strategies for their health needs.