By Running Physio, Kyle Weise
A common misconception about physio is that we are just here for when an injury and pain gets to the point that it limits your ability to function or participate in your hobbies &/or sporting pursuits. However, there is significantly more that Physio can offer you- whether you are experiencing a current injury or not.
What I tend to find in the clinic is someone will present with an injury, however, the information and planning we put in place even after the initial injury has settled to help improve function and performance in addition to reducing the risk of further injury are things that could be put in place before the initial injury is even present. I find the largest barrier to people realising this is how good we are at forgetting what it was like to be injured. This leaves us thinking we “will be fine” because everything is feeling good right now. Runners, I’m looking at you! Oh how quickly we forget what it was like to not be able to run.
So what can physio offer to someone who is not currently experiencing pain or injury?
Identify actual or potential training errors.
– When someone presents with an injury, I will also go through the person’s history and what they have been doing over recent times. The vast majority of the time, we will be able to find likely contributing factors to the current injury presentation. One of the most useful things we do as physios is help you understand why an injury has happened and help give you the knowledge as to why so that you will be able to identify things that will contribute to future injuries.
Identify physical weaknesses/imbalances
– Even though most people work quite hard on these areas, there are generally always things we can improve on. Identifying these areas before they potentially contribute to a future injury can be very useful at reducing your risk of future injury.
Identify other contributing factors
– There are numerous factors outside of
just a particular activity which can increase your risk of suffering an injury or pain. Identifying these other factors can be very useful in reducing your risk of injury as they are often things you will not realise increase your risk of injury.
I want to make a note here that we cannot prevent injuries (and if anyone tells you this, ask them for the research to back this concept as we really have none!), however, we CAN reduce your risk of experiencing injury and we can certainly help your performance of activities of daily living, exercise or sports performance.
One of the common phrases that someone will say after we discuss all of the things they could have done better before they suffered their injury is, “I wish I knew this information earlier”.
The main reason I wanted to write this article is to you know that you CAN have access to this information and help NOW- BEFORE an injury stops you from doing the things you love.
Book an appointment now online or phone us on 07 55006470
