Injuries are a problem faced by nearly all who engage in competitive or casual sporting. More so if your sport includes contact. Injuries persist in any perceivable field of sport. A lot of players might even tell you that they have ongoing issues or “problem areas” that have been sore points for years. Physiotherapists are great at managing these problems and are usually who most people think of first for management and resolution.
Often solutions to these problems includes reducing the aggravating activity and a brief hiatus from play. It can be difficult to rehabilitate numerous injuries during the season, particularly if the problem has been around for a longer period of time. There are too many stresses, strains and new problems that can crop up during the season to allow a well-founded injury proper means to progress. This can be a problem for many elite level athletes and physiotherapists alike. No one wants to take a break from their sport and our jobs as clinicians is to return you to your sport as fast and as safely possible. But sometimes during the season, it is better to focus on the moment-to-moment management of a problem, then regroup and refocus during the offseason.
During the offseason, training pressure and game stress is not as high on the body. Therefore, more work can be allocated to different areas of the body safely. This gives athletes a great chance to “reload” so to speak and come back stronger than before. Playing with ongoing “complaints” or sore spots can be physically and mentally draining in the medium to long term. Sometimes it's best to take some time to recover the right way with assistance. This strategy is even more appropriate for “weekend warriors” who want to keep playing well into their days but need a bit of extra help doing it.
Written by Joseph Kelly, Yates Physiotherapy
