Physios Are Very, Very Important!

Our guide to the importance of physios

If you've been running for a while there's a very good chance that you've already visited a physiotherapist, probably on more than one occasion. If you're new to the sport then be prepared. It's not necessarily a negative. Most of us will have an injury challenge and the vast majority of them can be overcome quickly. Maybe you should visit one before you get injured to help with prevention?

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What is a physiotherapist?

A physiotherapist works with patients to develop customised programs designed to restore as much as possible their functional ability and movement. They are trained to help patients at all stages of life — from infant to old age — whose function and movement are impacted by a number of different factors, in the case of runners, often from overtraining: They take a whole-body approach, and work at all stages of healthcare, including prevention, education, intervention, rehabilitation, and treatment. Sports physios focus on the prevention and treatment of injuries.

Why do we need them?

Physios are an essential part of the running scene. Often undervalued and unfairly maligned for their charges (everyone has to make a living), without them many of us wouldn't have a running history and those amazing memories would have never been created. Go to any doctor anywhere in the world and they will more often than not have no interest in dealing with a running injury. Often it's because they don't have the skill set to deal with them, but whatever the reason you will be referred elsewhere. And generally this referral will be to a sports physiotherapist. As the majority of them are private you will need to pay. Most medical insurances will however cover the cost.

Different types of physio

Sports Physiotherapy: This is a special branch of physiotherapy that deals with sports professionals and athletes. The focus is also on performance and overall patient development. Getting athletes back to full form and getting rid of pain is only a part of what a sports physiotherapist does.

Neurological physiotherapy: Neurological conditions lead to extreme muscle weakness, loss of balance and coordination and more. This type of physio aims at establishing mobility and treating functional disorders which originate from nervous and neuromuscular system such as stroke, spinal cord injuries and Parkinson’s disease.

Orthopaedic physiotherapy: The main aim here is to alleviate pain, increase mobilization, and to rectify the skeletal injury. This type of physio deals with repairing the deformities and treating the ailments related to the human musculoskeletal system, which include correcting the muscles, ligaments, bones, joints, and tendons.

Cardiopulmonary physiotherapy: Physiotherapists run cardiac rehabilitation centers and educate patients about certain forms of exercises and resistance training techniques. This is targeted at patients who suffer from cardiopulmonary disorders to improve their overall quality of life.

Paediatric physiotherapy: Paediatric physiotherapists help in improving acute injuries, defects which are present at the time of birth, delayed physical growth, or certain genetic defects such as cerebral palsy. They also use various therapeutic exercises in children, which can aid in strengthening the affected parts; thereby improving the precise and overall movement.

Geriatric physiotherapy: This sub-specialty deals with certain age-related medical conditions such as arthritis, osteoporosis. They also guide elderly about restricting certain movements which can aggravate pain, provide their patients with gait aides to improve overall mobility and to minimize pain by employing various techniques and exercises.

What to look for

So how do you decide who to go to? Obviously it needs to be a sports physio, but as with many areas of life you can't beat word of mouth recommendations. It's great to be put into contact with a physio based on feedback from someone else who has had to deal with the same issues.

It's also good to be treated by a physio who is a runner and knows the challenges. They are always better, but it does often help. And then there's the cost. If your insurance doesn't cover it you'll need to look at the cost of a visit and work out how much a full course of treatment could be. Obviously going for the cheaper option isn't always the answer but if you've had two good recommendations from people you trust and one is cheaper than the other then it could make sense.

The roller is a popular way of massaging sore muscles

What are the different types of treatment?

There are many different approaches that your physio could take with your running or walking injuries and there's a fair chance that you'll experience two or three of these combined and potentially more:

• Manual therapy – This is basically the use of the hands to massage the affected area. It's often the starting point for treatment.

• Stretches and exercises – A staple of all physios this is often an education process where they encourage clients to do these at home between sessions. They are really important and are an ongoing part of a strengthening program.

• TENS therapy – A TENS device is a small battery-driven device that's used to send low-grade current through the electrodes placed on the skin surface, with the aim of temporarily relieving the pain of the affected area.

• ROM exercises – Range of motion exercises are used to improve joint mobility and to reduce muscle stiffness. The three most common are Passive Range of Motion (PROM) exercises, Active Assistive Range of Motion (AAROM) exercises and Active Range of Motion (AROM) exercises.

• Acupuncture - Check out our article on this often misunderstood treatment. Not all physios offer this, but if yours does then it could be worth looking at.

• Taping – You may have seen this tape available in running stores and wondered what it's for. It lifts the skin away from the connective tissue, so allowing the lymphatic fluid to move more effectively. You can do this yourself but there is a technique so ask your physio to show you first.

• Joint mobilisation – This type of manual therapy technique is used wherein a physiotherapist mobilises the joints at different speeds, depths, and amplitudes to restore normal joint movement.

• Ultrasound: Therapeutic ultrasound uses the frequency range of 0.5 – 3 MHz to lower inflammation. It promotes healing at the cellular level, increase metabolism, and improve blood flow to the damaged tissue.

Our recommendations

It is very easy to put off dealing with an injury. While you don't want to be heading to a medic the first time you feel any kind of twinge be warned that if you don't deal with a problem early it could be very costly, both in medical bills and time away from running. Get issues dealt with quickly and you'll be back on the roads soon.

It's also important to visit a physio even when you don't have a problem. Go and get a good sports massage and help prevent problems. That will be money very well spent!