Spring is in the air!
Daffodils and tulips are blooming, cherry blossoms greet us and White Rock beach beckons. Many of us are dusting off bicycles, runners, and cleats as we excitedly prepare for both the recreational and competitive spring sports season. Unfortunately, spring is also the time of year that our physiotherapists witness an increase in sports injuries. Commonly, we tend to treat sprains, strains, muscle pulls, knee injuries and tennis elbows. Frequently, injuries occur due to a lack of conditioning. Fortunately, most of these injuries are preventable.
Our Top 7 Injury Prevention Tips
Check-in with your Doctor – before you embrace a new sport or return to activity, visit your family physician for a checkup.
Train and Condition – springing forward from a sedentary winter lifestyle can put unnecessary stress on your body. Take it slow and build gradually. Your body needs time to improve your muscle strength and conditioning and your cardiovascular fitness.
Warm Up – pure and simple, warm muscles perform better. Pay attention to your warmup routines.
Check your Gear – replace poorly fitting and worn-out equipment. Proper gear is important and will help you achieve injury-free peak performance.
Listen to Your Body – know when you are fatigued. Remember, endurance comes with time. Tired muscles increase your chance of injury.
Pay Attention to Technique – proper alignment and body mechanics save energy, increases efficiency, and helps prevent injuries.
Pay Attention to Your Overall Health – eat and sleep right. Following a healthy diet and practising good sleep hygiene pays dividends.
As the proverb goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and our physiotherapists will work closely with you to improve your balance, muscle strength and conditioning.
Looking for support? Book your appointment today at Advanced Physiotherapy. We treat patients dealing with a variety of orthopedic and sports injuries, including pre-and post-surgical physical therapy. If you are facing any of these issues, our team can help restore your function and mobility, along with reducing your pain levels.