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Prevention is always better than cure.

Safe athletic performance relies upon the complex integration of a wide range of factors. Our physiotherapists carry out a detailed musculoskeletal profile of each athlete in order to identify any potential risk factors for injury. This takes the form of a detailed assessment of the athlete, their sport and their training practices. Following on from this, a tailored injury prevention programme is designed to address the risk factors identified.

Unfortunately injuries do happen from time to time; when this is the case our staff seek to diagnose injuries quickly and manage them effectively. We base our approach to injury management upon the best available evidence and use the latest treatment strategies. Treatment of injuries can take many different forms and may include some of the following: cryotherapy, joint mobilisation, manipulation, massage, acupuncture, movement correction, electrotherapy, taping and rehabilitation. SINI physiotherapists guide athletes through the entire rehabilitation process until they are back to full safe and effective performance.

The physiotherapists at SINI constantly work to reduce the time lost due to injury. Following injury it is important to ensure that an athlete gets back to full training and competition as quickly as possible and that the injury does not recur. The physiotherapy staff at SINI spend a considerable amount of time with the injured athlete making sure that they can safely return to training. During this time it is not uncommon for staff to spend more time with an athlete on a pitch or in the gym than in the treatment room. Rehabilitation typically involves sessions working on every aspect of performance that may have been adversely affected by injury e.g. strength, endurance, balance or agility.

Another important role of the physiotherapist is performance enhancement. As experts in movement analysis and correction, physiotherapists are ideally suited to assess athletic movements and to put in place programmes to improve performance. Perhaps not surprisingly, the most technically correct performance of sport-specific movement patterns are also usually the safest.

At SINI we have developed a screening process that is aimed at enhancing performance. The screening incorporates tests to assess key movements associated with the athlete’s sport and identify key subcomponents essential for effective practice. We then assess the ability of the athlete to adopt, maintain and control technically correct postures and limb alignment during sport-related functional tasks (e.g. kicking a ball). Once any deficiencies have been highlighted the physiotherapist, in conjunction with the athlete and coach, will develop specific exercises designed to enhance performance.v