Physiotherapy screening is now commonplace in elite sport, athletes have witnessed the significant and measurable benefits of athlete screening over the last twenty years. Physiotherapy screening is not just applicable to the elite athlete, it is also relevant to anyone interested in sport, fitness and physical activity.
Newcastle Sports Injury Clinic has been appointed by a number of national and international organisations to provide physiotherapy musculoskeletal screening.
We have provided screening for a wide variety of sports and disciplines, including: dance, athletics, golf, basketball and football.
Physiotherapy screening can:
- Limit the onset of injury through the identification of physical issues that may lead to injury.
- Maximise your full training potential through the identification of physical weakness.
- Provide you with advice on training and conditioning based on the results of your physiotherapy screening.
- Identify appropriate home exercises for you to improve physical deficits.
- Identify baseline measures for your physical condition that help you track your training progression.
- Benefit those returning to exercise after periods of being less active or recovering from injury. It is also invaluable for those taking on new challenges however big or small.
What is physiotherapy screening?
During an assessment a full history is taken of your training and injury history, current physical state and future goals. Our physiotherapists will thoroughly assess your posture, flexibility, strength and biomechanics through a series of clinical tests and observations of movement.
A comprehensive picture of your body and how it is functioning is formed and areas which may limit performance or increase risk of injury are highlighted. The physiotherapist will advise you and, where appropriate, liaise with other professionals, such as your strength and conditioning coach, to help plan training programmes that will address problem areas and help improve symptoms.
Treatment and advice are evidence based and tailored to meet your individual needs. If required, the screening session can be repeated after a suitable time to review and confirm that any areas of concern have improved.
Why screening?
Physiotherapy screening is a proactive approach to keeping you fit and healthy. Regardless of your goal, it will compliment your training programme through the assessment of your physical condition. It is widely accepted that working to avoid potential injury is more beneficial that responding to an established one. Research shows that what may seem like relatively minor changes in training and preparation, can result in significant gains in performance.
Physiotherapy screening must be sports specific
For many years we have worked with a variety of sports, gaining significant knowledge of sporting technique and exercise physiology.
Many of our physiotherapists have worked and completed at the highest levels in elite sport. From their own participation they can further appreciate the individual needs of an athlete.