Physiotherapy is a health profession that provides treatment to control and repair movement through exercises and physical treatments like massage, heat, cold, electrical stimulation and ultrasound. The document then provides two case studies: 1) A rower who tore her quad muscle was able to return to full strength rowing within a week through treatments like ice, massage, taping and electrotherapy. 2) A cricketer who sprained his ankle was able to return to playing within 4 weeks through a rigorous treatment regime including ice, ultrasound, exercises and taping to reduce swelling and protect the ligament as it healed.

1. WHAT IS PHYSIOTHERAPY?
Physiotherapy is a health profession. Physical therapy provides aid to people, to control and
repair maximum movement potential and functional capability all through the years. A
physiotherapist deals with abrasion and dysfunction with exercise and other physical treatments
that helps with strengthening the muscles, joints and bones. Rehabilitation takes advantage of
massages, corrective exercises and other physical media such as water, electrical muscle
stimulation, ultrasound, myofasicle release, heat and cold.
CASE STUDY 1.
Kristina is a rower. She in her last year of high school, first VIII rower getting ready for her first regatta of her
last season; she tore her rectus femoris muscle (long, thin quad muscle extending from front of pelvis to kneecap)
slightly while she was helping carry the boat from the water after her training.
Physiotherapy evaluation showed bruising and swelling at the top of her thigh, and a slight indentation giving sharp
pain when the muscle was felt for irregularities. No hip or knee joint pathology was found, and her thigh movement
was very limited because the muscle was in spasm to prevent any stress being placed on the site of the tear. She
could not lift her leg off the bed without significant pain.
Keep in mind that the most important action for Kristina to be able to perform was the equivalent of a squat, ie,
the rowing motion. She did not need to be able to run or swim - she would not be able to do these for about 4-5
weeks, until much more complete healing and rehabilitation had taken place. But because she only needed to row,
we made it our goal to get her to the point of being able to do repeated squats with full strength and speed in five
days' time.
How did it happen?
Heaps of 15 minute ice sessions, gradually firmer massage to surrounding muscle and then very gently to the scar
tissue being laid down. Ultrasound and other electrotherapy treatments were used to maximise the rate of healing.
By Wednesday she could manage a half-squat pain-free with rigid and compressional taping firmly supporting the
injury site. By Thursday she was on a stationary bike, and on Friday she was able to do four sets of ten full squats
with only body weight and two sets of ten standing straight leg lifts with minimum pain. That afternoon she did a
gentle pain-free ten minute rowing ergonometer session and iced after.
She was hoping to race twice on the Saturday. With the more important race in the afternoon, we negotiated and
decided not to row in the morning and give it everything she had in the afternoon. She ended up racing well that
afternoon, though was a little more sore on Sunday. Full training sessions during the following week became
painless and she went on to full strength for the next weekend's races (though still used tape on her quad for the
whole of the week).
The keys to her speedy progress were tape, massage and the nature of the rowing movement preventing the
rectus femoris muscle from being further strained.
Case study 2:

2. the college cricketer with an ankle sprain
Matthew is a university student, first grade cricketer (batsman) who sustained a small tear to his (L) calcaneo-
fibular ligament - the classic, very painful ankle sprain that makes you feel as if you've fractured it but instead
often begins to recover faster than you might expect!
Physiotherapy assessment revealed a slight laxity (looseness) on a medial stress test to his ligament compared to
his good ankle, but no laxity on the very important anterior drawer test. There were moderate amounts of swelling
around the outside area of his ankle but none obvious on the inside ankle area, while his range of motion all round
was up to full - a very encouraging sign. He had no pain in the back of the ankle joint, being able to point his foot
into almost full plantar flexion. This indicated a good chance that there was minimal bruising of the inside of the
ankle joint ('osteo-chondral' damage) which would really slow down the chance of being able to run within four
weeks. X-rays showed nothing abnormal.
We knew therefore that if we could get that swelling down by the end of the week and maximise his dorsiflexion
(knee forward over the foot) range of motion to enable him to run between the wickets, we would win the battle
against time. Heavy taping would do the rest in terms of preventing strain through the fragile scar tissue and the
healing process would not be unduly set back.
Treatment
A rigorous regime of ice treatment with active motion exercises (cryotherapy) was carried out religiously all week;
ultrasound and electrotherapy were applied to the damaged ligament, and some non-steroidal medication was
further used towards the latter part of the week - all in a desperate attempt to reduce the swelling, (research has
shown unequivocally that swelling slows the rate of healing).
Joint mobilisation, stationary bike riding, gentle strength exercises, and a very light training session on Thursday
night were sufficient to prevent weakness setting in. Disciplined taping method ensured good adhesion and
therefore good support right through to the team's successful first round game where Matt achieved the second
highest score of 45 runs. Boy, was he chuffed!
Matt continued to battle swelling over the healing ligament until the third week, due in part to his full training and
game participation, but it did not stop him playing as long as he was strapped. In the third week the balance and
proprioception (brain- ankle connection) component of rehab was stepped up, in an effort to prevent a repeat
sprain of the ligament once he was weaned off the tape.