STT in Sports Medicine

• 1.
• Encourage healing at the site of the soft tissue injury

• 2.
• Prevent secondary problems

• 3.
• Improve and maintain muscles extensibility and joint ROM

• 4.
• Decrease recovery time

• 5.
• Strengthen the site of injury

• 6.
• Regain muscle responsiveness and tone

• 7.
• Prevent reoccurrence of the injury

• 8.
• Maintain fitness and function of the body

• 9.
• Implement rehabilitation programs

10. Education of client

11. Provide ongoing advice

• - Improved circulation
• - Muscle relaxation
• - Seperation of muscle and connective tissue
• - Deactivation of trigger points
• - Increased alertness and mental clarity

• - Increased energy
• - Freer movement at joints
• - Faster recovery time
• - Pain reduction

• - around an infection
• - near a fracture
• - varicose veins
• - rashes
• - open wounds
• - Fever

• - Diabetes
• - High/low BP
• - Kidney disease
• - Sprains / Strains
• - Edema

• - Warm the muscle by increasing it's circulation
• - Prepare the athlete mentally
• - Stimulate the sympathetic nervous system

• - Ongoing stimulation of the nervous system
• - Maintain muscle temp and responsiveness
• - Prevent the shortening of soft tissue structures during rest

• - Aid in the return of venous blood / removal of metabolites
• - Improve nutrition to the tissues
• - Return muscles to resting tone
• - Decrease mental alertness
• - Calm the nervous system

• - To address total physical health of the athlete
• - To prevent or treat musculoskeletal dysfunctions
• - Promote healthy scar tissue

• - Techniques should follow direction of muscle fibres
• - Always applied pressure towards the heart
• - Depth of pressure should increase gradually

• - The techniques run at 90 defrees to the muscle fibres
• - Depth of pressure should increase gradually
• - Should be followed by muscle lengthening techniques such as long. frictions or stretching

• It is voluntary.
• The 2 ways in which it can occur are concentric contraction - the muscle shortens as it contracts against a force
• eccentric contraction - the muscle lengthens while contracting against a force

• It is a voluntary movement.
• There is no movement at the joint in an isometric contraction

This is where the muscle is stretched and held at the point just before it becomes painful. This is held for 30 seconds. The muscle should then be able to move further.

This involves moving a body part to its end of range in a bouncing action.

• Last's about 1-3 days with the main symptoms as heat, swelling, redness pain and loss of function.
• The clinical picture:
• constant pain
• PROM will produce muscle spasm
• referred pain is likely
• difficulty in falling asleep

• Occurs between 2 days - 2 weeks.
• The healing begins with the formation of granulation tissue.
• Pain is only experienced during ROM

• 2nd 3rd week of the sub acute stage.
• This stage is where the remodelling of the tissue happens, therefore adhesions may limit ROM

From 3 weeks to years. It is diagnosed when the inflammatory process goes for longer than is beneficial to the patient

Shouldn't take place until after the initial 24-72 hours. Instead, the therapist should aim to reduce internal and external bleeding

a collagen based tissue that develops as a result of the inflammatory process

• First intention - when the edges of the damaged tissue remain in contact and the scar tissue can knit them together
• Second intention - when there is a space between the edges of the tissue. This space is filled with collagen

• -The inflammatory response
• - Prolonged immobilisation

• -Occur when reduced ROM at a joint allows cross linkages in collagen to form
• - They can occur within and between skin, muscles, tendons and groups of muscles

• A result of ahdesions and are sometimes irreversible.
• The reduced ROM caused by the adhesions will lead to chronic shortening of soft tissue

• This occurs when fibrotic tissue or bone replaces the muscles and connective tissue.
• This results in permanent loss of ROM

• an overstretch injury to a ligament.
• It is usually a trauma related sudden twist or wrench beyound its normal range.

• Minimal edema, bruising, pain
• the joint is stable
• the athlete can continue

• The joint gives way
• There is moderate heat, edema and bruising
• It is difficult to continue activity

• There is a snapping noise
• Intense or absent pain
• marked local edema, bruising and heat
• joint is unstable
• cannot continue activity

• An overstretch injury to a musculotendinous unit.
• The causes are a sudden overstretching of the muscle, or a forceful contraction of the muscle against heavy resistance.
• Inadequate warm up, little flexibilty, repetitive overuse and altered biomechanics also contribute

• May be local edema, bruising, swelling
• Tenderness
• Little or no loss of strength
• Able to continue the activity

• Moderate local edema, bruising, heat
• May be a gap in the tissue
• Moderate intensity/pain when contracted/ stretched
• Moderate loss of strength and ROM
• Difficulty continuing activity

• Complete rupture/ avulsion fracture
• Snapping noise or sensation
• Marked local edema, bruising, heat
• Gap in tissue
• Severe pain
• Cannot continue activity
• Immediate loss of strength and ROM