Physiotherapy for Hockey Injuries
Ice hockey is a popular winter sport in Canada, with both amateur and pro athletes playing every year. Hockey is a fast-paced sport. It combines players of different sizes and speeds together on an ice rink with furious, non-stop action.
Due to the hard-hitting, physical nature of the game, hockey players put themselves at risk for injury at any moment while playing.
Factors that can cause hockey injuries may include:
High-impact contact from other players
Rigid boards
Goal posts
Skate blades
Hockey sticks
Pucks moving at high speeds
Mainway Physiotherapists treat all kinds of athletes from around the area of Burlington, Ontario and the GTA. We offer sports injury rehab and prehab to hockey players to help speed recovery and restore function.
Hockey injuries can be avoided by ensuring that both the right and left flexors are equally strong and flexible. Stretches for the hips, abdominals, and back and lower back areas are also helpful in relieving stress.
This is an exercise for flexors and back -
For sprains, ice the injury as soon as it happens, as the healing process can only begin after the swelling has subsided. Deep-tissue massage, physical therapy, and exercises will also increase stability.
If you pull a groin muscle or ligament, do not delay getting it looked at so it doesn’t develop into a bigger problem. A physiotherapist can help with combination or stand-alone stretches and soft tissue massages for faster recovery.
Hip pain, when it comes to hockey, is not only limited to the groin and the hips; but can also extend to the back and lower back. The flexors of both the legs and the hips can turn out to be shorter and can result in tightening and loss of balance, and back pain. The therapist will know which muscle of the hip or abdominal needs stretching or if it is a core issue, or whether deep tissue massage would be better suited.
Concussions, unfortunately, are a common occurrence in hockey. People who suffer a concussion may not even be aware of it. This usually leads to an even bigger problem, so if you have a head injury while playing any sport, ensure that you get it checked by a healthcare professional.
Allan Hewick is a Physiotherapist at Mainway and discusses concussion HERE.
The joints and muscles experience much stress while playing a physically grueling sport such as hockey. Most people tend to ignore injuries when they first occur, especially if it is out on the ice where tensions run high. However, it is important to get proper treatment immediately and not add further stress to an injury.
Our team will provide a thorough one-on-one assessment to develop individualized client-centred goals that will enable you to return to an active, pain-free lifestyle.
Please contact our clinic for more details at 905-332-3800