Athletic Taping - An option to feel more confident at play

Many athletes continue to suffer in silence despite having nagging injuries giving them recurrent soreness and instability during sports. Those who have the privilege of care from sports physicians or physiotherapists may have been offered athletic taping to reinforce weakened ligaments, support unstable joints or provide a pain-free range of motion during play.

In order to utilise this technique, you should do the following:-
1. Identify the injury and the problem
2. Determine the requirements of your sports
3. Obtain the skills to tape the injured part
4. Apply the tape and try out the skills required by the sports
5. Remove the tape after the training /match

Always seek the advice of trained personnel before attempting to tape on your own. Remember, practise makes perfect!

China Press: Interview with Dr Aston

Here's an interesting article in China Press on the 11th March 2009. You can find the link here.

Exercise therapy back to sports

Many athletes and patients suffer from recurring pain and injury due to inadequate exercise therapy. Most athletes would have been prescribed an exercise programme which takes a specified period of time by the sports physician or physiotherapist. However, some drop out of the programme once they are pain-free or more mobile before they are fully functional.

Various components of rehabilitation (e.g. strength, power, flexibility, endurance, sense of balance and position) have to be incorporated to the exercise therapy to ensure that the athlete does not re-injure himself or worsen the injury.

Talk to your sports physician and physiotherapist periodically to ensure that you are progressing well in your exercise therapy. Note that there is no short cut to full recovery as damaged tissue will take time to heal.