Dr. Shiva Jain Sangoi
BPTh, MPTh (Ortho), FIFA Diploma in Football Medicine
Why sports injuries need specialised treatment
Here's what most people do when they get injured playing sports or working out: they rest for a week, pop some painkillers, and go back to doing exactly what they were doing before. Then they get injured again. And again.
The problem isn't that they didn't rest enough. It's that they never addressed why the injury happened in the first place.
Sports physiotherapy is different from regular physiotherapy because it doesn't just treat your pain — it identifies the biomechanical weakness or movement pattern that caused the injury, fixes it, and prepares your body to handle the demands of your sport or activity without breaking down again.
What makes sports physiotherapy different
Regular physiotherapy focuses on reducing pain and restoring basic function — can you walk, climb stairs, reach above your head? That's important, but it's not enough if you want to get back to playing cricket, running a 10K, or hitting the gym hard.
Sports physiotherapy adds several layers:
Biomechanical analysis — How do you move? Is your knee collapsing inward when you land? Is your shoulder blade not tracking properly when you throw? These movement faults are often invisible to you but obvious to a trained sports physio.
Sport-specific rehabilitation — Recovering from an ankle sprain for daily walking is different from recovering to play football. The demands are completely different. A sports physio designs your rehab around the specific movements your activity requires.
Return-to-sport testing — Before clearing you to return, a sports physio tests whether you've actually regained enough strength, stability, and confidence. This isn't a feeling-based decision — it's objective testing with measurable criteria.
Injury prevention programming — Once you're recovered, a sports physio creates a maintenance programme that targets your specific weaknesses to prevent future injuries.
Common sports injuries we treat at PhysioSthanak
Ligament sprains and tears
Ankle sprains are the most common sports injury — and the most commonly mismanaged. Most people treat a sprained ankle with RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) for a week and assume it's fine. But without proper rehabilitation, 40% of ankle sprains become chronic with repeated sprains.
Treatment approach: Progressive loading, proprioception training (balance work), and strength training for the muscles that support the joint. For ACL tears, post-surgical rehabilitation follows a structured protocol that takes 9-12 months.
Muscle strains and tears
Hamstring strains, quadriceps tears, calf pulls — these are common in runners, footballers, and gym-goers. The muscle heals, but scar tissue forms differently from normal muscle tissue. Without proper rehabilitation, the scar tissue becomes a weak point that tears again.
Treatment approach: Graduated eccentric strengthening (the muscle contracts while lengthening), soft tissue mobilisation to optimise scar tissue formation, and progressive return to loading.
Shoulder injuries
Rotator cuff problems are extremely common in gym-goers, especially those who do heavy overhead pressing without adequate shoulder stability. Swimmers, cricket bowlers, and badminton players also frequently develop shoulder issues.
Treatment approach: Scapular stabilisation exercises (the shoulder blade is the foundation of all shoulder movement), rotator cuff strengthening in functional ranges, and technique modification for your sport.
Runner's knee and IT band syndrome
If you run regularly — whether on the road or on a treadmill — you're at risk for patellofemoral pain (runner's knee) and iliotibial band syndrome. Both are caused by a combination of training errors and muscle imbalances.
Treatment approach: Hip strengthening (weak hips are the root cause in most cases), running gait analysis, load management, and gradual return to running with a structured plan.
Tennis/golfer's elbow
Despite the names, these conditions are common in gym-goers (heavy gripping exercises), office workers (mouse use), and anyone who does repetitive wrist movements. The tendons on the outside (tennis elbow) or inside (golfer's elbow) of the elbow become irritated and painful.
Treatment approach: Eccentric tendon loading exercises, activity modification, grip strength training, and gradual return to provocative activities.
The FIFA Diploma — what it means for your treatment
Dr. Shiva Jain at PhysioSthanak holds a FIFA Diploma in Football Medicine. This isn't a weekend workshop — it's an intensive certification programme by FIFA's medical division that covers acute injury management, concussion protocols, return-to-play decision-making, and injury prevention strategies used at the highest levels of professional football.
This training applies directly to treating recreational athletes because the principles are the same — whether you're a professional footballer or someone who plays cricket on Sundays. The methodology of assessment, rehabilitation, and safe return to activity follows the same evidence-based protocols.
Who needs sports physiotherapy?
You don't need to be a competitive athlete. If any of these describe you, sports physiotherapy is more appropriate than regular physiotherapy:
- You play any sport regularly (even recreationally)
- You go to the gym 3+ times a week
- You run, cycle, or swim for fitness
- You've had the same injury come back repeatedly
- You want to improve performance, not just reduce pain
- You're recovering from surgery related to a sports injury
What to expect at your first sports physio session
At PhysioSthanak, a sports physiotherapy assessment is more detailed than a standard physiotherapy evaluation:
Most sports injury rehabilitation takes 4-12 weeks depending on severity, with 2-3 sessions per week initially, reducing as you progress.
The bottom line
Playing through pain isn't tough — it's how minor injuries become chronic problems. If you're active and dealing with a sports injury, get it assessed by a physiotherapist who understands the demands of your sport. The goal isn't just to stop the pain — it's to get you back doing what you love, stronger than before.
Related reading: Wondering whether to see a physio or an orthopaedic doctor for your injury? Read physiotherapy vs orthopaedic — who to see first. And here's how to choose the best physiotherapist in Borivali West.