Sport & Exercise Medicine /
Our Sport medicine department delivers a world class service
including sports medicine, physiotherapy and massage (soft tissue
therapy) to the wide range of sports funded through UK Sport
or Sport Wales.
Sport Medicine
Sport and Exercise Medicine involves the medical care of injury
and illness in sport, for elite and recreational participants of
all ages.
Our sports physicians have extensive experience and knowledge of
the particular demands of different sports and understand the needs
of the injured or ill athlete to recover and return to their
previous level of participation as quickly and safely as possible.
Sports Physicians have a broad range of clinical skills, knowledge
of appropriate investigations to ensure accurate diagnosis as well
as awareness of the most up-to-date treatment techniques (including
injection therapy) and protocols.
At the Sport Wales Institute, Dr Mark Ridgewell is a Sports
Physician with over 18 years experience of working across a broad
range of elite sports, at national and international level.
He works in close liaison with the physiotherapist and sports
science department to provide elite sportsmen and women based in
Wales with the highest quality Sport and Exercise Medicine
service.
Since Sport and Exercise Medicine was established as a specialty
in 2006, the ability to provide first class training to trainee
doctors will arise in the coming years.
Meet out Sport Physician's
Physiotherapy
The aim of the physiotherapists is twofold - PROACTIVELY they
work towards injury prevention, whilst REACTIVELY they assess and
treat injuries providing rehabilitation to those athletes until
they are able to return to full participation in training and
competition.
In terms of injury prevention, Sport Wales Institute offers a
dynamic musculoskeletal profiling specific to each sport / athlete,
using video analysis and software which allows more specific
feedback. The profiling allows identification of any "weak links"
or potential areas that could be prone to injury, or simply allows
improved movement patterns in order to enhance skill
development.
The physiotherapists work closely with athletes as well as
coaches and strength & conditioning coaches to make sure they
are in a better position to avoid recurring injuries - helping
them to identify the tell-tale signs, and to introduce exercises to
address the problem earlier. Addressing issues in this manner
optimizes performance and helps prevent injuries.
Sport Wales Institute physiotherapists provide a fast and
efficient response following injury and work closely with our team
of experts to attain a return to training and competition in the
shortest time frame possible.
A physiotherapist does not work in isolation but utilizes the
expertise of the coach, the strength & conditioning coach and
the sports doctor to achieve this. Athlete treatment can take place
in a treatment clinic and rehabilitation gym or at the training and
/ or competition venue i.e. the side of the track, pool or
court.
Meet our physiotherapists:-
Sports Massage
Sports Massage is the term applied to the discipline of using
massage for the specific benefit of all sports participants.
It covers the management, manipulation and rehabilitation of the
soft tissues of the body eg muscles, ligaments and tendons. Sports
massage is tailored to each individual's needs to positively
enhance one's ability to perform.
When applied correctly, sports massage can play an important
role in aiding recovery from, and preparation for, training,
rehabilitation and competition. It can also help in
prehabilitation and prevention of a predisposition to
injury.
Regardless of the sport, age or gender, sports
massage will have something to offer you, in partnership with
other aspects of a fitness/rehab/strength and conditioning
programme.
Sport Wales' sports massage practitioners perform
targeted and effective soft tissue techniques and work in an
interdisciplinary way with sports physiotherapists and sports
doctors. They play an important role in the Sport
Wales' multidiscipline environment is geared toward
providing the best possible support service for the
individual athlete.
The integrated approach that is adopted here at Sport Wales
Institute provides a solid platform for athletes to support and
propel them to be the best that they can be.
Meet out sports massage therapist:-