Are you thinking of seeking professional assistance to improve your sporting performance? Perhaps you’ve got a chronic injury that is hindering your ability to perform at your peak. Or maybe you’re interested in undertaking strength and conditioning training in preparation for a particular event.
Whatever the situation, a trained and experienced sports medicine team can provide you with rehabilitative and training services to help you reach your physical fitness goals.
With so many providers of sports medicine in Melbourne, what should you be looking for in a team? Read on to find out!
Experience
While your level of physical fitness and future exercise goals will be unique, an experienced team can apply their knowledge of past patients to ensure you benefit from the best care possible. A high level of experience means your practitioner will be more confident in diagnosing any issues and has a deep level of understanding when it comes to treatment options.
Before signing up with a clinic, check that they have dealt with patients who have similar concerns to your own and ask how they will approach the process of diagnosis and development of a treatment plan.
Accreditation
Practical experience is a must-have, but it can be further complemented by appropriate accreditations. As is the case with all allied health fields, there are many different types of qualifications a sports medicine provider can obtain. Some will be specific to a certain field — like physiotherapy, for example — whilst others will be more general in nature.
Look for accreditations from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, Sports Medicine Australia, the Australian Physiotherapy Association, and the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association, amongst others, to be confident you’re working with an appropriately trained team.
Communication skills
It’s one thing for a health practitioner to diagnose your condition. It’s another for them to communicate their findings in a manner that is clear and easily understood. A friendly, approachable, and professional communication style is a must have in any type of sports medicine provider.
While your clinician will have many patients to see, you should feel that your concerns are heard and
Wide range of services
One of the great things about seeing a sports medicine team is the vast number of services you have access to. From standard physiotherapy to clinical pilates and everything in between, sports medicine providers aim to be comprehensive in the services they offer.
When deciding on a sports medicine clinic, ask about what types of treatment and programs are available. You may discover training and treatment opportunities you didn’t even know existed.
Passion
Finally, passion. We don’t always talk about this when discussing health and medical matters. But when it comes to sports medicine, a clinician who has passion for what they do can inspire and motivate you to really get on top of your physical fitness.
Whether they are putting together a tailored strength and conditioning program or providing treatment for a chronic condition, make sure your sports medicine practitioner is excited about playing an active role in your recovery and training.
It may take you a little while to find a provider of sports medicine in Melbourne that has all of the above mentioned attributes. But when you do, you’ll understand just what a difference a high-quality healthcare team can make on your fitness and wellbeing.
