I just received an excellent question from one of our readers….

Tron said:
Can physio be used as a preventative measure, or is massage better suited for that?

Kim said:

You don’t have to wait until you’re injured to see a physiotherapist.  In fact, meeting with a physiotherapist is a great way to determine if there are any muscle imbalances or misalignments present in your body.  Determining this prior to starting a rigorous exercise regime will help to prevent the development of pesky injuries.  It will also help to dictate the areas that you need to focus on in your strength training and also the activities that you should stay away from.

I accompanied one of my clients to his physio appointment before prescribing his workout plan and I was very glad that I had.  The physiotherapist found some weakness in the quad muscles in one leg, which could have developed into knee problems if he had started running immediately.  We focused on these muscles early in his workout program before introducing running to his running regime.  The therapist also found some neck issues, which could have been aggravated by exercise and needed some attention.

Massage is also a great way to prevent injury.  Scheduling weekly massages is never a bad idea.  This gives your sore and tight muscles some relief and prepares them for some the next week’s workouts.

For more info on physiotherapy, click here.