AWARENESS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY AMONG FOOTBALL CLUB-LEVEL PLAYERS OF KARACHI
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52442/rjhs.v6i1.140Keywords:
awareness, athletes, exercise, physical fitness, sports medicineAbstract
Introduction: Physical therapy is a profession which is basically concerned with identifying and maximizing the quality of life (QoL) and movement potentials with the aim of promotion, prevention, intervention, habitation, and rehabilitation of an individual. This encompasses social, psychological, physical, and emotional wellbeing. The importance of the Physical Therapy profession cannot be neglected and ignored, from inpatient rehabilitation to outpatient rehabilitation. It is noteworthy that correct biomechanics provides accurate movement and reduces the risk of injuries, abnormal biomechanics are always a potential cause of non-traumatic sports injury, while poor techniques can cause abnormal biomechanics which contributes to subsequent injuries. This highlights the importance of the profession for athletes. However, there is scarcity of data whether the athletes in our region have a reasonable knowledge of this profession.
Material & Methods: This is an observational, cross-sectional study that was conducted with various Football (Soccer) club-level players in Pakistan. A total of 150 participants were required for this study. Participants were between the ages of 15-35 years, with no physical disability, and co-morbidities. A self-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data.
Results: Data analysis showed that more than 57% of players were aware of Physical Therapy, among which 26% of club level players were informed about Physical Therapy by their Physicians, 14% from friends, 9% from print, electronic media, and 8% from family members. Whereas 43% of players were totally unaware of Physical Therapy. It was also noteworthy that only 10% of players received physical therapy guidance for fitness and ailments.
Conclusion: Physical therapy interventions are evidently the first-line treatment option for injuries related to training and sports. It is the need of the day to raise awareness in our athletes about the scope and importance of physical therapy.
