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The third National Congress of the Italian Federation of Sports Physiotherapists (FIFS) will be held on Saturday 28 February in Rome. The meeting is dedicated to deepening the skills and role of the sports physiotherapist within the multidisciplinary teams that follow high-level athletes.
The president of Fifs, Riccardo Torquatiillustrated the dynamics of functional recovery by citing the case of Federica Brignonemedalist at the Milan-Cortina Olympics after surgery. The rehabilitation path described includes an initial phase focused on mobility, pain control and swelling reduction, followed by muscle strengthening and re-adaptation to the technical gesture in collaboration with athletic trainers and technicians.
Torquati defined the physiotherapist as a “connection point” between the different figures (surgeons, trainers, nutritionists), with the task of monitoring overloads and preventing postural compensation. Regarding the impact of innovation, the president said: “Our sector, by its nature, will probably be less affected by artificial intelligence than other healthcare fields. It remains very manual work.” The technology is mainly used for evaluation tests and devices biofeedback for real-time muscle monitoring.
From a training perspective, Fifs has structured a 32-hour program based on international scientific literature. The skills required include clinical evaluation, manual techniques for rapid interventions in competition (“in-the-moment decisions”), sports massage and support bandages.
Speakers announced at the conference include:
- Angelo De Carli (doctor of the national football team), who will present the case of Lindsey Vonn’s injury at the Milan-Cortina Olympics;
- Giuseppe Porcelliniwhich will cover the treatment of MotoGP athletes;
- Giovanni Di Giacomo (ATP/WTA medical manager at the Italian Internationals), with a lesson on the management of athletes;
- Physiotherapists Carlo Zazza (National ski team) e My Angel (Judo Fight Karate Martial Arts Federation).
The physiology of functional recovery in elite athletes
The return to high-level competitions after a serious injury, as shown by recent successes in alpine skiing, is never the result of a single intervention, but the outcome of an extremely sophisticated biological and rehabilitation process. When an athlete suffers a tissue injury, whether ligament, muscle or bone, the body triggers an inflammatory response necessary for repair. However, if not managed properly, this response can lead to fibrosis, loss of elasticity, or persistent strength deficits.
The role of the sports physiotherapist is crucial in this initial phase to modulate pain and control edema, i.e. swelling. Current clinical consensus suggests that early, controlled movement, when possible, is superior to absolute immobilization. This approach allows healing tissues to reorganize themselves along physiological lines of force, setting the stage for the next phases of recovery.
The multidisciplinary approach and load management
The transition from clinical healing, i.e. the repair of anatomical damage, to functional healing represents the most complex challenge. The success of this path depends on the close collaboration between surgeon, physiotherapist and athletic trainer. While the doctor ensures structural stability, the physiotherapist works on proprioceptionor the ability of the nervous system to perceive and react correctly to the position of the body in space.
At this stage, load management becomes the determining factor. An excessive load can cause relapses or secondary inflammation, while an insufficient load does not adequately stimulate tissue adaptation. The professional must therefore constantly monitor the so-called postural compensationsthat is, those incorrect movements that the athlete unconsciously implements to avoid pain, but which in the long term can generate new injuries in different body areas.
Technology and manual skill in rehabilitation
The debate on the impact of artificial intelligence and electro-medical technologies in the healthcare sector also closely affects sports physiotherapy. Although advanced biofeedback tools and devices capable of measuring muscle activation with millimeter precision are available today, scientific literature agrees in considering these technologies as supports, not as substitutes for the professional.
Clinical evaluation remains an act based on direct observation and manual skills. The physical therapist must be able to interpret subtle signs, such as the strength of a joint or the quality of a contraction, that machines cannot yet fully capture. The personalization of the rehabilitation protocol, which must adapt to the patient’s daily responses, remains the fundamental pillar for reducing the risk of relapses and guaranteeing a safe return to competitive activity.
Return to performance and clinical criteria
The concept of “return to sport” has evolved over time: it is no longer based exclusively on the time elapsed since the operation, but on the achievement of specific functional criteria. These include the restoration of symmetrical strength between the limbs, dynamic stability and the ability to perform the technical gesture without psychological or physical inhibitions.
In conclusion, modern sports physiotherapy does not just aim to resolve a symptom, but to restore a complex and performing system. The ability to integrate clinical evidence with practical experience allows us to transform a traumatic event into an opportunity to improve the athlete’s biomechanics, making it possible to achieve results that, until a few decades ago, would have been considered unattainable.
Fonte: adnkronos
