Beyond Injury Recovery: Dr Vaibhavi Pathade On Why Preventive Physiotherapy Matters For Young People

Physiotherapy is no longer only about getting an injured body back on its feet. In an exclusive interview with The Free Press Journal, sports physiotherapist Vaibhavi Pathade says she is seeing a change among young gym-goers, runners and athletes, with more people thinking about injury prevention before pain forces them to stop.

The change, she says, has become more noticeable over the past one to two years. Earlier, young people looking to become stronger would usually head straight to a gym and approach a physiotherapist only after getting injured. Now, after experiencing or seeing training injuries, some are seeking professional guidance on strengthening their bodies safely.

When Fitness Goes Too Far

The growing enthusiasm around fitness has brought its own problems.

One trend Pathade finds particularly concerning is the urge among some young gym-goers to keep lifting heavier weights, sometimes while recording themselves.

“I have seen in gyms also, people tend to just record it and try to lift more and more weights just to show off,” she says.

Pathade says she has treated gym-goers with spine, shoulder and knee injuries.

“I feel like they should do it for their health rather than just to show off,” she says.

An injury can mean spending months in rehabilitation. Pathade points to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery, after which rehabilitation can take around seven to eight months or longer, depending on the patient and their previous condition.

For athletes, that can mean losing significant time to recovery, making injury prevention increasingly important.

The Body Works As A Chain

Injury prevention is not simply about strengthening one muscle or joint.

Pathade gives the example of a javelin thrower. The power behind the throw should be generated through different parts of the body, including the thighs and spine, rather than coming only from the shoulder. If one part of that chain is not working properly, another area may have to take on additional load.

The same can happen with a cricketer. A bowler complaining of shoulder pain may have weak glutes, thighs or lower back, forcing the shoulder to take greater pressure.

Pathade describes this as the body’s kinetic chain.

It can also explain why the source of pain is not always obvious. A person may experience knee pain while squatting, even though there is no structural problem with the knee. Restricted hip mobility or instability caused by an old ankle injury could alter how the load is distributed.

Why An Old Injury Still Matters

A previous injury can continue to affect an athlete even after the pain has disappeared.

Pathade says someone who has previously injured an ankle or knee may be more vulnerable to another injury, particularly if rehabilitation was incomplete.

This is why injury prevention involves more than strength. Mobility, stability, balance, movement quality and proprioception can all play a role. Fatigue is another factor athletes can underestimate.

When The Body Says Stop

The period before a competition can be particularly risky.

Athletes often increase their training as an event approaches, while recovery can take a back seat. Pathade says athletes may recognise that they are fatigued but continue pushing because of the pressure to perform.

In football, for example, a player may suddenly have to change direction in response to the ball. Such movements can place considerable stress on the ACL. Intense training combined with inadequate recovery can leave athletes more vulnerable to injury.

For Pathade, recovery is not time lost from training. It is part of the training itself.

The Body May Recover Before Confidence Does

An athlete can be physically ready to return to sport and still be afraid of getting injured again.

Pathade says fear of re-injury can leave patients hesitant to perform movements even after they have physically recovered. Psychological readiness is therefore one of the factors considered before an athlete returns to sport.

If someone is physically fit but remains fearful, the physiotherapist may still tell the coach that the athlete is not ready.

“We have to push them that you can do,” she says.

For some athletes, rehabilitation is not finished when the injury heals. They also have to learn to trust their bodies again.

When Recovery Affects The Physio Too

Pathade says physiotherapists can become invested in patients they have treated over a long period, particularly when recovery does not progress as expected.

“We do feel bad. Why is he not recovering? Why is this happening?” she says.

Two people with the same injury may not recover in the same way. Pathade says she would not automatically recommend identical exercises or rehabilitation protocols simply because they have the same condition.

“Their body is different. Everything is different,” she says.

When a patient does not improve, the answer may simply not have been found yet.

“Maybe we are yet to discover what is right for him,” she says.

Physiotherapists also have to balance honesty with motivation.

“We can’t be lying to them. But we can’t demotivate them as well,” she says.

A Risk Female Athletes May Miss

Pathade also highlights the female athlete triad, which she describes as involving low energy availability, menstrual disturbances and low bone mass.

She says she has seen the problem among gymnasts, who can face pressure to maintain a particular body shape while training intensely. Some athletes may reduce their food intake in an effort to stay slim.

Insufficient nutrition can leave an athlete low on energy and affect bone mass, Pathade says. For athletes whose sport demands strength and movement across the entire body, these factors can also affect performance.

Looking fit is not necessarily the same as being adequately fuelled and physically prepared to perform.

From Repair To Prevention

Pathade compares preventive physiotherapy to servicing a car instead of waiting until it breaks down.

When she entered the field, Pathade recalls people in Nagpur asking what physiotherapy was. She also felt physiotherapists did not always receive enough trust from doctors at the time.

Her experience in Mumbai has been different. She says physiotherapists and doctors now speak directly about patients and work together without the sense that one profession is superior to another. She is unsure whether the difference comes from changing times or from practising in a different city.

Among patients, however, Pathade sees a clear shift. Physiotherapy is gradually moving beyond being something people seek only after an injury.

For young people pushing themselves to run farther, lift heavier and perform better, the bigger question may no longer be only how quickly they can recover after getting hurt, but what they can do to avoid getting hurt in the first place.

Published on: Tuesday, September 08, 2026, 07:10 AM IST