Sports physiotherapy minutes from the world's largest cricket stadium
Ahmedabad's sporting heart beats in the city's north. The Narendra Modi Stadium at Motera, the cricket academies around it, the morning runners of Chandkheda and the gyms along New CG Road all produce the same thing: injured athletes who want to get back quickly and safely. Physio Buddy sits in the middle of it all, at our Chandkheda clinic behind Satyamev Hospital, a short ride from Motera.
Dr. Maitri Kothari holds an MPT specialising in Musculoskeletal and Sports physiotherapy, with more than 10 years of practice and over 2,000 recoveries. Sports rehab here is not a generic exercise sheet. It is a staged programme that ends only when you pass objective return-to-sport testing.
Injuries we treat
- Cricket injuries: bowler's shoulder pain and impingement, side strains, hamstring pulls, and finger and wrist problems from fielding
- Knee injuries, from ACL tears and meniscus damage to jumper's knee and general knee pain
- Ankle sprains, including the ones that never fully healed and still give way on uneven ground
- Runner's problems such as plantar fasciitis and shin pain
- Racquet and gym injuries, including tennis elbow and lifting-related back strains
Not every sports injury announces itself in a single moment. Overuse problems creep in over weeks of training, a niggle that becomes a limp that becomes a lay-off. These respond especially well to physiotherapy, because the fix usually lies in workload, technique and strength rather than in rest alone, and resting an overuse injury without correcting its cause simply schedules the next flare-up.
How sports injury rehab works at Physio Buddy
Every programme moves through four stages, and no stage gets skipped because a tournament is coming.
- Settle and protect. Control pain and swelling, protect the healing tissue and keep the rest of your body training. Hands-on manual therapy and electrotherapy support this stage where needed.
- Restore. Rebuild full range of movement and normal walking, running or throwing mechanics before adding load.
- Rebuild. Progressive strength and control work through structured exercise therapy, matched to the specific demands of your sport and position.
- Return. Sport-specific drills at increasing intensity, then formal return-to-sport testing before you are cleared to compete.
Return-to-sport protocols: cleared by numbers, not by the calendar
The most common reason athletes reinjure themselves is going back when the pain stops rather than when the body is ready. Pain settles long before strength and control return. Our return-to-sport decisions rest on measurable criteria: strength compared side to side, hop and change-of-direction tests for lower limb injuries, throwing progressions for shoulders, and sport-specific movements performed at full intensity without compensation. You will know exactly which tests stand between you and clearance, and where you score today.
Who we work with
Club and academy cricketers, school athletes, marathon and 10K runners, footballers, badminton and tennis players, and gym-goers whose deadlift or shoulder press went wrong. You do not need to be a professional to deserve a proper protocol; a weekend player's ankle heals by the same biology as a first-class cricketer's, and we treat it with the same seriousness.
Where and how you can be treated
Most sports rehab happens at the Chandkheda clinic, where assessment and progressive loading are easiest to run, with morning and evening hours that fit around training. Later-stage programmes can be supervised through virtual consultations if you travel for tournaments or live farther out. Message us on WhatsApp at +91 78619 29326 with what happened and when, and we will take it from there.
What Patients Say
"Dr. Maitri Kothari is highly professional. I took 10 days of ultrasound and exercise treatment. I totally got well and healthy. Highly recommended!"
"My mother had knee replacement. Dr. Maitri's post-operative physiotherapy made her walk independently and completely recover. Very grateful!"
Frequently Asked Questions
How soon after a sports injury should I see a physiotherapist?
Within the first few days is ideal, because early management shapes the whole recovery. If there is visible deformity, you cannot put any weight on the limb, or the pain is extreme, get a doctor or emergency assessment first to rule out a fracture, then start rehab.
Do I need an MRI before starting rehab?
Not always. A thorough clinical assessment identifies most sports injuries well, and rehab often starts while any imaging is being arranged. If your examination findings suggest a tear or fracture that would change the plan, Dr. Maitri will tell you plainly and refer you for the right scan.
How long does ACL rehabilitation take?
Longer than most players want to hear. Published protocols generally put full return to pivoting sports at around nine months or more after ACL reconstruction, because reinjury risk stays high before then. The encouraging part is that progress is measurable at every stage. See our ACL injury page for the full picture.
Can physiotherapy help me avoid surgery?
Sometimes, yes. Many partial ligament injuries, overuse conditions and shoulder problems respond well to structured rehab, and some ACL-deficient patients cope well without reconstruction. The honest answer depends on your injury, your sport and your goals, and the decision is made together with your orthopaedic doctor.
I train at an academy near Motera. Can you coordinate with my coach?
Yes. Return-to-play goes better when the coach knows what loading is allowed at each stage, so we are happy to share simple guidelines your coach can follow during the rehab period.
What does sports physiotherapy cost in Ahmedabad?
Clinic physiotherapy sessions in Ahmedabad typically range from Rs 300 to Rs 800. Your exact fee depends on the plan, and it is confirmed on call or WhatsApp at +91 78619 29326 before you book. More detail sits in our pricing guide.
Do you treat school-age athletes?
Yes. Young athletes are assessed with growing bones in mind, since problems like heel or knee pain in teenagers often behave differently from adult injuries, and their loading is planned accordingly.