Understanding the unique factors that influence injury, pain, and recovery
March 8th is International Women’s Day which is a global day recognizing the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women while advocating for accelerated action towards gender equality. March is a time to celebrate strength, resilience, and progress. March is a good opportunity to discuss something that often gets overlooked in healthcare and sports; the fact that women experience injury and recovery differently. This difference does not mean however, that women are weaker, it simply means that women need evidence-based, individualized care tailored to their specific needs.
Women experience injuries differently, which can be attributed to differences in joint structure, muscle activation, and movement patterns. Across sport, work, daily life, and research, women are more vulnerable to muscle and ligament injuries, as well as concussions and consistently report longer recovery and more severe symptoms. None of this suggests fragility, but rather highlights the importance of understanding and appreciating how women move, load their joints, and adapt to external forces.
Hormones have been suggested to play a role in the difference in sex-based injury rates due to ligament laxity and fatigue. However, women’s hormones are not unstable or unpredictable, they just fluctuate on a different cycle then men. Some women notice changes in symptoms or performance across the span of their cycle, while others do not notice any differences at all. What matters the most is the individual response.
In physiotherapy treatment, women are often under-loaded and progressed less intensely than men. A proper post-injury progression is essential for injury prevention, bone health, and building confidence returning to activity. Strength is protective and strong rehab builds resilient bodies. This is why it is crucial for physiotherapy care to provide individualized assessment and strength-based rehab treatment.
Physiotherapy is not just about muscles and joints; it is about understanding someone’s life. Recognizing that women experience injury and recovery differently is not about creating limitations, it is about creating better care. Women deserve physiotherapy that respects their strength, accounts for their physiology, and supports their unique goals.
If something does not feel right, trust your body and seek support early! Physiotherapy should meet you and your needs where you are, not where a male-based textbook assumes you should be. At Waterdown Physiotherapy, we have many physiotherapists, massage therapists, and osteopaths who are knowledgeable in female-specific care and can help ensure your treatment is tailored to and best suited for you!
P.S. Check out these amazing photos of our own Rachel Watson, PTA training and competing in hurdles!
