Mr Bhatia is experienced in treating professional sportsmen and sportswomen from a variety of disciplines, both individual and team sports.
Raj is interested in sports injury prevention and treatment. He has published the largest study of professional cricket injuries in the world, making recommendations to reduce the most common injuries. Furthermore, he has published articles on hand and wrist injuries in goalkeepers and is an active member of the Football Medicine and Performance Association.
Raj recently obtained a FIFA Diploma in Football Medicine. Although primarily related to football, the knowledge gained after 2 years of study can be applied to all sports players, both professionals and amateurs.
Consequences of being injured
Raj understands that athletes may suffer more than just a physcial injury and takes these other factors into account when creating a treatment plan.
After working with professional athletes over several years, Raj has gained valuable experience in treating professional athletes and amateur sportspeople. He understands the need for balancing post-operative rehabilitation with the desire to return to play as soon as possible. For professional players, an injury could lead to losing their place in the team or being unable to participate in a tournament. This can cause anxiety, depression and loss of income.
Wrist and hand injuries are very much part of my job as the lead physiotherapist at a professional cricket club. We have injuries of all types, some from trauma and others overuse. We have used Raj Bhatia for all these injuries in the last few years. He has always provided us with expert advice, accurate diagnosis and effective treatment, both conservative and surgically, allowing our players to be back playing in the shortest possible time.
Steve Griffin, Lead Physiotherapist at Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Rehabilitation and return to play
Raj and his team always aim to get players fit as soon as possible so they may return to playing their sport quickly and effectively.
Sometimes an early return to play is not possible as the injury could become worse. In this scenario, Raj keeps athletes fully informed regarding their progress. He works closely with hand therapists as well as any individual or club’s medical teams to develop a targeted and coordinated rehabilitation regime. This ensures a timely yet safe return to playing sport.
