August 12, Sports Med Critical Question 4.notebook. Critical Question 4. How is injury rehabilitation managed?

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "August 12, Sports Med Critical Question 4.notebook. Critical Question 4. How is injury rehabilitation managed?"

Isabel Stephens
5 years ago
Views:

1 Critical Question 4 How is injury rehabilitation managed? 1

2 2

3 Syllabus 3

Big Heading: Critical Questions 4: How is injury rehabilitation managed Heading: Rehabilitation Procedures Rehabilitation after injury can take some time depending on the type and severity of the

4 Big Heading: Critical Questions 4: How is injury rehabilitation managed Heading: Rehabilitation Procedures Rehabilitation after injury can take some time depending on the type and severity of the injury. A qualified doctor or physiotherapist should supervise the process. The aims of any rehabilitation program are to: restore optimal function of the injured area return the athlete to competition quickly and safely prevent re injury. 4

Gradually moving the injured area using light stretches and rotations will

5 Sub: Progressive Mobilisation It is important to progressively introduce movement to the injured area once the RICER technique has been applied. Gradually moving the injured area using light stretches and rotations will reduce the build up of scar tissue and allow greater mobility in the injured part. 5

6 Sub: Graduated Exercises Stretching During healing, the muscle length decreases Stretching should be performed regularly after a warm up, and should always remain within the pain free range PNF stretching is the best (partner assisted) Conditioning Graduated exposure of the injured area to resistance/weight training, to make sure that strength is back to pre injury levels before returning to sport. Total Body Fitness Gradually exposing the entire body (including the lungs and heart for aerobic fitness) to increasingly high levels of exercise as the rehabilitation process progresses. 6

7 Sub: Training Training should be modified throughout the rehabilitation process to match the athlete s current level of function. Normal training should be avoided through the initial stages to allow the injury to settle. Following this stage, basic skills strength and flexibility should be introduced. It is only after the athlete is able to train back at their pre injury level that they should be considered fit to return to full sporting participation. 7

Sub: Use of heat and cold Injuries can be treated using heat packs or cold packs. This will depend on the type of injury and the length of time since the injury occurred.

8 Sub: Use of heat and cold Injuries can be treated using heat packs or cold packs. This will depend on the type of injury and the length of time since the injury occurred. Cold is usually used during the first hours. Cold (Cryotherapy) Ice can be used instantly on all injuries, as it reduces swelling and pain, restricts the blood vessels, which reduces the blood flow to the injured area and inflammation. Cold treatments can include ice in bags, ice packs, ice gels and ice baths. 8

Heat treatments include hot packs, ultrasound treatments and whirlpools.

9 Cont... Heat As heat increases blood flow, the use of heat on sore muscles and tendons will help to relax them and increase their elasticity. Heat treatments include hot packs, ultrasound treatments and whirlpools. While heat can make body tissue more mobile, if inflammation is visible, ice should be used. 9

10 Questions Research Task Outline the rehabilitation process for the following: a hamstring tear a shoulder dislocation a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament. 10

11 Heading: Return to Play If an athlete returns to training and competition too soon after an injury, they run the risk of re injury. Even when an injury has healed, there are specific measures that need to be taken to ensure the injury does not recur. In some instances, medical clearance must be given before an athlete can return to play Sub: Indicators or readiness for return to play The athlete should have regained full pain free range of motion of the injured joint/area prior to returning to sport. They should also have full strength and the ability to perform the basic movements and skills required in their sport 11

Sub: Monitoring Progress (pre and post test) An athlete must meet specific criteria for function and fitness to be considered ready for return to play.

12 Sub: Monitoring Progress (pre and post test) An athlete must meet specific criteria for function and fitness to be considered ready for return to play. Having pre injury results to compare against helps coaches and Physio's make a more informed decision about return to play Example: A Baseball pitcher recovering from a shoulder injury may use a measurement of shoulder external and internal rotation compared with that at the start of the season 12

13 Sub: Psychological Readiness As an athlete recovers from injury, they may become anxious about the prospect of returning to play. Techniques to encourage an athlete to be psychologically prepared include: The gradual introduction of sport specific skills to training sessions for example, practising lay ups in basketball Playing low intensity/impact games at training for example, touch football for Rugby League Playing the athlete at a lower level of competition for example, reserve grade if a first grade player. 13

Sub: Specific Warm Up Procedures An athlete who has been injured might need to go through a longer, harder or more specific warm up and stretch routine than

14 Sub: Specific Warm Up Procedures An athlete who has been injured might need to go through a longer, harder or more specific warm up and stretch routine than other athletes. Extra time and care might be needed at the injury site and surrounding tissues to ensure adequate flexibility, blood flow and readiness to perform. 14

15 Sports Med Critical Question 4.notebook Sub: Return to play policies and procedures Each sport will have its own set of policies and procedures that govern whether an athlete is ready to return to sport post injury. E.g. The rule in contact sport regarding knock outs /concussions, with a set period of time and psychological screening tests deciding the player s readiness for resumption of contact sport. 15

16 Sub: Ethical Considerations When athletes are injured, they are faced with many dilemmas about returning to their sport. Elite athletes in particular feel pressure from their coaches, teammates, sponsors and society to be back on the field as soon as possible. These added pressures can force an athlete to return to competition before the injury is completely healed. Athletes may choose to use pain killers that numb the pain, such as cortisone injections, but this numbness sets an athlete up for further damage as they cannot feel the injury and hence will not feel the pain when they incur more damage. 16

17 Questions 1. Identify the internal and external pressures that may be experienced by an injured athlete when deciding whether to return to play. 2. Outline measures an athlete should utilise to know when he or she is ready to return to play after an injury. 3. Discuss who should be responsible for deciding whether an athlete continues to play with an injury. 4. Outline the problems that can be associated with leaving this decision to the athlete.. 5. Explain how graduated exercise can assist an athlete to return to play 17

18 Apr 22 5:51 PM 18

How is injury rehabilitation managed?

chapter 4 How is injury rehabilitation managed? rehabilitation procedures examine and justify rehabilitation procedures used for a range of specific injuries, eg hamstring tear, shoulder dislocation The