The purpose for rehabilitation should be to have injured people returning to full function. Injuries from sports are common and are most likely to impact the muscle and skeletal system. This includes muscles, bones ligaments, tendons as well as the soft tissues. These all play a role in supporting the body weight and allow motion.
If you are injured, treatment should be given in the process of healing because one mistake could result in a re-injury as well as the recovery process taking longer. Insufficient rehabilitation can cause minor injuries to become into chronic and negatively impact the performance of a player and their capability to return to game. In order to ensure the proper recovery process, it is advised to adhere to a strict rehabilitation plan. This includes adhering to specific procedures and exercises that are performed with attention. Although not all injuries will be treated in the exact same method, there are general guidelines to abide by to increase the odds of a full recovery.
Stages of Rehabilitation
1. Rest and protect the injury
The first step towards rehabilitation is to make sure that there is the injury is not repeated. This will let healing start and help with the first physical response to injuries. Pain and inflammation are the usual first reaction. Inflammation is the body’s defense response to anything that is harmful. It helps in the removal of dead or damaged tissues, replacing them with new normal tissue. You should try to reduce the pain sensation and protect the injured area to ensure that no further injury or discomfort is experienced.
The act of the bandaging process or placing an envelop on the injured location is a smart method to protect the injured and avoid infection or damage. They can also aid in the immobilisation of the body part to aid in resting and help in the recovery process. The application of an ice pack may help in reducing inflammation and reduce swelling. The use of an analgesic or anti-inflammatory medication is also a possibility to ease pain. It is recommended that a professional physiotherapist or doctor could assist in determining the severity damage, and how to safeguard it during rest, and when prescribing any medication required.
2. Recuperation in Joint Mobility and range of Motion
Given enough time for rest and secure the joint, and allow pain and swelling to diminish The subsequent step would be to attempt to regain the entire range of motion in the joint affected. This return to flexibility must be completed without causing severe discomfort. Some discomfort can be expected, which makes it difficult to move as you used to before the injury.
This phase requires muscle stretching, joint mobilisation and therapeutic exercise to aid in this process. Whatever treatment is used, it must be done with care to prevent any further injury. Your physiotherapist can to provide guidance on stretching exercises that can assist in recovering your mobility and enhance performance.
3. Rebuilding Muscle Strength
This point, emphasis is paid to strengthening muscles and building endurance. Dead or damaged tissue is replaced with new tissue that isn’t as strong. So, after recovering from an injury, you’ll likely suffer from muscle fatigue and loss of endurance. The longer you are not exercising can delay recovery in this stage. The process of conditioning must start to remodel and build the tissue that has been created, allowing the individual to get back to their peak performance.
The physical therapistwill likely recommend cardiovascular or aerobic exercises to increase endurance. It usually starts by doing gentle exercises such as swimming or cycling stationary bikes. By ensuring proper form and low impact, your muscle groups will develop a perfect form and this will lead to more efficient recovery. The concept of load progression can be utilized to build gradually the endurance and strength of this muscle, and also to prevent overloading that could cause setbacks.
4. Recovery of Coordination
Sports activities tend to require a range of complex actions that require spatial awareness as well as the position of limbs at any moment. When you suffer from injuries to your body, lesions can develop on the musculoskeletal structure, which can cause changes in the proprioceptive system. They may affect an individual’s ability to control muscle movements properly and keep the balance.
The ability to perform this task is impaired when recovering, but it is rehabilitated through specific exercises to address issues that range from balance to hand-eye coordination. Restoring neuromuscular control and spatial awareness will decrease the likelihood of re-injury, and improve the chances of being able to compete again. The exercises that a physiotherapist can perform will depend on the performance of the individual during a movement assessment.
5. Recovery of Specific Technical Movements for Sport
Each sport comes with its unique specific range of motions. The way that footballers move is completely different from the way basketball players move. The final phase of recovery is aiding the person to recover the ability to execute complicated movements that are unique to the sport they are playing. This is where the focus is on various aspects of movement like speed as well as coordination, agility and balance. It can be anything from simple to more complex tasks such as kicking a football through an net or even the juggling of it.
At this point the player should be able to be able to return to full training and intensity, as well as more time in the game until their strength and coordination are restored. The decision to resume full-time playing could depend on an assessment and the recommendations from the doctor trainer, physiotherapist and coach. The opinions of the athlete is also important to consider because their physical and mental health will affect their capacity to be able to return to full playing.