During sports activities, the whole body or a part of it may encounter forces beyond normal limits, causing endurance to be exceeded. This situation leads to injuries known as sports injuries. Sports injuries are not only seen in professional athletes but also in people who exercise to stay healthy, performing artists, and certain other professions.
What is Athlete Rehabilitation?
Athlete rehabilitation is the branch of medicine that encompasses all treatment methods applied to help injured individuals return to their pre-injury performance levels in the shortest possible time.
Athlete rehabilitation is a lengthy process that requires teamwork. The core team at the start of treatment usually includes a specialist doctor and a physiotherapist. Depending on the type of injury, specialists, medical technicians, laboratory staff, nurses, masseurs/masseuses, and orthotics/prosthetics technicians may also be involved. When necessary, the person’s coach should also be included in the process.
What are the Characteristics of Athlete Rehabilitation?
The methods and approaches used in normal rehabilitation do not always yield fast results. Due to the competitive nature of sports, rehabilitation may need to be planned more aggressively. Therefore, it is important to combine individualized programs that include sport-specific functional exercises with classical rehabilitation programs.
Preventing or reducing loss of function and conditioning in the injured area is one of the key principles of athlete rehabilitation. Interventions aim to help individuals return to their pre-injury activity levels.
Each injury may have different importance depending on the athlete and the sport. For example, medial epicondylitis is important for a golf player but may not be as significant for a football player. Therefore, each injury must be planned considering the specific sport and the individual’s occupation. Individual differences must always be taken into account when designing treatment protocols.
Interventions in athlete rehabilitation must be supervised by an experienced leading physician.
There are many sensitive professions that rely on physical activity (professional athletes, actors, ballet and dance artists, etc.). Any physical injury in these individuals may cause them to stay away from their professions, leading to financial and emotional losses. Therefore, unlike ordinary physical therapy patients, it is crucial for these individuals to return to their normal work routines as quickly as possible.
The timing of intervention in athlete rehabilitation is also very important. Immediate treatment of the injury can reduce functional losses, while delays may significantly prolong recovery times.
What Are the Goals in Athlete Rehabilitation?
For injured athletes or professional individuals, regaining their skills is a primary concern both for health and economic reasons. Treatment goals include:
- Pain relief and reduction of inflammation (using rest, cold therapy, compression, elevation, and stabilization methods),
- Regaining muscle strength and endurance,
- Eliminating movement-restricting factors caused by the injury and restoring normal joint range of motion,
- Recovering lost conditioning abilities,
- Regaining skills specific to the individual’s profession,
- Restoring aerobic capacity and endurance.
Applying and developing these goals at appropriate times, at the right pace, and with proper programs are fundamental to rehabilitation. A full return to the field or stage is possible only after completing all these elements.
Training techniques and sports equipment can play a significant role in the occurrence of sports injuries. These factors should also be taken into consideration.