3 Things Every Athlete Should Consider Before Returning to Sport
Am I ready?
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When can I play again?
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How do I know when I'm ready?
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Am I ready? >>> When can I play again? >>> How do I know when I'm ready? >>>
At Complete Game PT one of the first questions we typically get when working with an athlete is “When can I return to play?” Though there are many factors that go into return-to-sport (RTS) decision-making, there are three primary factors that always play a role.
Biological Healing
No matter the injury or surgery, biological healing must take place for the athlete to RTS safely. Whether the injury is a muscle strain or tear, a fractured bone, or surgery, allowing the tissue to heal is the first priority. These healing times are going to vary considerably depending on the severity of the injury or the complexity of the surgery, but for an athlete to RTS safely, they must give time for biological healing. That’s not to say you shouldn’t do anything while the body is healing. It’s important to rehab and exercise during this time, but it must be done safely, in a way that protects the healing tissues. As I say to patients, “the healing times are the healing times and you can’t rush biology!”
Physical Function
Several factors related to physical function play a role in RTS decision-making. These factors include the basic foundations of range of motion, strength, and balance. They also include endurance, power, neuromuscular control, and rate of force production. The athlete should be tested in these areas and meet objective criteria set for return to sport. This is where tools like handheld dynamometers, 3D motion testing, force plates, and jump mats can help gather objective information and ensure the athlete’s physical function is back to normal.
Psychological Readiness
The last factor we want to consider is an athlete's readiness to return to sport from a psychological standpoint. There are several questionnaires that athletes can fill out to help determine their readiness. An interesting study in 2022 by Kate Webster and Julian Feller in The Journal of Athletic Training reveals that scores on emotional aspects of returning to sport such as nervousness, frustration, or fear, were better indicators of athlete readiness than scores on confidence in performance or risk appraisal aspects of RTS.
There is no simple answer as to when an athlete is ready to return to sport, but these three factors should definitely be considered. At Complete Game, we utilize the latest technology including DARI 3D motion analysis, mTrigger neuromuscular biofeedback, and handheld dynamometry to help get our athletes back to play as quickly and safely as possible.
For more information on our return to sport testing or our return to sport training programs, email Sara at scarpenito@completegamept.com or give us a call at 978-710-7204.