5 Stages of Rehabilitation in Sports Injury | Blog

5 Stages of Rehabilitation in Sports Injury

sports injury

February 11, 2023

ScanPhys Blog 7

Sports-related injuries are treated differently. While some mild injuries can heal on their own and the athlete or patient can return to the game immediately after getting clearance from a physical therapist, some would require a range of treatment programs designed for a specific condition.

In most cases, injury rehabilitation involves several stages that will lead to recovery. As mentioned above, mild injuries may only take days or weeks to recover with or without requiring medication or therapy. Although for some cases where patients seek the help of physiotherapist, a program is also created to help them recover and regain their strength and mobility.

Whether you are visiting sports injury clinic for therapy or you’re getting guided treatment at home, recovery and rehabilitation involve these five stages:

1. Address pain symptoms

The first stage focuses on addressing the symptoms and resting the affected area to protect it from further injury. In most cases, patients are asked to take some time off to rest and restrict movement to avoid putting stress on the injured area, including other areas that may contribute to the patient’s pain or discomfort.

2. Improve mobility/flexibility

This stage aims to help patients to increase the patient’s mobility, allowing them to slowly improve the flexibility of their muscles and get their range of motion back to its state prior to the injury. Aside from stretching exercises, an appointment for sports massage Dubai Marina is often included to help relieve tension and loosen muscles that became stiff during the healing process or due to lack of use.

3. Recover strength

It is common for patients to lose strength during recovery, especially if the injury restricted their movements and prevented them from doing their routines. The third stage of sports injury rehabilitation focuses on activities designed to help the patients improve the strength of their muscles and joints. Exercises and massages may also be added to the rehabilitation plan to relieve any discomfort or pain they may encounter when performing certain movements.

4. Start Sports-specific training

Once the patient regains enough strength and mobility, they will gradually start sport-specific training. To ensure that further injury will be prevented, these are often performed in stages and under the strict supervision of the therapist or professional trainer who can assist and teach the athlete in performing movements without putting unnecessary stress on the previously injured area.

5. Return to full activity

After some time, the athlete or patient will return to full activity. The final stage allows the athlete or patient to gradually perform exercises and drills that they need to perform for their respective sports events. A therapist or trainer will guide the athlete in returning to these activities, starting with basic exercises, and training, gradually increasing the level of difficulty based on the athlete’s performance.

If you need to visit a clinic for proper assessment after sustaining an injury or need to undergo physical therapy to recover from an injury, you may reach out to our specialists.

At Scandinavian Physiotherapy Center DMCC, we offer a range of treatment plans that are fit for your injury and medical.

You may visit our clinic to book a consultation and get a treatment plan for your injury or book an appointment for massage and therapy sessions.