Psychological issues in sport injury rehabilitation: current knowledge and practice

The importance of addressing psychological issues in athletic injury rehabilitation has been recognized by the medical community. When and how to address psychological ramifications of injury, however, have not been given sufficient attention.

VARIOUS FACTORS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ATHLETIC INJURY: models of adjustment to athletic injury, a 10-point assessment inventory, and some techniques employed by sport psychologists to address psychological responses to injury will be discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to outline specific guidelines to follow when assessing athletes and counseling them following athletic injuries. By implementing these guidelines, the athletic trainer can: 1)establish trust and rapport, 2) become familiar with the athlete's perception of the injury, and 3) attempt to get the athlete to commit to treatment. CLINICAL ADVANTAGE: Often, athletes are treated for their physical complaints without giving attention to their psychological needs. These techniques can be used for athletes who have suffered an injury so that they may return safely both physically and psychologically to competition.