How to Properly Rehab an Injury Like an Elite Athlete

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Without proper injury rehabilitation, an athlete (who is in an injury-prone sport) would not be able to participate in sport and exercise at all. Jason Laird, senior lecturer of physiotherapy at the University of Winchester, works with athletes regularly, thus understands the importance of treating an injury. Laird previously worked as the lead physiotherapist for the British gymnastics and judo teams, a senior physiotherapist for the Royal Ballet, as well as a physiotherapist for Chelsea FC. During his time at each, Jason has worked with a plethora of athletes, and while his teachings have been applied to such athletes, they can also be used in a protocol for anyone rehabbing an injury.

Rehab:

In-keeping with all advice around rehabbing injuries, Laird sees the application of manual therapies and exercise protocols. While it is not a binary choice between the two, he labels exercises as “fundamental for patients and should be used by the majority.” Manual therapies can also be important for injury rehabilitation, with massage being used often. On top of this, Laird also said that there is “a place for compression and ice” in injury rehab for reduction of swelling to injuries. The use of GameReady has been important for Laird in rehabilitation of injuries for athletes, as it provides compression, cold therapy and heat, and can be applied to any injury over the body due to its adaptability. Level 4 sports massage therapist, Olivia Dawe also prescribes manual therapies for injuries, noticing the benefits in athletes who have received regular sports massages. “Massage is great for improving blood circulation in damaged muscles, reducing muscular tension and aiding lymphatic drainage, these could all be important factors in rehabilitating an injury.”

Activity Prescription:

The understanding that for each injury, the outcome an athlete (or regular person who wants to perform as such) desires is important. The number of repetitions and sets are highly dependent on the desired outcome, as identified by Laird, the physio said for capacity (or regain of general function) of an injury, 4 sets of 30 reps would be best advised. This would allow the muscles and soft tissue to regain strength in proper time, without agonising pain or too much pressure. On the other hand, for strength to be re-gained as fast as possible, it would be advisable to aim for 3 sets of 8 repetitions, at around 80% of one-rep-max weight. This would allow the muscle to faster gain strength; however, this must be controlled closely and is advisable to only use such a protocol with the help of a medical professional. Laird also labelled pushing through the pain as “something that depends on the specific athlete.” This is highly context dependent, and can change from injury to injury, as well as how the athlete reacts to rehabilitation.

Sleep and Nutrition:

For all athletes, sleep and nutrition are important and should be optimised, especially while in a rehabilitation phase to allow for the best possible healing of the body. For my article on sleep optimisation click here. Laird labels the fundamentals of sleep and nutrition as “very important in recovering from injury for every athlete.”