A goal leading to improving motion analysis and therapy

A sports injury is most often defined as an unfortunate event during sporting activity (amateur or professional), which results in immediate pain, discomfort, and reduction or loss of function. However, it should be remembered that repeated training loads are often the cause of overload syndromes, the symptoms of which do not have a specific, strictly defined time onset. Pain and functional limitation increase gradually as the athlete continues to train and compete. However, in both cases (sudden and delayed cause), the impairment of body functions in a sports injury is caused by specific forces acting on the body during sports activities. 

According to Timpek et al. (2014), a sports injury can be considered on three levels. Firstly, as a trauma experienced by the athlete at the time of pain, discomfort, and/or loss of function, secondly as a sports injury, i.e. structural damage or dysfunction of the body assessed by a physician on the basis of objective examinations, and thirdly as an impairment, and inability to practice sports stated by an authorized sports medicine body based on a medical examination. 

Regardless of what was the cause of the injury, it has a negative impact on the physical functioning of the athlete, and often has a negative impact on his mental state. From the moment an injury occurs and is diagnosed, an athlete needs support from the medical team, sports psychologist, coach, and teammates, family, and friends. The basic tasks of the medical team include explaining to the athlete what the injury was and how the treatment and rehabilitation will proceed, as well as motivating the athlete to actively participate in the therapy. It is also very important to maintain a positive relationship with the athlete and maintain respect for his sports goals but also to protect against returning to the game too quickly, for example under pressure from the coach or other people. The responsibility of the medical team is expressed in professionalism, high competence, empathy, and openness as well as the ability to create optimal conditions for recovery (sometimes it is calming down the player, using mental training techniques and sometimes ensuring the possibility of being close to the team, e.g. therapy conducting at the same time and place as training colleagues). 

In this lesson, you will learn about the decision-making process to return to sport, what are the assumptions of the risk assessment and risk tolerance strategy (StARRT), how to conduct and interpret numerous clinical tests to help make the decision to return to sports activity using the example of an athlete after ACL reconstruction. 

Additionally available in the e-manual: Epidemiology of sports injuries.