The Comeback

Overview:

Each year in the United States about seven million children and adults sustain injuries playing sports. People who sustain serious injuries have to go to rehabilitation. Rehabilitation is very important to every athlete in order to get them back on the field, court, or wherever they play sports. In Rehabilitation performance goals are set and they are very important for recovery. Although performance goals are always going to be the main focus, Mental imagery should be included and practiced more in the rehabilitation of an athlete. Mental Imagery used in the rehabilitation of an athlete would be very useful. Most athletes are scared of getting injured again and imagining themselves playing again would be a big contribution to the rehabilitation of an athlete. Athlete’s will become more eager to get back to what they like doing.

Development:

The three key points of this article are (1) rehabilitation of athletic injury should include both physical and psychological components, (2) goal setting will be more effective in producing the desired outcome if the athlete is involved, and (3) mental imagery can promote healing, decrease pain, and improve both self-motivation and adherence. The key point I found most interesting was the third point which talked about mental imagery and how this can help an injured athlete recover more quickly by promoting healing, decreasing their pain, and improving both their self-motivation and adherence.

The treatment given were two main treatments: goal setting and mental imagery. The goal setting treatment has two steps to it, which are short-term goals and long-term goals. Short-term goals are often daily goals that motivate the athlete by allowing them to see immediate progress. Long-term goals provide the athlete with directions and motivation to return to play in the future. Including the injured athlete in the goal setting process can help them by creating personal ownership of their rehabilitation goals. The other treatment, mental imagery, helps an injured athlete during the rehabilitation process by maintaining a positive outlook, controlling stress, improving self-confidence, managing pain, and promoting healing by imagining the injured ligaments or bones repairing themselves. This technique can improve concentration on exercise and can lead to an increase in effort throughout the rehabilitation process.

This article has influenced me in thinking deeply about these two specific treatments the next time I have an injury or when I’m helping an injured athlete trying to recover. With this information and knowledge I now know how to motivate an athlete with mental imagery and setting goals to keep them in track to recovering. It has shown me that the physical treatment isn’t the only way that will help an injured athlete recover, it’s also psychological. The athlete has to think about them recovering in order to motivate them to keep going with their physical treatment.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, mental imagery and goal setting, is a proper way of helping an athlete during rehabilitation. By using the goal setting process it helps an athlete that has an injury. This process helps motivate an athlete. By using mental imagery it can help athletes look at the results in a positive view. We can tell our athletes to picture themselves back on the field, court, or ect.  Mental imagery is a skill that comes natural to an athlete. As a student Athletic Trainer, i want to gain more knowledge about the psychological rehabilitation. I can make use of this knowledge when i become a Athletic trainer in my future. I can use the goal setting and mental imagery when I’m helping someone who's injured or whose going through the process of their comeback. I've gained experience already in the mental and physical process by when i had my own injuries. The outcome is always something I looked forward to accomplishing. I know as a student athletic trainer i can encourage and help other athletes prepare and conquer their injuries during their comeback.

Hamson-Utley, J. Jordon, PhD, ATC, LAT (2008). The Comeback: Rehabilitating the Psychological Injury. Sports Psychology & Counseling, 35-37.