Due to the sometimes very high level of stress involved in top-class sport, overloading can also lead to sports injuries. These injuries can vary greatly in their severity and range from minor bruises to serious bone fractures and torn ligaments. For many athletes, recovery from injury is a lengthy process that requires rehabilitation measures to return to competition mode. This article aims to provide an overview of rehabilitation in sport and how it can help to overcome injury and get the athlete back to their best.
The basics of rehabilitation
Rehabilitation is a process that aims to restore normal physical function after an injury or illness. It can consist of various measures, including physiotherapy exercises, strength training, stretching and specific sporting activities. Rehab usually begins with a comprehensive assessment of the injury and the athlete's physical condition. An experienced sports medicine specialist or physiotherapist will take a detailed medical history and examine the affected area for pain, swelling and mobility. The results of the assessment are then used to create an individualized rehabilitation plan tailored to the athlete's specific needs. The aim of rehabilitation is then to strengthen the affected area and restore mobility to get the athlete back into competition mode.
Phases of rehabilitation
Rehabilitation can be divided into different phases, each of which has different goals and focuses.
Acute phase
The acute phase begins immediately after the injury and usually lasts from a few days to a week. The main aim of this phase is to reduce pain and swelling and restore mobility to the affected area. During this phase, rest, ice, compression and elevation measures are usually recommended to reduce pain and swelling. In some cases, painkillers or anti-inflammatory medication may also be prescribed.
Subacute phase
The subacute phase generally begins around one week after the injury and lasts around two to six weeks, depending on the injury. During this phase, the stability and mobility of the affected area is further improved and muscle function is restored. This is achieved through physiotherapy exercises, stretching and light strength exercises.
Chronic phase
About six weeks after the injury, the chronic phase begins, which can last from several months to a year or longer. The main goal of this phase is to restore strength and endurance to the affected area and prepare the athlete for competition.
The chronic phase of rehabilitation is usually followed by the resumption of training. This phase is often referred to as the "return-to-sport/play" phase and is crucial to the success of rehabilitation. The footballer is accompanied by an athletics trainer and guided back into everyday training with specific exercises.
At FC Zurich, rehab coach Michael Sulzmann is responsible for this and, depending on the injury, focuses on stopping and changing direction in his training and integrates this into the training. He says: "First we start with linear movements, then we train the lateral planes before adding rotational and twisting movements." This staggered structure allows the player to slowly approach a wide variety of loads. The key is that the footballer is closely monitored by coaches, sports physicians and physiotherapists to ensure that he does not experience any pain or discomfort. If the latter occur, the intensity of the rehabilitation is adjusted if necessary so that the player does not suffer another setback in the rehabilitation process.
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Of course, the mind also plays an important role in injuries and the mental component should not be underestimated and is individual to each player. Sulzmann says: "Some players can tick everything off extremely quickly after an injury and look ahead, others are more sensitive and you have to give them more positive encouragement during the rehabilitation phase."
Before the injured player can resume team training, he goes through various "test batteries", as Michael Sulzmann calls them. If he passes these, he is gradually reintegrated into team training, initially completing passing exercises or position-specific exercises without much physical contact. It is important here that the player is not allowed to do all the exercises straight away, as the duels in team training add another external and uncontrollable component that makes it much more complex than individual training with the rehab coach. Once this final step has been mastered and the player is once again an integral part of team training, nothing stands in the way of a return to competition.
This article was produced in collaboration with FCZ.
