T&C April/May - 6

Injury Rehabilitation
From Rehab to
Robustness
By Tyler Morrison, MA, CSCS, RSCC, Exercise Physiologist, University of Texas Medical Brand
I
f you have played sports or lifted some weights
at some point in your life, you know the chances of
you getting hurt, injured, or noticing something that
doesn't feel right are there.
On the other hand, even if you have never been on
a court, a diamond, or a field, and you have definitely
never stepped foot in a weight room, the chances of
something just not feeling right are still there. You could
slip on a rug, trip over your dog, or hurt your shoulder
grabbing your purse from the back seat. Either way, one
of the main things to focus on is to regain your strength
after this happens.
Now let's shift our focus to the current athletes, the
ones that are actively involved in sports; the ones who
just felt something that isn't normal. It could be a minor
injury that just needs a change in focus on training, or
it could be something more significant that requires
surgical intervention, along with a change in focus on
training. They both require a change in focus of their
training program, and with that may require a team
approach that includes a physician, a physical therapist,
an athletic trainer, a strength coach, and maybe even
a sports psychologist. These are all professions
that should be available and will take an athletecentered
approach when it comes to getting you
back where you need to be.
If you are needing a professional to assist
in your journey from rehab to robustness, I
would suggest asking around and getting
referrals on the
best ones in
your area.
Experiences
may vary
drastically
and you
want
someone working with you who understands where you
want to be, not someone who has you doing a cookiecutter
program they have everyone go through.
The athlete-centered approach will be crucial when it
comes to getting you back to where you need to be. As
a strength coach, I am always working with my athletes
to determine the best intervention based on their best
interests and goals. These are things we discuss, and
we want to be clear up front that goals and interests
may have to change once an injury occurs, at least
temporarily. You have to respect the healing process
and listen to your healthcare team.
Back to your goals, at this time, they may change a
little from what you had before this incident. First, let us
take a full-body approach and get you strong. We may
also use this time to go over movement deficiencies that
may have been a contributing factor in the first place.
Sometimes we are quick to view things as setbacks
when they could be a breakthrough. Think SMART. Ask
yourself, what are your goals for training at this time?
Communication is crucial between the athlete
and the healthcare team, and the healthcare team
with each other. I am employed by a hospital
system which gives me a huge benefit. I can
see the athletes in the weight room and the
clinic, and then back to the weight room. I
can speak to our PTs and ATCs daily. As an
athlete, I would make sure my rehab team is
all on the same page. Don't be afraid to ask
questions. Communication is huge on the
athlete's end as well, if you are not comfortable
with a movement or if your goals change,
you need to let us know. Also, I can't speak
about your pain or your tolerance, but
if something feels different then you
should communicate. How well will you
communicate?
6 | Training & Conditioning | April/May 2023

T&C April/May

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