Sports injuries Objectives: BY THE END OF THE SESSION YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO: o LIST THE PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSES COMMON TO MOST SPORTS INJURIES o DESCRIBE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSES COMMON TO MOST SPORTS INJURIES

Revision List the physiological responses common to most sports injuries 1.Inflammatory response 2.Blood Clotting 3.Fibroblastic repair 4.Maturation remodelling

Phase 1 Immediate post injury phase (0- 20 mins post-injury) Prevent as much of the swelling as possible (ABC) Phase 2 Acute phase (up to hrs post-injury) Control any bleeding or swelling Relieve pain Protect from further damage Give advice for home treatment (PRICE) Phase 3 Sub-acute phase (3-10 days) Early stages of recovery: Removal of dead cells Growth of new blood vessels Development of scar tissue Phase 4 Active rehabilitation stage mobilising exercises for joint range Strengthening exercises Before starting rehabilitation: No significant inflammation No significant swelling There is a range of movement and some weight bearing Phase 5 Functional rehabilitation or training stage The aim of this stage is to: Improve balance and movement co-ordination Restore specific skills and movement patterns Provide psychological reassurance Stages of recovery

How do you think the athlete would feel at these stages? Phase 1 Immediate post injury phase (0-20 mins post-injury) Phase 2 Acute phase (up to hrs post-injury) Phase 3 Sub-acute phase (3-10 days) Phase 4 Active rehabilitation stage mobilising exercises Phase 5 Functional rehabilitation or training stage

Key words Frustration Anger Disbelief Anxiety Stress

Josh Dueck

Psychological responses Readjustment pattern Research suggests that all performers follow similar patterns of psychological readjustment The degree of psychological trauma depends on the severity of the injury but also on the consequences for the performer

Denial Sustaining an injury puts the body into shock The injured performer may deny the severity of the injury saying “ill be ok let me carry on” Later the severity of the injury becomes apparent Jamie Roberts v Australia 2007

Anger When the injury is realised the denial turns to anger The anger can be directed at themselves or other people Intrinsic / Extrinsic – give examples

Frustration A performer can feel frustrated at having their goal taken away from them by the injury E.g. Johnny Wilkinson - crying

Isolation An injured performer can feel very isolated as they become detached from the team and their team-mates The impact on this separation will depend on how much they relied on the emotional support and comradeship of their team-mates. How could this problem be minimised?

Anxiety Loss of their playing position in the team Exacerbated by the importance of their place in the team E.g. losing a place for a division 6 side may not seem as important as losing a place in a regional side and the wages that would go with it Anxiety of regaining fitness and the fears of recurrence can produce a spiral toward depression

Acceptance This occurs when the performer acknowledges the severity and length of their injury and begin to focus on rehabilitation

Psychological response to treatment and rehabilitation Anxiety – Frustration – Goal setting Setting goals make long injuries more manageable

Task Write down a series of questions to find out how someone felt / would feel after they were injured. Think about their feelings from both a physiological and psychological perspective. In pairs interview someone who has recently experienced a sports injury. One of you ask the questions while one of you transcribes what is being said.

Task Go through the transcript of the interview, identifying and describing the interviewee’s physiological and psychological responses