Athletic Injuries and Sports Psychology Nicola Sperry, Matthew Gerrior, Kaitlin Fehr HK 236

Contents Factors affecting Injury Relationship between stress and injury Predisposition to injury Psychological reactions Psychology of recovery Coping skills

How Do Injuries In Exercise and Sport Happen? Physical Factors Muscle imbalance, high speed collisions, overtraining, physical fatigue Psychological Factors Personality factors, stress levels and attitudes

Personality Factors (Ford, Ekuland, & Gordon 2000; Smith et al., 2000) Optimism, self-esteem, hardiness & trait anxiety in relation to injury Inconsistency in research

Stress Levels (Anderson & Williams, 1988; Johnson, 2007; Williams & Anderson, 1998, 2007) Relationship between life stress and injury rates Major life changes Stress sources Psychological reactions and social concerns- fear of reinjury Stress management training

Relationship Between Stress and Injury 2 Major Theories Attentional Disruption Increased Muscle Tension

Attentional Disruption Reducing Peripheral Attention State Anxiety

Increased Muscle Tension Interference with normal coordination Fatigue, Muscle Inefficiency, Reduced Flexibility & Motor Coordination Problems

Model of Stress and Athletic Injury Anderson & Williams, 1988

Attitudes that Predispose Players to Injury Rotella & Heyman, 1986 Coach's Attitudes “Act Tough and Give 100%” Failure to emphasize the need to recognize and accept injuries Encouragement to play hurt or take risks “If You're Injured, You're Worthless” Winning more important than the athlete's well being

Injury Pain vs. Training Discomfort Pushing through workouts Ignoring Injury “Train Hard and Smart”

Psychological Reactions Five Stage Grief Response Denial Anger Bargaining Depression Acceptance

New Psychological Reaction Theory Three General Responses Injury-relevant information processing Emotional upheaval and reactive behaviour Positive outlook and coping

More Psychological Reactions Identity loss Fear and anxiety Lack of confidence Performance decrements

Adjustment to Injury Coaches and trainers look for specific symptoms to evaluate whether the athlete should go to psychological counselling Examples: anger, confusion, denial, mood swings

Psychology of Recovery Fast healing vs. Slow healing athletes Effects of relaxation techniques and imagery Adherence to rehabilitation programs Characteristics of successful recovery

Implications for Injury Treatment and Recovery 3 Stage Model constructed by Bianco, Malo and Orlick in 1999 1. Injury or Illness Phase 2. Rehabilitation and Recovery Phase 3. Return to Full Activity Phase

Injury or Illness Phase Main focus is to help the athlete deal with the emotional upheaval that accompanies the onset of injury.

Rehabilitation and Recovery Phase Main focus is to help the athlete sustain motivation and adherence to rehabilitation protocols

Return to Full Activity Phase Main focus is to return the athlete to normal functioning within his or her sport.

Crosby’s Rehabilitation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmbljF2RrNg

Road to Recovery Quotes During Crosby’s Recovery: “The symptoms are getting a lot better, but I wouldn't say [I'm] symptom free” "The good thing is I have a pretty good handle on it [motion sickness]." "It's good for me to be around the guys and hopefully support them and they can see that I'm getting closer and closer."

At Risk High trait anxiety High life stress Low psychological and coping skills Low social support High avoidance coping

How to Help the Injured Athlete Build rapport Empathetic and realistic Keep up momentum Educate athlete Informed about the injury and recovery process Teach how to cope with setbacks Foster social support Don’t let this die out as the healing process continues

Specific Psychological Coping Skills Goal setting SMART Long term and short term goals Each component of rehabilitation Highly motivated athletes Positive self-talk Help to counteract the lowered confidence Turn negative thoughts into positive ones

Example of positive self-talk Negative Thought Positive Thought I’ll never be able to perform as well as I did before this injury This injury has allowed me to identify a number of weakness is my fitness. I will work on these areas of weakness, while rehabilitating the injury. This will allow me to return as a stronger player than I was before injury

Specific Psychological Coping Skills Imagery/Visualization Relax Close their eyes and create a vivid and convincing image Maintain a positive attitude Have realistic expectations Use all of their senses to make the image as realistic as possible

Specific Psychological Coping Skills Pain Management Imagery Imagine tight muscles getting massaged Feel heat/ice on sore body part Imagine swelling draining out of the body Imagine pain flowing out of the injured body part

Specific Psychological Coping Skills Healing Imagery A healing image is one that symbolizes recovery Broken bone: cement filling in a break in a bone Torn muscle: muscle fibers braiding together