The ‘leap’ that you feel like you need to take to go from being ‘in rehab’ to ‘back to playing’ should not really exist at all. In fact, if an injury rehab is handled correctly, there should be a smooth process right from the first aid and all the way to the first game back.
Why time‑based rehab is unreliable for return‑to‑sport decisions
When we are deciding whether someone is ready to return to sport, we are always measuring the difference between what the injured body part is currently capable of vs what it will be required of it during sport. Historically, people were often told to rest for a period of time and the return to sport. But this assumes that after healing, the injury is ready to meet the demands of competition.
What is often forgotten is that, after getting injured, the body goes through a healing process that restores the structure, but leaves deficits in function. For example, after rolling an ankle, we know that that the ankle can fully heal and look good as new on an ultrasound. However, if we assess the same person in clinic, we will find deficits in the strength, power, balance and flexibility of that ankle. If left unaddressed, returning to sport carries a greater risk of re-injury.
How strength, power, and movement testing guide safer return
So, if we can't rely only on rest to heal and restore an injury back to normal, we must have more detailed criteria to get back to sport. The very point of testing for strength, power, and movement is that it will tell us if the injury is ready to perform at competition level. Also, it drives decisions in rehab.
The testing we perform here at the Optimal Health Lab will tell us exactly what deficits are remaining, giving a clear and simple picture of what you can work on to achieve the targets that will allow you to return to your sport. We may use our VALD Force Decks, our hand-held dynamometers, a stopwatch, testing on our gym equipment and many other options – noting all these testing plans are individually built to you and your injury. The tests are often also designed to mimic the demands of the sport for each body part and, often, have research to give us benchmarks to measure by.
By using testing this way, we can remove guesswork. When the time comes for your first game back, you can be confident in knowing that your injury has already shown that it is ready to meet the demands, so you can focus on confidently performing at your best. If you want this evidence-based approach to your sporting rehab, your workplace injury or your current goals, simply reach out to any OHL Physio and we’ll get testing together. Bookings via 9431 5955 or visit the Client Portal online.
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