Psychological challenges of sports injury

International Conference on Sports Medicine and Fitness

March 23-25, 2015 Chicago, USA

Jim Taylor

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Sports Med Doping Stud

Abstract :

This workshop, based on the author two books on sports injury, offers sports medicine professionals, including orthopedists, physical therapists, and athletic trainers, useful information and practical techniques to help their patients overcome the psychological obstacles of sports injuries. He has found in his work with injured athletes that surgical procedures and rehabilitative protocols have become so sophisticated and effective that full physical recovery can be expected for injuries that would have been career ending a few decades ago. Yet, athletic performance doesn�??t always return to its pre-injury level. The author believes that the mind becomes �??injured�?� when a physical injury occurs and that, without proper �??rehabilitation,�?� those mental injuries may not heal fully. As a result, despite all positive indicators of full physical recovery, pre-injury sports performance never returns. The author describes some of the most relevant issues related to the psychology of sports injury including motivation, confidence, anxiety, concentration, and emotions. He then explores essential strategies that injured and recovering athletes can use, including goal setting, mental imagery, relaxation, and focusing, to help them rehabilitate their mind as fully as they do their body.