Staying Positive in the Face of Injury

The vast majority of the athletes I see in the clinic are disappointed when an injury occurs, particularly if there is the possibility of extended time off.

Injury rehab is a tough place to be even at the best of times. However, it can also be an opportunity with the right approach. Making the best of a bad situation can be helpful for growth, and in some cases it can give you time to freshen up and work on the basics that might have been overlooked earlier on in your training or career.

It’s not the best part of my job as a physiotherapist to tell someone that they can’t participate in something they love to do, but at the end of the day, it is an important component to master.

You might be asking, how do I approach a long-term rehabilitation “project”? Or what can be helpful during this process? Well, read on!

Get the facts – Don’t jump to conclusions!

Google and Youtube have become a common resource for the injured athlete – we have also seen its use when it comes to COVID-19 information. Just because it is easily accessible doesn’t mean we should use it as our sole source of information.

Anxiety can come from fear of the unknown – the best thing you can do is get the facts. Don’t rely solely on online resources (unless taking part in a private 1-on-1 online medical consultation) to diagnose your issue and subsequent treatment. See a professional who can diagnose your injury and give you a plan. Ask them the questions you want to know the answers to.

Speculating on what your injury could be is part of being human, but if reading horror stories online is making you more anxious (particularly discussion boards) then get away from it. Anecdotal information from the experience of others can be unhealthy to your own situation, particularly if it is negative information that causes fear and worry about your injury.

Injuries are multi-factorial in that there are lots of contributing factors that can escalate and even cause an injury. These include but are not limited to:

• Lack of sleep
• Inadequate nutrition for the demands of sport/activity
• Stress
• Fear/Worry

It is possible to compound the problem by getting caught up in anxiety inducing activity such as reading forums and hearing horror stories from other athletes, parents or coaches. If this is affecting you negatively, then do your best to either change the topic of conversation or, if possible, remove yourself from the situation. The mindset of those around you is infectious and can also influence your thoughts and feelings.

It can be helpful sometimes, once you have a diagnosis, to discuss coping strategies with someone who has been in a similar situation. Ideally the frame of the conversation should be that of empowerment – it should motivate you to get through or manage the challenging situation rather than contribute to you feeling worse.

Stay involved

Injuries can sometimes be opportunities and can be the beginning of a new path. Go out in the boat with your coach, take part in a rowing coaching course. It might develop you into a better rower as it gives you another opportunity to see things from a different perspective and to upskill.

For most situations, keep socialising with your team and attending training sessions. This can give you motivation as it is common to feel a sense of belonging and camaraderie when around other humans. It can also show your coach that you are keen to get back in the boat if you are worried about future selection.

The ideal plan

A teacher at school loved to use this cliché (there are a lot of them in this article) but “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail” and it has stuck with me to this day. The best health care practitioners are the ones that are in the trenches with you, taking part in the journey and guiding you through it. Ask your therapist – what do I need to do to get back to rowing (or running, or whatever activity you want to do). They will generally give you a list of checkboxes (in writing or verbal) that you will need to perform or achieve prior to moving onto the next step (“criteria”). Then ask, what can I do to help achieve these checkboxes.

If you’re feeling uncertain, clarify with your practitioner because that is what they are there for!

There is always some form of activity that you CAN do – biking/walking/upper body strength activities/lower body strength activities/core strength/swimming/stretching etc.

Short and Long term Prioritisation – See the bigger picture but focus on the short term

A classic technique but for good reason, is to create some goals for both the short and long term. SMART goals are a good way to structure your priorities.

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Relevant

Timed

This could look like – “Be able to hold a 1-minute front plank, pain free within the next 7 days.”

As well as a rehabilitation goal, have a personal goal during this time also. My advice would be to have a goal to achieve within the next 2 weeks, and one to achieve over the next 6 weeks – 6 months.

A personal goal could be – “Spend less than 1 hour on social media every day for two weeks.”

Remember to make the goal something that you can measure, and keep it achievable! Don’t be afraid to adjust it if it is not realistic, but try not to abandon it altogether.

Control – Focus on what you can control, rather than worry about what is out of your control

One of the most challenging components of dealing with adversity and anxiety is the lack of control that it can give us.

Not everything always goes to plan, and much like your rowing training and racing career to date, there will be ups and downs in rehabilitation also. Coping with adversity is a part of life but it’s much easier said than done.

“It is what it is” – coming to terms with an injury can be challenging, but acknowledging the present is a great way to look towards the future. Beating yourself up about a situation won’t achieve much, but finding out, or realising what you can do now to avoid being in that situation in the future, can be productive – although over-analysing can be unhealthy too.

Gain one new skill or invest in a skill that is currently a weakness

At a seminar I attended a few years ago, the physiotherapist for a professional sporting team detailed how, when a player has a long term injury, the player will learn a new language and how to juggle 3 balls. This then means that in the off-season, they can go on holidays overseas and speak that language.

It’s an example of attributing rehabilitation with a positive experience which can be helpful. If you have had a traumatic rehabilitation situation in the past, then the first thought that is going to come to your mind on the next injury, could be the dread of having to go through that negative experience again. However, picking up new skills, doing a course or even doing some volunteer work will improve your sense of self and may be something that actually helps you to look back on the experience fondly in the future.

Rehabilitation can be an opportunity, and when it comes to any sport, it gives you ample time to reflect on your training program, routine or technique. Use it to come back as a better person, and a better athlete. For rowers, it’s a great time to do video analysis, as you will generally be starting at reduced pressure and intensity on your first few rows back on the water. Ideally have your coach with you to make the most of that time. Work out which muscles are weak that you can work on in the gym.

Don’t be afraid to reach out if you need help

Injuries are not always straight forward in getting from Point A to B. There are ups and downs that you sometimes won’t be able to cope with, no matter how resilient you may be.

Speak to a sports psychologist if you feel like you are struggling with motivation or coping with your injury.

We are not mental health professionals, if you or someone you know are suffering, contemplating or have attempted self-harm, speak to someone as soon as possible – in Australia we have Lifeline 13 11 14 and Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636. In the UK you can visit Mind or contact the Self-Injury support helpline at 0808 800 8088.

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