Return To Play: Fighting an Injury

by Jefferson Mason, on Jan 30, 2024 2:17:36 PM

One of the hardest things for players to do is come back from any type of injury, let alone a major one. The injury itself can be a long and tedious process, along with everything that follows. Some athletes battle their own mind wondering if the injury has healed properly or if their body is strong enough to prevent re injury. Check out 3 core principles when dealing with injury and rehabilitation, along with our 4-part rehab series detailing helpful exercises to return to play.

Strength Building

Unfortunately some injuries can’t be prevented especially when they’re freak accidents. On the flip side, there are many injuries that can be prevented if strength building is part of an athlete's training regime. This is even more important after an injury has already occurred.

In the aftermath of an injury athletes will enter their rehab stage which will include many things but throughout the entire process strengthening weak muscles and building new strength will be a key factor in recovery time and post injury functionality.

Stability

During any athletic movement, a player's ability to control their body is key. Post-injury affects stability and this is one of the hardest areas to recover from. It’s important for basketball players to combine stability and basketball movements together so that there is a positive relationship between the two.

When this is done correctly players will be able to return to play much sooner and with a higher level of confidence.

Balance

For an athlete, balance is the ability to keep their center of mass within the limits of their base support, whether this is static or dynamic. Stability and balance go hand and hand but they are two different things. Injuries create an imbalance that can affect athletes' timing, coordination and development. This can lead to long term issues and problems which will affect play.

Balance improves overall skill development and helps prevent future injuries as well.

4 Part Rehab Series

Explore this our Rehab Series with certified athletic trainer Justus Bejno. These 4 exercises will help you come back from lower-body injuries, strengthening yourself for the future.