Quick questions on Rehabilitation of sports injuries: HSC PDHPE Sports Medicine

RICER and no HARM, as covered in the injury management dot point. The focus is limiting secondary tissue damage and managing pain and swelling.

Once acute inflammation has settled, gentle, progressive movement begins. The principle is to restore function without overloading healing tissue.

Progressive loading of the injured area through:

The injured athlete progresses from gym-based rehabilitation to sport-specific training.

Full return to competition. Often staged - a return match at sub-elite level or a half-game at elite level before full participation.

Acute phase (first 72 hours). Reduces swelling and pain through vasoconstriction and analgesic effect. Already covered in RICER.

After the acute phase (72+ hours). Heat increases blood flow to the area, which supports healing, relaxes tissues, and reduces stiffness.

Alternating heat and cold (often 60 seconds each, 5-10 cycles). Used in some rehabilitation programs to promote circulation. Evidence is mixed but the practice is widespread, particularly post-training during heavy rehabilitation phases.

The athlete should be pain-free during normal daily activity, during specific exercises, and at rest. Pain during sport-specific movement indicates the tissue is not ready. Some discomfort during the acute return is acceptable; sharp or worsening pain is not.

The injured joint should have range of motion equivalent to the uninjured side. A knee that flexes to 130° on the uninjured side should flex to 130° (or within 5°) on the injured side. A 10-15° deficit is a return-to-play red flag.

The injured area should have strength equivalent to the uninjured side (within 10%, ideally within 5%). Strength is measured with a handheld dynamometer, isokinetic testing, or functional tests (1-leg hop tests, etc.).

The athlete should be performing at peak (pre-injury) level on sport-specific tests. A 100m sprinter should be running times within 5% of pre-injury best. A footballer should be hitting expected distance, intensity, and skill metrics.

The athlete should be able to complete a sport-specific warm-up at full intensity without any return of symptoms. The warm-up itself is the final stress test before competition.

Functional tests that mimic the demands of the sport. Examples:

Reduces swelling and pain through vasoconstriction and analgesic effect. Already covered in RICER.