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

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.

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

Used to manage inflammation after exercise sessions that load healing tissue. A 10-15 minute ice bath after a rehabilitation session can reduce soreness and inflammatory response.

Repeated cryotherapy during long-term adaptation can blunt some tissue remodelling signals. Use it for managing flare-ups, not after every session.