ATHLETIC INJURIES AND SPORTS PSYCHOLOGYNicola Sperry, Matthew Gerrior, Kaitlin Fehr

HK 236

Contents Factors affecting

Injury Relationship between

stress and injury Predisposition to injury Psychological

reactions Psychology of

recovery Coping skills

How Do Injuries In Exercise and Sport Happen? Physical Factors

Muscle imbalance, high speed collisions, overtraining, physical fatigue

Psychological Factors Personality factors, stress

levels and attitudes

Personality Factors

(Ford, Ekuland, & Gordon 2000; Smith et al., 2000)Optimism, self-esteem, hardiness & trait anxiety in relation to injury Inconsistency in research

Stress Levels (Anderson & Williams,

1988; Johnson, 2007; Williams & Anderson, 1998, 2007)

Relationship between life stress and injury rates

Major life changes Stress sources Psychological reactions

and social concerns- fear of reinjury

Stress management training

Relationship Between Stress and Injury

2 Major Theories Attentional Disruption Increased Muscle Tension

Attentional Disruption

Reducing Peripheral Attention State Anxiety

Increased Muscle Tension

Interference with normal coordination Fatigue, Muscle Inefficiency, Reduced

Flexibility & Motor Coordination Problems

Attitudes that Predispose Players to Injury

Rotella & Heyman, 1986 Coach's Attitudes

“Act Tough and Give 100%” Failure to emphasize the need to recognize and

accept injuries Encouragement to play hurt or take risks

“If You're Injured, You're Worthless” Winning more important than the athlete's well

being

Injury Pain vs. Training Discomfort

Pushing through workouts Ignoring Injury “Train Hard and Smart”

Psychological Reactions

Five Stage Grief Response1. Denial

2. Anger

3. Bargaining

4. Depression

5. Acceptance

New Psychological Reaction TheoryThree General Responses

1. Injury-relevant information processing

2. Emotional upheaval and reactive behaviour

3. Positive outlook and coping

More Psychological Reactions

Identity loss Fear and anxiety Lack of confidence Performance decrements

Adjustment to Injury

Coaches and trainers look for specific symptoms to evaluate whether the athlete should go to psychological counselling

Examples: anger, confusion, denial, mood swings

Psychology of Recovery

Fast healing vs. Slow healing athletes

Effects of relaxation techniques and imagery

Adherence to rehabilitation programs

Characteristics of successful recovery

Implications for Injury Treatment and Recovery

3 Stage Model constructed by Bianco, Malo and Orlick in 1999

1. Injury or Illness Phase2. Rehabilitation and Recovery Phase3. Return to Full Activity Phase

Injury or Illness Phase

Main focus is to help the athlete deal with the emotional upheaval that accompanies the onset of injury.

Rehabilitation and Recovery Phase Main focus is to help the athlete sustain

motivation and adherence to rehabilitation protocols

Return to Full Activity Phase Main focus is to return the athlete to

normal functioning within his or her sport.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmbljF2RrNg

Crosby’s Rehabilitation

Quotes During Crosby’s Recovery: “The symptoms are getting a lot better,

but I wouldn't say [I'm] symptom free” "The good thing is I have a pretty good

handle on it [motion sickness]." "It's good for me to be around the guys

and hopefully support them and they can see that I'm getting closer and closer."

Road to Recovery

At Risk

High trait anxiety High life stress Low psychological and coping skills Low social support High avoidance coping

How to Help the Injured Athlete Build rapport

Empathetic and realisticKeep up momentum

Educate athlete Informed about the injury and

recovery process Teach how to cope with

setbacks Foster social support

Don’t let this die out as the healing process continues

Specific Psychological Coping Skills Goal setting

SMARTLong term and short term goalsEach component of rehabilitationHighly motivated athletes

Positive self-talkHelp to counteract the lowered confidenceTurn negative thoughts into positive ones

Example of positive self-talkNegative Thought Positive Thought

I’ll never be able to perform as well as I did before this injury

This injury has allowed me to identify a number of weakness is my fitness. I will work on these areas of weakness, while rehabilitating the injury. This will allow me to return as a stronger player than I was before injury

Specific Psychological Coping Skills Imagery/Visualization

RelaxClose their eyes and create a vivid and convincing

imageMaintain a positive attitudeHave realistic expectationsUse all of their senses to make the image as

realistic as possible

Specific Psychological Coping Skills Pain Management Imagery

Imagine tight muscles getting massaged

Feel heat/ice on sore body part

Imagine swelling draining out of the body

Imagine pain flowing out of the injured body part

Specific Psychological Coping Skills Healing Imagery

A healing image is one that symbolizes recoveryBroken bone: cement filling in a break in a boneTorn muscle: muscle fibers braiding together