When we’re young adolescents, we don’t give much thought to pushing the limits on the court, rink, track, or field. Even if we get hurt at an early age we bounce back within a couple of weeks or days. Young cells are dividing and regenerating more quickly than those of adults, which allows adolescent bodies to heal more quickly from muscle, tendon, and ligament injuries. But as we get older, even in our late teens and early 20s, healing begins to slow down in comparison to what it once was. Further, at these latter ages there is more skin in the game. Remaining injury-free can be the key to maintaining collegiate scholarships and/or making it to elite amateur (Olympics) or professional ranks. All of a sudden fear or getting injured creeps into your psyche, negatively impacts your mindset, and can compromise performance. Even worse, is that the anxiety and stress felt about potentially getting injured can actually make an athlete more prone to getting injured. A vicious cycle ensues. This has left you with one key question; how to overcome fear of getting hurt in sports? While there is more than one way to approach an answer, we suggest that intervention from a full-service physiotherapy clinic is critical. Read ahead to learn more.
How Regular Physiotherapy Will Help You Overcome Your Fear of Getting Hurt in Competitive Sports
Optimizing Musculoskeletal Function
Musculoskeletal wellness and readiness is extremely important to fostering a positive and sustainable belief about oneself as an athlete and being free from fear. A comprehensive physical therapy assessment is the foundation in attaining this state of mind. The assessment will uncover underlying issues that already show symptoms (pain, inflammation, lack of mobility) and others that are on the cusp of doing so. The assessment will dictate if and where physiotherapy and chiropractic treatments are required.
Beyond the initial assessment, seeing a physiotherapist and chiropractor on a regular basis (weekly, or monthly at least) will optimize musculoskeletal function to protect muscles, tendons, ligaments, tissues, and small stabilizers. While there is never a guarantee that an athlete will avoid injury, the statistical odds of avoiding injury increase significantly when physiotherapy becomes a part of one’s regime.
Physio Clinic Counseling Services for Athlete PTSD and Anxiety Relating to Fear
A number of athletes have fear of getting hurt in sports because they have experienced the physical trauma of being injured before, along with the mental/emotional trauma of how the injury may impact their ability to compete in the future. This is a form of athlete post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with symptoms being categorized as intrusive thoughts, avoidance, negative alterations in mood and cognition, and hyperarousal. We know intervention sounds like the job for a mental health clinic, but a full service physiotherapy clinic such as Absolute PhysioCare with a clinical counselor on staff can treat PTSD, performance anxiety, and stress related to prior injuries. The counselor can also treat mental/behavioral issues that may cooccur with PTSD and other anxiety disorders that athletes self report as being steeped in fear. View more on our physiotherapy clinic’s counseling services which are available on-premises and online through our tele-health platform.
Tired of living with fear and having this fear impact your competitive mindset and performance? If located in Greater Vancouver BC you can make a change for the better today by visiting our clinic.