Clinics in sports medicine
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Review Comparative Study
Psychosocial factors in sports injury rehabilitation.
The psychology of sports injury rehabilitation is a relatively new field, even in comparison with the relatively youthful disciplines from which it has evolved. Although the psychology of sports injury has made a significant impact on the sports medicine team, the practical aspects of how and when to refer patients to psychologists need to be better understood. A recent survey of 20 sports medicine physicians indicated a high degree of psychological or behavioral concerns occurring in conjunction with sport injuries, and an increased interest in the services of clinical sports psychologists. ⋯ Research on the assessment of psychosocial factors influencing sports injury and performance, as well as the efficacy of treatment modalities, is warranted. The psychology of sports injury has emerged from several previously established areas of psychology including behavioral medicine, rehabilitation, and sport psychology. As the techniques derived from these arenas are modified to suit the special needs of injured athletes, a set of principles and practices can be-established to better assist the sports medicine team in rehabilitation and prevention of sports injury.
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A thorough knowledge of foot and ankle anatomy is required to allow an accurate and focused examination of the injured athlete. This short review has attempted to educate the treating physician on our approach to foot and ankle injuries commonly seen in athlete. We have tried to elucidate less common injuries that present in similar manner to the more common foot and ankle sprains and strains.
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Injuries in the leg span a broad spectrum of patient age and athletic level. Overuse injuries, such as medial tibial stress syndromes and stress fractures, tend to occur in the young athlete, whereas tennis leg usually occurs in the older population. With a few exceptions, most of these injuries can be successfully treated nonoperatively. Particularly with the young athlete, it is important to stress the necessity to rest and avoid activities that would compound the injury.
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Stress fractures are a source of significant sports disability in the growing athlete. Early diagnosis and treatment are paramount in the management of these injuries to minimize the morbidity associated with them. In addition, the identification of potential host and/or environmental risk factors, and education of athletes, parents, coaches and physicians about these risk factors are key in the prevention of stress fractures and other overuse injuries in the pediatric athlete.
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Clinically, stress fractures appear to be a common overuse injury among athletes and in military recruits undertaking basic training; however, there is a lack of sound epidemiologic studies describing stress fracture occurrence in athletes. Few have directly compared stress fracture rates between sports to establish which poses the greatest risk for this injury. Furthermore, incidence rates, expressed in terms of exposure, have rarely been reported for stress fractures in athletes. ⋯ The most common site of stress fracture in athletes is the tibia, although the site reflects the nature of the load applied to the skeleton. Stress fracture morbidity, expressed as the time until return to sport or activity, varies depending on the site. Generally, a period of 6 to 8 weeks is needed for healing; however, stress fractures at certain sites, such as the navicular and anterior tibial cortex, are often associated with protracted recovery and, in some cases, termination of sporting pursuits.