The Mental Aspect of Beginning a Rehab Program for the High Level Athlete

Regular Training to Rehab Training: 

The transition between your regular training program and a rehab program can be tough. Often, athletes find that part of their identity is their sport of choice. So, when something changes with your training, it can feel like you are losing part of yourself. Some of the most common mindsets we see with our high level athletes at the start of rehab are fear of missing out, comparison, and anxiety about whether or not they will ever be able to be at the level they once were. In this blog post we will dive into these mindsets and reframe them to help better assist with the recovery process. 

Why is Mindset Important for the Rehab Process?

Our mindset has a direct impact on our bodily function. An easily applicable example is the placebo effect. In one study, participants who were placed in a placebo group were told that they were touched by poison ivy when in reality they were touched with a harmless plant. All participants in the placebo group developed a rash in response to thinking they were exposed to poison ivy. This shows how powerful our mind can be and how important mindset can be when it comes to pain and injury. Another example of how the mind and body are connected would be the effect of deep breathing exercises on anxiety. Diaphragmatic breathing can lower heart rate, blood pressure and even cortisol levels!

Fear of Missing Out:

When an injury occurs, oftentimes an athlete's first thoughts are about the events they will be missing out on. When part of your identity is in your sport, you are committed to that sport and naturally want to be all in. Thoughts like “What races, competitions or meets will I miss out on?” and “What if I don’t get better in time for this or that?” are all too common. This is where the big picture is important. Adjusting the thoughts to “I may miss out on this meet, but if I recover properly, I will have a whole lifetime of being an athlete ahead of me” can be helpful for future framing. Longevity in sport is more important than any missed events. Ignoring an injury so you don’t have to miss events can be the difference between a few months of rehab and years of pain. Instead of being fearful of what you will miss out on now, think of the things you would miss out on in the future if you had chosen to ignore your current pain or injury.

Comparison:

It is only natural to compare yourself to where you used to be, or to others who are continuing their journey while you are off on the sidelines doing rehab. It takes resiliency to step away from your sport and take care of yourself. It would have been much easier to ignore the problem and stay in the sport you love. Give yourself credit for bravely taking the leap to take care of yourself that many often ignore. An easy reframe is to view rehabilitation as a workout itself, and at Conquer Movement, we have high level athletes dripping sweat and shaking at the end of our sessions more often than not. Instead of thinking about where you used to be or where others are, think about where you are right now. Right now you are creating a stronger, more stable, and extremely capable body that will serve you for years to come. 

Anxiety about Performance:

When returning to sport, the body will go through a period of readjustment. This readjustment period is normal and can look different for everyone. It could be that weights that used to feel easy now feel extremely challenging, maybe your mile time is significantly slower, or you are simply just feeling winded or deconditioned in general. Whether you are just starting rehab or entering into a readjustment period after finishing rehab, it is natural to wonder if you will ever perform at the level you used to. If you find yourself experiencing anxiety about your performance, there are many options, from speaking to a sports psychologist to listening to a podcast about sport related stress and delving into identifying and addressing your stressors. An easy reframe here would be to think about how much better you will perform once you finish rehabbing your pain or injury. The cool part about rehab is that it corrects movement faults that have always been there. Your movement faults existed well before you were ever in pain or injured. At Conquer Movement, we address movement faults throughout your body, not just in the area of your injury, because everything is connected. With a comprehensive approach to movement and rehabilitation, it is extremely common to see athletes hitting new PRs, conquering their movement, and performing better than ever before! Think of how well you performed before these faults were addressed and get excited for how much better you will perform once you finish rehab and get rid of faulty movement patterns. Remember, mindset, the body achieves what the mind believes! 

If you are dealing with an injury or nagging pain, we can help you stay positive while also working toward returning to sport. Jump on a call with one of our experts and we will delve into the process of getting you back to the sport that you love!

Dr. Kylie Miller

Performance Physical Therapist

Wilmington, NC

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