General guidelines in the rehabilitation process for return to training after a sports injury

• DOI: 10.1016/j.apunts.2017.02.002
• Publication Date: 2017-05-15T19:16:09Z
• Authors: Toni Caparrós; Montserrat Pujol; Carlos Salas
• Keywords: Return to Sport

Abstract Rehabilitation for return to training is an interdisciplinary, specific and individualised process that is geared towards the sportsman's optimal availability for competition after a sports injury. This process begins after medical discharge and continues up to the return to play, involving the different professionals in the field of healthcare and led by the sports physician. Planning consists of three phases, defined by muscular action (isometric, concentric and eccentric); kinetic chain (closed or open); range of movement (internal, medial, external and total); and exercise orientation (general, directed and specific). Return to play must be agreed upon on the basis of objective information on the recovery stage of the injury, the state of fitness, and the sportsman's own perception.