Psychosocial Consideration

Michelle is a young, highly competitive athlete who has already had success at a state level and now has her sights on a national and international career. She is currently swimming four hours of intensive training on a daily basis and so any rest or rehabilitation period is likely to represent a big challenge for her. It is for this reason that she is likely to be reluctant to comply, however, as she is already being handicapped by her injury sooner or later she will be forced to slow things down (that sounds a little conniving!).

However, the American College of Sports Medicine has some suggestions on what Michelle can do for a quick rehabilitation, so that she can hopefully (don’t know just how bad the injury is) jump back into the pool in no time.

• Education – education about the injury is crucial so that the athlete has realistic expectations about the rehabilitation process and how to avoid re-injury. It is important to note that athletes are often misinformed about their injury by coaches, team mates, parents, the internet, Dr Seuss etc. This is also believed to help alleviate any emotional upheaval.

• Stress management and coping mechanisms – emotional reaction plays a key role. Some studies have suggested the use of psychological strategies including goal setting, positive affirmations, cognitive restructuring and visualisation, which are all associated with faster recovery.

• There is also a need to redirect energy that is normally used in training:
o Work – Michelle already works in a public relations firm. Maybe this is an opportunity to concentrate or take a larger role in this area of her life
o Coach or mentor younger swimmers (allows to remain within the swimming environment)
o Many injured athletes look to career opportunities such as motivational speaking


- This picture serves no purpose... just wanted to see if it would work