Rehabilitation Flashcards
Why is it best to rush recovery?
The longer you are injured for the greater the effects of reversibility are, so fast recovery means minimised fitness losses
What are the types of rehabilitation?
Hyperbaric chambers, cryotherapy, hydrotherapy, proprioceptive retraining, and strength training
What is a hyperbaric chamber?
A high pressurised chamber that delivers 100% of pure oxygen to the body
What is the aim of a hyperbaric chamber?
Reduce recovery time
What are the physiological reasons for a hyperbaric chamber?
Increased oxygen levels means that haemoglobin levels become fully saturated. Due to the high pressure any excess oxygen also gets absorbed into the plasma which means more gets delivered around the body. This dissolved oxygen reduces swelling and promotes body cells to repair at a faster rate. Studies have shown that recovery time can be halved.
What athlete would benefit from a hyperbaric chamber?
Any athlete with soft tissue, tendon or ligament damage
What is cryotherapy?
Involves someone entering a cryogenic chamber that has been cooled by liquid nitrogen to a temperature below -100 degrees. The process lasts 3 minutes
What is the aim of cryotherapy?
To reduce pain and inflammation
What are the physiological reasons for cryotherapy?
The freezing gas surrounds the body causing the blood vessels in the arms and legs to vasoconstrict. This process shunts the blood towards the core to protect the vital organs. On leaving the chamber the blood returns to the arms and legs full of oxygen which speeds up cell recovery
What athlete would benefit from cryotherapy?
Any athlete with soft tissue, tendon or ligament damage
What is hydrotherapy?
Hydrotherapy takes place in warm water (35 degrees) and is used to improve blood circulation, relieve pain and relax muscles
What are the physiological reasons for hydrotherapy?
The buoyancy of the water helps to support body weight
This allows the athlete to train on weak joints
Exercise against the water resistance helps strengthen the injured area
Exercises include running with a BA on or on an underwater treadmill
What athlete would benefit from hydrotherapy?
Any athlete with any weight bearing injury
What is proprioception?
The body’s awareness of its limbs
What do proprioceptors do?
Deliver vital information such as position and speed of movement
What kind of injuries can impair proprioception?
Sprains
What is proprioceptive retraining?
Involves teaching the body how to control itself again, an example is using a wobble board
What is strength training?
Rebuilds strength in or around an injured area - this prevents it from happening again. Involves resistance of some kind
Where does resistance come from in strength training?
Free weights - the body has control
Machine weights - the machine has control
Body weight - improves core strength and posture
Therabands - latex bands which increase in resistance as the injury improves
