Healing Sports Injuries: The Mind-Body Connection

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Current sports neuroscience research demonstrates that there is an undeniable connection between the physical and mental state of an athlete and their ability to perform at their peak.  An athlete is able to perform at peak when they are healthy and happy, but can struggle to perform routine skills when they are slightly injured or unhappy.

A year long NCAA survey of athletes found that 30% reported feeling depressed and 50% described experiencing high levels of anxiety in everyday life of training and school.

Athletes are more likely than the general public to experience injuries, failure in competition or overtraining which can lead to psychological distress.

Time spent in school and training leave very little time for social life and pleasure. Athletes commonly choose to miss things (events, social opportunities) to stay competitive in their sport.

During the heat of the competitive season, it is easy to get caught up in the race to “glory.” Sometimes an athlete (and their parents) can feel like they are running on a hamster wheel of never ending training, competition, aches and fatigue.

Make sure to pay attention to your youth athlete’s mental health. Be aware of their happiness and well being by checking in on their life-sport balance. The pre-teen, adolescent and young adult years are important milestones, and can bring turbulent times if an athlete does not have a well rounded social system and self identity outside of their sport.

Athletic director for champion performance at Columbia University, Brent Walker said that when he began working in the field he did not want to deal with the mental health aspect of sport performance, but now, “it is difficult to separate the mental health piece from the performance side of it.”

Make sure your athlete has adequate rest, recovery, and nutrition every day to stay healthy in mind and body.

Injuries Are Mental and Physical

If highly competitive athletes already have the potential for higher levels of anxiety and depression and feelings of social isolation due to the demands of their lifestyle, what happens if they get injured and are unable to train as usual?

Physical injuries or conditions have psychological and/or emotional consequences that can keep your skater off the ice. Many athletes experience mild depression after an injury, some even moderate to severe depression including thoughts of suicide. This is one clear example of  the important relationship between physical and mental health.

Any serious athlete who has had an injury can tell you that the physical pain is only a small part of the whole process.

Not being able to do your sport for even a brief time can be more frustrating than any physical injury. Bones will mend, muscles will heal, but the loss of “time” and opportunities can linger far after the scars have faded if left untreated.

Parents and coaches who are tuned in to the mental health of an injured athlete, can take steps to ensure good mental health during the recovery process.

Every athlete and every injury is different.

Immediately after an injury that takes you off the ice, it is best to allow time for the body and mind to heal. Instead of rushing back to sport related activities, listen to the signals from your body and your mind.

Rest and Recovery

Physical pain is a clear indication of your physical state.

Sleepiness or lack of motivation and fatigue could be a sign from your body that it needs more time to heal. Our body cells regenerate and repair only when we sleep. That is why adequate rest is necessary for athletes during injury recovery as well as in day-to-day training.

Right after an injury, give your skater permission to take a few days off from skating related practices. Help them to “give themselves” permission to take time off without guilt. Even if they can do support activities without pain, if they are not feeling “up to it,” use your best judgement and allow them to skip it and rest instead.

Coming back too soon before the body and mind is healed and ready can lead to longer recovery times or worse, re-injury.

Emotional health

When a competitive athlete gets injured, even the temporary loss of their sport can cause feelings of loss similar to the grief of losing a loved one.

Allow a period of time for any feelings like denial, anger, despair, bargaining, and depression to come out in the open without censure. Be supportive,  let your athlete “vent” without trying to solve or change anything (unless they ask for help).

In the early stages, avoid phrases that negate their feelings, or make them feel bad for feeling the way they do. For example: “Oh, you really don’t mean that.” “It’s not that bad.”

When the athlete can express their feelings, they can begin to heal and move toward acceptance of their situation.

These feelings exist in everyone even in Olympic Champions. Ignoring them and stuffing them down now can be a temporary fix, but they will most likely come back at a later day with greater negative impact.

Daily Awareness Can Help Avoid A Blowout

Think of a kitchen sink without a disposal.

If you take a little time each day to catch the food particles in a drain screen and throw them away it will keep the pipe clear and functioning.

But if you ignore those crumbs and allow them to slip down the drain, they will slowly build up in the pipe until one day it will be completely blocked and you have to call a specialist and spend a lot of money to clean it out.

Ignoring and stuffing feelings can cause build up that can lower sport performance or even be life threatening in the future.

Athletes are people first and people need to know that these feelings are normal and not a sign of weakness.

Mind and Body Work Together

Competitive figure skaters need to be 100% in mind and body for peak performance in practice and in competition.

In any injury, make sure to address the mental side of recovery after injury.

If someone you know has suffered an injury and seems slow coming back or is “not the same” even though the physical symptoms have healed, it might be time to address the mental side of recovery.

Right after an injury or set back:

  1. Encourage your athlete to give themselves permission to take time off of training without feeling guilty. A positive mindset will help to speed the healing process.
  2. The feelings after an injury or setback are real. Allow a safe space for your athlete to be heard. If necessary: help them acknowledge, accept and work through their feelings so that they can move forward into the next step of their healing process.
  3. After the initial period of rest and recovery, dedicate time to work on your mental game so that your mindset will be ready when you take to the ice again.
  4. Professional mental health treatment may be beneficial if you observe behaviors that indicate your child may not be moving forward in their mental healing. Click here for warning signs: American Psychiatric Association Website.

Get started with building your competitive mindset: download  “Confidence Myth Busters,” a complimentary eBook.