Worth the risk

Recovery time from an injury varies with the patient

BY AARON HOLLY

Researchers have been trying for years to determine the relationship between activity and injury. How do we maximize human performance and help our athletes and patients progress toward their specific goals while minimizing their risk for injury?

Three things should be considered for individuals when designing a rehab or athletic performance program. Individuals’ current capacity (their “floor”), the capacity needed to perform their sport or activity (their “ceiling”), and the time it takes to progress from floor to ceiling.

One of the most common questions I get from my patients, on their first physical therapy visit is: How long is this going to take?

The larger the discrepancy between a person’s floor and ceiling, the more time it will take to safely reach their rehab or performance goals. We know that to improve an individual’s performance, the workload during training or rehab must exceed that person’s current physical capacity. We know that small, systematic increases in training workload that are slightly greater than capacity will improve tolerance for further loading over time and allow for safe functional strength and performance gains.

We also know that we must be careful not to increase workload too fast or too aggressively as this is when injury and setbacks can occur. When determining where an individual’s floor is, we need to consider current fitness level, injury status, age, and ability.

When patients come to me with a higher floor, they are set up for more success, and I know I can push them harder with less injury risk. A lower floor means a more conservative approach that will take a bit more time to safely reach their goals.

2020 has been a challenging year to make healthy decisions. Quarantine inactivity is contributing to deconditioning and strength loss, resulting in a lower floor. With 2021 resolutions around the corner, now is a good time to begin working toward a healthy active lifestyle to raise your floor and make sure you are prepared to build toward bigger goals in the future. If you need help getting started, seek out a rehab or fitness professional for guidance.

Aaron Holly, MSPT, MTC, is the vice president of professional development and the Okemos clinic director at Orthopaedic Rehab Specialists. Reach him at (517) 220-4540.