Unfortunately, injuries are an inevitable part of sports and activity participation. Although we try to focus on injury avoidance through proper warm-up, training, strengthening, and cooling down, most athletes, amateur and elite alike, will find themselves injured at some point. While most injuries can be managed with little to no disruption to participation in sports or activities of daily living, others can pose a substantial burden on both physical and mental well-being, leading the athlete into a sort of grieving process during their injury recovery.
Through my clinical experience with patients and my own current injury recovery, I have noticed that patients all go through similar stages akin to the five stages of grief while recovering from injuries. These stages are: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
Occasionally, the grief that patients experience can be so overwhelming that it can hinder proper injury management and recovery, placing them in a cycle of injury and re-injury. I have observed that when patients understand that grieving over an injury is completely normal, it allows them to adopt effective coping strategies, potentially leading to better healing and a quicker return to sport.
Denial is a common reaction during injury; many patients tell themselves that "the pain will go away" or "it isn’t so bad," or they may even "test" the injury with a run or workout instead of immediately stopping, resting, and seeking treatment. The key during this stage is to stop as soon as any discomfort arises and to seek advice or treatment to prevent the injury from worsening, thereby minimizing time away from sport. Not all injuries require complete rest, but receiving guidance on load management strategies from a healthcare provider can be beneficial in minimizing disruptions to your training schedule.
Anger and assigning blame when an injury occurs are also typical responses. After allowing yourself to experience anger, try to focus on the positives—your recovery period can provide valuable insights into yourself or your training that may help prevent future injuries.
Bargaining often manifests when suggesting rest or modified activity to patients. If advised to fully rest, patients may propose relative rest instead; if asked to engage in relative rest, they might suggest more activity than initially recommended. Similarly, if cross-training is proposed (e.g., cycling instead of running), patients may rationalize why running less is not as detrimental as perceived and why cycling may not be feasible. While practitioners generally encourage maintaining activity levels, there are times when rest or relative rest is the optimal treatment. Exploring alternative activities that bring joy, such as taking up or perfecting a new sport previously unexplored due to intense training, can aid in the recovery process.
Feelings of depression, believing that you may never fully recover, achieve previous levels of fitness, or fulfill your athletic goals, are entirely normal. People often underestimate the duration required for some injuries to heal. Remember, while modifying activities or focusing on strength training during recovery, these efforts can yield significant benefits once cleared to return to sport. For instance, strengthening your calves to aid in Achilles injury recovery can result in increased speed upon full recovery. Additionally, though it may seem like your injury is lasting an eternity, in the larger context of life, a few weeks or months is relatively brief.
Acceptance represents the final stage of grief. Athletes who reach this stage find their treatment regimen much more manageable. Accepting that injuries are a part of sports and typically require more time to heal than anticipated increases the likelihood of committing to recovery efforts and noticing the gradual improvements that may have been overlooked.
If you are struggling with the mental aspects of injury, my advice is to seek immediate treatment from a physical practitioner to guide your recovery and return to sport. If you are already doing so and still find yourself struggling with the mental side of the injury or seem stuck in the depression stage, it may be time to consult a healthcare professional specializing in sports psychology.
Dr. Livia Chiarelli
Doctor of Chiropractic
Please direct any questions about the article, chiropractic visits or running to livia@mvmtintegrativemed.com
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