It can be frustrating when you sustain an injury that makes it difficult to complete even the simplest tasks .When you’re trying to rest and recover from an injury, the persistent symptoms make the days drag on and it can feel like you’ll never get back to your normal schedule.
The good news is that at REPAIR SI, not only do we provide training to help you heal from an injury, but we also properly analyze and test your progress to ensure that you’re able to safely return to your sport and/or job.
What Is Return to Sport/Work Testing & Training?
After you sustain an injury, the goal is to let it properly heal before working toward restoring your strength, muscle control and range of motion through personalized training programs. If you return to playing sports or a labor-intensive job before your body is ready, you can risk re-injury or sustaining permanent damage. Plus, an injury can interfere with your overall physical performance by reducing your strength, endurance, mobility and speed.
With proper return to sport/work testing and training, you’re able to return to your regular lifestyle, including playing sports and completing your workload.
Return to sport/work testing and training can help after injuries that affect a wide variety of body parts, including the:
- Knee.
- Foot/ankle.
- Hand/wrist.
- Shoulder.
Factors for Return to Sport/Work Testing
When it comes to return to sport testing, it means that your physical therapist has approved you for physical activity without restriction. It assesses the injury to ensure that there is minimal to no deficit in performance. A physical therapist will provide clearance based on a variety of factors, including:
- Your safety.
- The safety risk posed to other players.
- Your functional capabilities.
- The requirements of your sport.
The testing will be done after targeted training that alleviates symptoms such as pain, swelling and reduced range of motion.
Returning to work testing will be dependent on the physical demands of your job.
Function Movement Screening
One of the essential elements of return to sport/work testing is the functional movement screening, or FMS. This is a test that allows a physical therapist to evaluate your movement patterns to identify stability and mobility imbalances.
Anyone can have an FMS, but it’s especially common for athletes. Your physical therapist can perform an FMS to check for movement deficiencies after an injury to help determine if you can return to sport/work. It provides a score of 0 to 3 based on your ability to complete the movement.
FMS consists of seven movements:
- Deep squat.
- Hurdle step.
- In-line lunge.
- Shoulder mobility.
- Active straight-leg raise.
- Trunk stability push-up.
- Rotary stability.
REPAIR SI Provides Return to Sport/Work Testing & Training
If you’re recovering from an injury, proper training is essential to ensure that you restore your body’s physical abilities to safely and effectively complete the physical demands of your life, including work and sports. After your training program, a REPAIR SI physical therapist can administer return to sport/work testing to minimize your risk for re-injury.
Contact our team today for more information or schedule an initial appointment.