The Importance of a Team Approach For a Successful Rehab

The Importance of a Team Approach in Rehabilitation

Successful sport organizations are high performing teams on and off the field. They integrate sports science, sports medicine, sports performance, sports psychology, and nutrition with coaching to optimize player development, health, and performance.  In high school and youth sports, creating a team like this around an athlete is more difficult because all of these professionals are not down the hall from the locker room.  However, the multidisciplinary team approach is just as important in the full recovery of young athletes as it is in mature competitors.

Let me give you an example of how we try to accomplish the team approach with our patients at Kinetic. Early in baseball season, it’s pretty common for a pitcher or two to come see us with a shoulder or elbow injury.  After seeing the athlete, we talk with his strength and conditioning coach to modify his lift to allow him to safely train as much as possible while he is rehabbing his shoulder or elbow. As rehab progresses and the athlete begins a return-to-throwing program, we talk to the player’s coach to determine what role he is expected to return in.  How many pitches does he need to be prepared to throw? Is he playing other positions besides pitcher? You get the idea.  The answers to these questions help us design an effective return-to-throwing program to build the athlete up to the appropriate workload prior to clearance for return to play.  And then once the pitcher completes his long toss and starts to throw pitches off the mound, we will check for mechanical deficiencies or flaws that may have contributed to the injury in the first place.  Our next conversation is often with a pitching coach to work on the player’s mechanics. 

When we do what we are best at and then partner with other coaches to use their knowledge and skill, we deliver a better outcome for the athlete.  We are PT’s not pitching coaches; we see mechanical flaws that may contribute to injuries. We can make simple suggestions, but do not know all the different potential drills and corrective strategies to make mechanical changes.  And the pitching coach and strength coach may have some basic suggestions about the players rehab, but do not have the same expertise as a physical therapist.   By partnering and working together, we give our athletes the best chance to succeed.   

At Kinetic Sports Medicine, we help patients build the team they need to support them throughout and after their rehabilitation.  We take the time necessary to communicate with all of the members of that team to make sure everyone is on the same page and has a clear understanding of the path to a safe and efficient return to play.