Following an injury, physical therapy can help an athlete return to their sport stronger than ever.
But recovery takes time. And waiting to return to the sport they love can wear on an athletes’ patience and overall mental health. So, what do you do when you or someone you care about faces therapy fatigue?
“As physical therapists, we understand that PT can begin to grind on a patient - especially if they have been in PT for several months,” said Jay Eidsness, MPT, physical therapist at the Avera Human Performance Center. “If a patient communicates their feelings we can make changes.”
What Is Therapy Fatigue?
Therapy fatigue is when a patient feels discouraged and unmotivated to attend physical therapy appointments or make time for their daily therapy exercises. Eidsness said he often sees therapy fatigue in clients who are undergoing longer-term physical therapy following an injury or medical procedure.
How Your Therapy Team Can Help
Recovery is rarely linear, explained Eidsness, who has worked to help athletes recover and return to competition for almost 30 years.
“There’s just so many ups and downs along the course of your rehab journey. That feeling of fatigue is to be expected – don’t get discouraged, your physical therapist can help you through it,” he said.
This can be true for anyone recovering from a serious injury, even if you’re not an athlete. The advice remains the same – to keep going and talk to someone.
A few things can help when this occurs:
- Modifying exercises or the frequency of in-person physical therapy appointments
- Changing who the athlete works with during therapy
- Reassessing short- and long-term goals
- Investing time in other interests
- Continuing to show up for team practices and games
- Considering your mental game – how can attitude help you stay focused
Control What You Can Control
Goals and outcomes are often discussed when athletes begin physical therapy. If an athlete becomes discouraged, Eidsness said reminding them of their goals and reflecting on how far they have come can also make a difference.
“I will ask, ‘what was our initial goal when you came to that first appointment?’ We will talk about this. And then I remind them about the short-term goals we set to help them achieve the initial goal,” Eidsness explained. “And then, I will ask athletes, ‘what can you control?’ You can’t control the fact you are injured. But you can control your attitude and your effort.”
Attitude and recovery go hand in hand, he said. “If your attitude is good, your effort will be good. If your effort is good, you will have better outcomes. The reverse is also true. This is a main reason being positive during the rehab process is important,” Eidsness said.
How Your Mental Health Can Be Affected
Establishing and focusing on reachable goals can help athletes reset their mental outlook and regain the motivation they need to complete the physical therapy necessary to achieve their ultimate end goal of returning to their sport, explained Shawn VanGerpen, MD, child and adolescent psychiatrist at Avera Behavioral Health.
This can include positive affirmations of your successes in physical therapy or visualization of yourself in your sport pre-injury to help accelerate healing. He also encouraged people to remember they are more than an athlete.
“Even though your injury is holding you back from the sport you enjoy, you have other skills and talents,” he said.
Because an injury can have an emotional impact, VanGerpen said athletes may need outside help when it comes to their mental health.
“Our mind is a powerful tool in the healing process. But it can also be detrimental,” VanGerpen said. “Statistics show that a lot of athletes, post-injury and during rehab, do experience higher rates of depression and anxiety.”
Because we know that depression and anxiety are real, it’s important to recognize the signs in your teen athlete and start mental health therapy, he said.
Signs that an athlete may need mental health support:
- Changes in sleeping patterns
- Changes in eating patterns
- Uncharacteristic irritability and/or mood swings
- Loss of interest in their sport or other things they previously enjoyed
- Decreased motivation and energy levels
- Decreased ability to focus or concentrate
- Mention of self-harm or suicide-type statements
If you are concerned about the safety of your child, talk to your child directly and ask if they are thinking about suicide. You can call 988 to talk with someone immediately.
Recovery Is a Team Effort
In addition to his work with Avera, VanGerpen coaches high school girls’ basketball at Sioux Falls Lutheran School. This experience has shown him that even though an injury may prevent an athlete from being able to participate in a sport, the athlete’s teammates and coaches continue to play a major role in the athlete’s mental well-being.
“For athletes, their family outside their biological family is their team,” VanGerpen said. “So, after an injury it is very easy to start feeling isolated. I think it is important to make sure the injured athlete stays engaged, attending practices, team get-togethers, and games, so they still feel like they are part of the team.”
Your physical therapist and provider are great places to start with questions about mental health during injury recovery. You can also talk to an Avera Behavioral Health provider at a location near you.
