Training hard for an upcoming competition or meet is a thrilling experience, but it also comes with risks—one of the biggest being an acute injury. Whether you’re an athlete preparing for a weightlifting meet, a marathon, or a team sport event, an injury can feel like it derails all your hard work. It’s stressful, both physically and mentally, especially when it happens so close to your competition. However, with the right approach, you can manage the situation and still have a chance to compete.
Here’s how to deal with an acute injury right before your competition:
1. Don’t Catastrophize—Stay Calm
The first and most crucial step when dealing with an acute injury is to avoid catastrophizing. When you experience an injury, it’s natural to panic and think the worst: "What if I can't compete? What if my season is over?" This kind of thinking, however, can make the situation much worse. Catastrophizing not only increases stress but can also lead to higher levels of pain and tension, which could slow down your recovery.
Instead of spiraling into negative thoughts, take a step back and evaluate the situation calmly. The injury might not be as bad as it initially feels, and the way you handle the first few hours and days can significantly impact your recovery.
2. Start Moving at Low Levels
Once you’ve mentally calmed yourself, the next step is to gently begin moving. Movement is critical for reducing the severity of many acute injuries. Depending on the nature of the injury, you can engage in low-level activities to keep the affected area active without causing further damage.
The key is to not completely immobilize the area unless it’s absolutely necessary. In many cases, movement at a low intensity helps to reduce inflammation and expedite healing.
3. Make a Plan
One of the most important things you can do after an injury is to make a solid, realistic plan. This plan should have multiple options to account for different scenarios as your injury heals. A well-thought-out strategy will give you a clear path forward and prevent unnecessary stress. Here’s what that plan might involve:
Consult a healthcare professional: Whether it’s a physiotherapist, chiropractor, or sports medicine doctor, get an expert’s opinion on the injury. They can assess the severity and give you a realistic timeline for recovery. Most importantly, they can help you make a plan that keeps your competition in mind.
Rehab program: Start an injury-specific rehab program as soon as possible. Your rehab program should be tailored to your injury and focus on recovery while still keeping you in shape for your meet.
Alternative training options: Depending on the injury, you may not be able to perform your usual workouts. In this case, work with your coach or trainer to adapt your training so that you maintain fitness without aggravating the injury. For example, if you’ve injured your shoulder, focus on lower-body or core work while the shoulder heals.
Gradual reintroduction to sport: If time permits, gradually reintroduce your sport-specific training as your injury heals. Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to injury recovery.
4. Keep Your Eye on the Goal
An acute injury close to competition is not the end of the world. By staying calm, avoiding panic, and developing a plan with the help of professionals, you can navigate your recovery and still make it to your competition. It’s important to remember that everyone faces obstacles in their athletic career—injuries included. With the right mindset and strategy, you can often overcome these setbacks and perform to the best of your ability on competition day.
Acute injuries are an inevitable part of any athletic journey, especially when you’re pushing your body in preparation for a competition. The key to overcoming these setbacks is to stay calm, avoid negative thinking, and develop a comprehensive recovery plan with the help of a healthcare professional. With the right strategy in place, you may still be able to compete and achieve your goals despite the injury.
How we can help…
Get to know you:
Understand whether the problem is due to behaviour or trauma and relate the problem to a particular pattern in movement or in life.Find the cause:
Is the problem due to an injury that needs a diagnosis or is it something movement related that needs to be assessed and identified?Make a plan:
Agree on what the problem is, what the goals are, the way we’re going to achieve the goals and over an agreed timeframe.Follow up:
Check in with you along the way and have an open line of communication to ensure you’re on te right track.