A computerised programme for monitoring athletes' emotional stress and pain perception

Abstract

Until the 1990s, rehabilitation interventions primarily addressed the physiological dimensions of sports injury. Although some athletes adapt psychologically to injury quite effectively, there appear to be many individuals who experience negative emotional responses after sustaining a sport-related injury. In the past, physiotherapy management focused on helping rehabilitating athletes' return to their prior level of functioning by treating their overt physical problems. Recently, however, the sports medicine community has come to realise the integral role that psychosocial factors play in injury occurrence and the recovery processes. Because of their close involvement with injured athletes during rehabilitation, physiotherapists might be best suited to provide some form of psychological assistance to rehabilitating athletes. The objective of this study was to provide physiotherapists with a practical psychological instrument for the treatment of injured athletes. A computer programme to assist physiotherapists in identifying, referring or treating athletes who experience negative emotional responses was developed and evaluated.


Keywords: Psychological assistance, Injured athletes, Rehabilitation, Physiotherapists, Treatment


South African Journal for Research in Sport, Physical Education and Recreation Vol.25(2) 2003: 93-104