Pre-Participation & Return to Sport Testing Reports

Pre-Participation & Return to Sport Testing Reports.

During my early years of clinical practice I felt uneasy at best when attempting to determine if and when an athlete was ready to return to competitive activity. I felt pressure from all sides. The athlete, parent, coach and physicians all wanted definitive answers as to when to return the individual to sport. While I would like to believe I presented the best available information at that time, it was almost impossible to give a recommendation with any certainty. 

Over the last seven years research in injury prediction and sports epidemiology has exploded. There are now several proven test that allow us to objectively determine when athletes are ready for release and more importantly identify when and why they are not. Here is a link to some of the research: Move2Perform

How do you communicate with the physician, parent and athlete? How do you articulate the Why of your recommendation?  Clear comprehensive reports are an invaluable tool and you should be using a standardized testing procedure, with clear criteria and easily understandable reports.

 Comprehensive reports generated from objective tests allow us to add value to Pre-Participation Physicals & Return to Sport Testing. Rating and ranking movement performance and test measures allows us to classify individuals and better return to activity recommendations.












An individualized approach to Corrective Exercises targets the limitations of the individual specifically and facilitates optimal performance improvements from training programs.










 Exercises are based on combined movement patterns and place the athlete at the edge of their fundamental movement ability.

 The Corrective Exercises should be utilized pre-activity as a movement prep and then again after activity or sport to help re-establish fundamental movement patterns.     

 

Clear graphs visually express where the athlete is on the Return To Sport/Activity continuum and accurately convey a summary of the objective testing results.

Detailed comprehensive reports also identify the specific area of limitation and allow the clinician to target  interventions efficiently. Baseline testing (Think Pre-Participation Physicals) allow for direct comparison post injury/surgery. When baselines are not available a normative database allows for comparison to the same Age, Gender, Sport & Competition Level; Yes performance varies based on age, gender, sport & competition levels.


A comprehensive approach includes multiple objective measures and includes, but is not limited to, Upper Quarter Y Balance Test, Lower Quarter Y Balance Test, Functional Movement Screen, Closed Kinetic Chain Dorsi-Flexion, Hop Testing, Isokinetic Testing, Height, Weight, Previous Injury History, Current Injury &/or Pain, & Cognitive Testing.

A great place to start: Move2Perform