How to Cope with a Sports Injury

I'm seeing a big trend while reading blogs, tweets, and posts lately... The plight of the injured athlete.

I can see the pain, feel the frustration (sometimes desperation), and cries for help  as people from all walks of life go through the process (and it is a process) of coping with an injury (particularly a sports injury).

As a physical therapist, I see this play out in my office on a daily basis. I work with patients to focus on the "physical" but also on the "therapist" part.

All too often, I see athletes wait too long to get the support they need. They have tried to "tough it out" and in doing so their physical injury has become more severe and their psychological game has been damaged as well.

I stumbled on a beautifully written article about this very topic on endurancecorner.com titled The Psychology of the Injured Athlete, by triathlete and psychiatrist Mimi Winsberg, M.D. Check it out, the article covers:

• Why Injury is Psychologically Tough

• Stages of Dealing with Injury

• Successful Coping Strategies

• The Silver Lining