{"id":916,"date":"2022-04-05T14:10:27","date_gmt":"2022-04-05T18:10:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pawsitivestepsrehab.com\/blog\/?p=916"},"modified":"2022-04-05T14:10:29","modified_gmt":"2022-04-05T18:10:29","slug":"returning-to-sport-after-an-injury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pawsitivestepsrehab.com\/blog\/returning-to-sport-after-an-injury\/","title":{"rendered":"Returning to Sport after an Injury"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Cathryn Adolph, LVT, CCRP, CCFT<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Bella demonstrates great hip extension and core strength needed to perform well at dock diving. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Last month, we took a deep dive into the when and why we choose to graduate a p<\/a>atien<\/a>t<\/a> from rehabilitation.\u00a0 We briefly touched on the fact that canine athletes and working dogs require specialized conditioning before returning to their sport\/s after rehabilitation.\u00a0 Just like our pet dog examples from last month, rehabilitation begins with pain control, strengthening in a controlled manner, and finally increasing the stress on the limb.\u00a0 With our pet dogs reaching this stage, it means graduation, but with our athletes, the real work begins!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Please note that even with using the phrases \u201csport\u201d and \u201creturn to sport\u201d, these can be replaced with \u201cjob\u201d and \u201creturn to work\u201d for working dogs such as Police K9s, service dogs, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Patient History<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There is a wide variety of sports that dogs and their handlers can participate in.  From day one of rehabilitation, we like to know what sport\/s, current level within the sport\/s the dog participates in, any major events the team is qualified for, and more.  Does the patient have any other medical conditions including previous injuries?  This will include any inflammatory, metabolic, orthopedic, etc. disease processes.  A thorough history will allow us to identify any factors that may slow down or effect recovery.  This information helps the rehabilitation team decide if a full or partial return to sport is even possible.  It also helps us determine when they can return. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sports!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Making a good conditioning plan requires knowledge of the sport itself and how these activities place stress on the dog\u2019s body. <\/p>\n\n\n\n