Injury Prevention & Return-to-Sports
The main missions of the experts for injury prevention, return-to-sports and performance are:
- to ensure an efficient and safe return-to-performance after an injury, an illness or any other absence from sport
- to implement sport-specific prevention strategies to reduce the risk of new and/or recurrent injuries.
In order to reach these objectives, the main steps of the return-to-sports and injury prevention process are planned and coordinated in close cooperation with the athlete and his/her coach as well as all involved stakeholders and experts. A criteria-based and progressive rehabilitation, including strength training, reactive decision-making and coordinative exercises, is offered at the High-Performance Training and Recovery Center (HPTRC) at the Centre National Sportif et Culturel d’Coque or on the field of play if required. Shared decision-making based on functional and sport-specific tests guide the athlete trough the return-to-sports process.
Jérôme Pauls
Expert for injury prevention, return-to-sports and performance
Services
1. Return-to-sports
“Filling the gap between hands-on treatment and return-to-sports”
- Coordination of planning of the return-to-sports process adopting a multidisciplinary approach
- Shared decision-making based on functional and sport-specific conditioning tests
- Load management strategies in case of an acute injury or surgery e.g. pool exercises, blood flow restriction training, anti-gravity treadmill running, etc.
- Stepwise and sequential introduced sport-specific training at the HPTRC
- Protected reactive decision-making exercises in real sport situations using state-of-the-art equipment e.g. speed court, field training, etc.
- Load monitoring through the return-to-participation, return-to-sports and return-to-performance phases and signalling of potential injury risk factors
- If necessary, on-field support during the athlete’s training sessions and competitions if appropriate
- Development of sport specific secondary prevention programmes in collaboration with all relevant stakeholders
2. Prevention
“Prevention is better than cure”
- Development and implementation of primary and secondary prevention programs in collaboration with the athlete and his/her coach as well as an integrated support team individually put together by LIHPS
- Coordination and carrying out of functional evaluations based on the requirements of the sport, the sport specific injury mechanisms and the athlete’s previous injuries
- Development of suited recovery strategies for the athlete