The Transforming Basketball Podcast

EP84: Aligning Return to Play to an Ecological Approach with Yuji Suzuki

Oct 16, 2024

Yuji Suzuki, a chiropractor and strength and conditioning expert from Portland, delves into innovative injury recovery strategies. He critiques traditional rehabilitation methods, advocating for an ecological approach that prioritizes the whole person and their environment. Yuji shares dynamic strategies for athletes recovering from injuries, emphasizing active participation and collaboration among coaches and therapists. He illustrates how to foster athlete adaptability through varied exercises, ultimately redefining the return-to-play process in basketball.

32:13

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Episode guests

Yuji Suzuki

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Quick takeaways

The ecological approach to return to play emphasizes understanding the athlete as a whole, integrating their environment and movement dynamics.

Effective collaboration among coaching, rehabilitation, and health professionals is vital for optimizing athlete recovery and enhancing performance.

Deep dives

Ecological Approach to Return to Play

The discussion focuses on redefining the return to play process in basketball through an ecological approach, which emphasizes understanding the player as a whole rather than just addressing the injured area. Traditional methods often narrow their focus to the affected joint or muscle, potentially missing critical aspects such as the player's environment and overall movement dynamics. By utilizing an ecological perspective, practitioners can restore athletes' system degrees of freedom early in rehab, allowing for safer integration into sport-specific activities. This approach encourages creativity in modifying drills to match the player’s current capabilities while still promoting engagement with representative tasks.

Intro

2min

Exploring Ecological Approaches in Sports Rehabilitation

2min

Redefining Return to Play: A Holistic Approach to Athlete Rehabilitation

2min

Rehabilitation Through an Ecological Lens

2min

Dynamic Rehabilitation Strategies for Athletes

23min

Reflection on Impact and Community Engagement in Basketball

2min

In this episode, Alex Sarama is joined by Yuji Suzuki, a chiropractor and strength and conditioning professional, to discuss the future of the return to play process in the NBA through an ecological approach. Yuji outlines the traditional and dominant methods of injury recovery and highlights the ecological alternative that focuses on the whole person and their environment. They discuss practical examples and innovative activities designed to aid athletes in returning to play safely and effectively.

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