Challenges in Athlete Rehabilitation

Athletes often enter rehabilitation without adequate preoperative rehabilitation, which hampers their recovery process. The absence of realistic expectation-setting and thorough conversations about recovery timelines creates a disconnect between athletes and the rehabilitation process. Additionally, the influence of social media and sensationalized media coverage of athletes returning from injury too quickly fosters unrealistic beliefs about recovery times. This issue is not isolated to athletics; it reflects a broader trend observed in various surgeries and rehabilitation contexts, where many individuals presume they will exceed the average recovery time, leading to further complications in the rehabilitation journey.