ABSTRACT
Mutual exchange, for example, of perspectives (points of view or approaches to something); of feelings (affection or dislike).
The process by which someone, or something, is restored either to effectiveness or to a previous condition by training is rehabilitation, a term that comes from the Latin re, for again, and habilitare, ABILITY. In sport and exercise psychology, the restoration to effectiveness, rather than previous condition is usually the implied meaning. Rehabilitation’s associations with recovery from substance abuse and forms of DEPENDENCE are commonplace, though, in sport and exercise, the restoration of FITNESS following INJURY is also rehabilitation. Allen Cornelius cautions, ‘‘After an injury, athletes experience a
wide range [of] serious disturbances in MOOD, including DEPRESSION, ANGER, frustration and tension.’’ Every injury is accompanied by some degree of psychological upheaval, and the recovery process necessarily involves restoring, for example, the inclination to compete with INTENSITY rather than ritualistically (that is, to prevent a recurrence of the injury). So psychological INTERVENTION is necessary. It might be assumed that injured athletes or enthusiastic exercisers
would be highly motivated to follow treatment to recover, though, as Marcia Milne and her colleagues reveal, non-adherence rates are in the range of 30-70 percent. How an individual interprets the injury and the expectations he or
she has affect the process, as do environmental and personal factors (such as fellow recovering patients and the PAIN experienced). Milne et al. report that psychological strategies, including GOAL SETTING, HYPNOSIS, RELAXATION, and SELF-TALK, have increased ADHERENCE, though their particular interest is in the impact of IMAGERY and SELFEFFICACY, which can be linked: ‘‘Cognitive imagery is used to rehearse
rehabilitation exercises, and motivational imagery is used to CONTROL AROUSAL and increase SELF-CONFIDENCE.’’ ‘‘Imagery can also serve a healing function,’’ state Milne et al.
Healing is used here as meaning to make whole (from the Old English hælen). Rehabilitating patients can use healing imagery to restore their belief in their own capabilities. Often injuries result in loss of capacities and a diminution of SKILL
or physical capacities. Setting goals for the recovery of skill is often used in conjunction with others, such as acquiring new skills relating to judgment and strategy. These are also helpful attributes in the rehabilitative process itself. While their study concerned the rehabilitation of coronary
patients, Falko Sniehotta et al. stressed the importance of planning, which ‘‘may help individuals transform their intentions into behavior and to cope successfully with difficulties.’’ The research team advocates the use of ‘‘in situ action control,’’ meaning a form of SELF-REGULATION ‘‘activated when a behavioral intention has been formed.’’ To these interventions, we might add BIOFEEDBACK training,
RELAXATION and the STRESS-MANAGEMENT TRAINING suggested by D. D. Cupal.
