Fear of Reinjury in Athletes Implications for Rehabilitation

Context:A sports injury has both physical and psychological consequences for the athlete. A common postinjury psychological response is elevated fear of reinjury.Objective:To provide an overview of the implications of fear of reinjury on the rehabilitation of athletes, including clinical methods to measure fear of reinjury; the impact of fear of reinjury on rehabilitation outcomes, including physical impairments, function, and return to sports rate; and potential interventions to address fear of reinjury during rehabilitation.Evidence Acquisition:PubMed was searched for articles published in the past 16 years (1990-2016) relating to fear of reinjury in athletes. The reference lists of the retrieved articles were searched for additionally relevant articles.Study Design:Clinical review.Level of Evidence:Level 3.Results:Fear of reinjury after a sports injury can negatively affect the recovery of physical impairments, reduce self-report function, and prevent a successful return to sport. Athletes with high fe...