Sportorthopädie

Abstract

Background: Depending on the injury, athletes experience not only significant physiologic impairments, psychological stress is also a consequence that should not be underestimated. Therefore, holistic, multimodal care is essential for optimal recovery. A method that is already successfully used in the area of performance enhancement is imagery. The aim of this work is to provide a systematic review of current studies on the use of this method in the rehabilitation of sports injuries. Method: This systematic review follows the guidelines of the PRISMA-Statement. German and English primary studies that investigate imagery intervention in the context of sports injuries, were includedResults: A total of nine studies were identified, which are very heterogeneous in terms of study design, interventions and dependent variables. Several studies demonstrated the efficacy of imagery on different muscle areas. Imagery also contributed to the remission of fear of reinjury. There were contrary findings regarding the reduction of perceived pain. Overall, the significance of the studies included is limited due to the insufficient sample sizes. Discussion: Despite broad inclusion criteria, only a small number of studies could be found. The results have rather indicative value due to the quality of the studies included and should be secured by further RCT. The work presented illustrates the need for high quality studies in this area.KEY WORDS: Mental Techniques, Injury, Multimodal Rehabilitation