Sports Injuries Essay

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Athletic Injuries Essay, Research Paper There are many psychosocial factors that contribute to the occurrence and severity of athletic injuries. Many studies have found that there is a relationship between the occurrence and severity of athletic injuries and stress. Stress affects everyone and it is because of this we need to be properly educated about it. It is the body s nonspecific response to any demand (Williams, 1996). Stress is composed of many factors and is often described as any feelings of nervousness or anxiety. It has been established that there is a direct positive relationship between stress and the severity and occurrence of athletic injuries (Hanson, McCullagh & Tonymon, 1992). The research provided in this paper examines what causes stress and what causes the stress levels to vary in an individual. The researchers are trying to identify the cause of stress and what moderates the stress levels in an individual. Many situations can produce a stressful response and researchers have attempted to determine why it will leave an athlete more vulnerable to injury. In addition, there are many pyschosocial variables that make athletes more susceptible to injury, and psychosocial events that occur after an athlete has experienced an injury. Despite proper rehabilitation, many athletes are not psychologically equipped to cope with the impact of an athletic injury (Larson, Zaichkowsky, & Starkey, 1996). Advances in sports medicine have allowed remarkable physical recoveries, however, many members of the medical community are urging injured athletes to have the psychological aspects of their injuries treated as well. Initially, sport psychology was used as a catalyst to enhance athletic performance. There is a growing awareness of specific psychological risk factors that are associated with athletic performance. More frequently mental health professionals
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