75-80% is Not Good Enough

As a former professor, I don’t think I can recall anyone being ecstatic about getting a C or B-. So why do most of settle on only getting 75-80% better after an injury or pain??? I doubt there is anyone out there that can say “I perform my best when I feel like I am 75-80% back to where I was”. Every athlete I have ever asked who is in pain (even if it’s extremely minor 1-3/10 on the pain scale) admits that their pain limits their performance. But we have countless of people out there that just “deal” with it or accept that that’s the way “life is now”…well you shouldn’t have to and that’s not how life should be.

If you can perform your sport, or your activity to some capacity but with pain then I would bet that you can eventually perform it without pain or limitations. Now the last “20%” will require some more work but it’s worth it. Rehab programs should evolve as the patients presentation evolves. Too often someone goes through their rehab journey with their program barely changing. This thought process may get the person better from initial symptoms but then it gets stagnant and the more advanced limitations are left unaddressed, until the patient gives up (rightfully so) and is left at 80% better.

Or….you can be in an environment where you are asked everyday what you still have trouble with or want to work on and address it! This will keep you engaged and increases the likelihood of “seeing things through”.

Injured athletes are presented with a unique opportunity to get even better than they were pre-injury. Let’s say you are not cleared to run yet, well you can work on your dribbling in place, or shooting. You can take time and breakdown film that you wouldn’t be able able watch when you are practicing normally. During a good rehab process you should be strengthening,  working on mobility and becoming more resilient, all things that are pushed aside when you are just focusing on your sport. These X factors not only assist in the process of going from 80 to 100 but beyond that (read our blog on how athletes have better careers post injury).

So do not settle on performing at 80% continue to put the work in (and your therapist too) to get beyond 100%!

Written by Dr. Jeremy Boyd, PT, DPT, OCS, SCS, CSOMT, FAAOMPT, USAW