FSHP Academy
Prehab & Rehabilitation — all lessons

Foundations of MSK Rehabilitation

Principles of injury prevention and recoveryBiomechanics and movement analysisUnderstanding pain science and tissue healing

Rehab Exercise Strategies

Progressive loading techniquesProgram design for rehabilitationPhased rehab programming: acute to return-to-performance

Prehab 121 Protocols (intermediate–late stage)

ActivationEarly strengtheningAdvanced strengtheningPlyometrics in rehabilitationReturn-to-sport exercises

Prevention, Surgery and Return to Sport

Injury prevention programmesThe preoperative phase (prehabilitation)Role of criteria-based progressionsReturn-to-sport testingIntegration with strength and conditioning

Case Studies

Case studies and real-world client scenarios

Case studies and real-world client scenarios

Applied rehabilitation case studies — ankle sprain, ACL reconstruction, hamstring strain, tendinopathy and low back pain — showing phases, criteria and team roles.

Professional Evidence: Established consensus 3 min read Reviewed 2026-10-31 Status: draft

Learning objectives

  • Apply phased, criteria-based rehab to common injuries
  • Identify team roles and referral points
  • Use outcome measures to guide decisions
  • Reflect on what drives successful outcomes

Before this lesson

Why this matters

These fictional cases integrate the module. Each assumes diagnosis by a clinician.

Case 1 — Recurrent ankle sprain (basketball)

Third sprain in a year. Guideline-based care emphasises exercise therapy, balance and neuromuscular training [vuurberg2018]. Plan: calf and peroneal strengthening, progressive balance, hop-and-stick, reactive cutting. No recurrence over the season.

Case 2 — ACL reconstruction (football)

At 7 months, quadriceps LSI 78%. Return delayed; at 9.5 months criteria passed. Criteria-based return lowers re-injury risk [grindem2016] [ardern2016].

Case 3 — Hamstring strain (sprinter)

Phased progression to Nordics and sprinting over 6 weeks, with sprint exposure before return.

Case 4 — Achilles tendinopathy (runner)

Progressive calf loading with pain monitoring, continued reduced running [silbernagel2007]. Pain-free at 12 weeks.

Case 5 — Persistent low back pain (office worker)

Reassurance and pain education [moseley2015], graded hinge and carry progressions, walking. Fewer flare-ups and less fear.

Further learning: video lessons

Video links are only marked “verified” after a human has watched them. Unverified entries open a YouTube search for that channel and topic rather than a guessed link.

Practical demo needs verification — opens a YouTube search

Rehab case studies

physiotherapy educators (search, e.g. E3 Rehab, Physiotutors)

You will understand: applied rehab reasoning

Why: Clinician-led practical content; verify the specific video.
Technical needs verification — opens a YouTube search

Clinical reasoning in sports rehab

sports physio educators (search)

You will understand: decision-making in rehab

Why: Applied learning.

Knowledge check

Knowledge check · 0/5

1. In case 1, the ankle-sprain athlete’s key missing element was…

Answer B. Neuromuscular and strength deficits.

2. In case 2, return to sport was delayed because…

Answer B. Criteria-based decision.

3. Case 4 used which approach for tendinopathy?

Answer B. Evidence-based loading.

4. In case 5, the most important element for back pain was…

Answer B. Guideline-concordant.

5. A common pitfall across cases is…

Answer B. Both happen; these are common.

Short-answer & application questions

  1. Write a case for an injury common in your sport.
  2. Identify referral points in each case.
  3. Define outcome measures for case 3.

Key takeaways

  • Successful rehab follows phases, criteria and good communication.
  • Under-loading and premature return are common pitfalls.
  • Education and confidence-building matter as much as exercises.
  • Clinicians lead diagnosis; trainers contribute within scope.

Connected topics

prehab rehab

Return-to-sport testing

corrective exercise

Lumbar spine

sports nutrition

Nutrition for injury prevention and recovery

References

  1. Ardern CL, Glasgow P, Schneiders A, et al. (2016). 2016 Consensus statement on return to sport from the First World Congress in Sports Physical Therapy, Bern. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 50(14):853–864. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2016-096278 Guideline check pending
  2. Grindem H, Snyder-Mackler L, Moksnes H, Engebretsen L, Risberg MA (2016). Simple decision rules can reduce reinjury risk by 84% after ACL reconstruction: the Delaware-Oslo ACL cohort study. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 50(13):804–808. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2016-096031 Cohort check pending
  3. Silbernagel KG, Thomeé R, Eriksson BI, Karlsson J (2007). Continued sports activity, using a pain-monitoring model, during rehabilitation in patients with Achilles tendinopathy: a randomized controlled study. American Journal of Sports Medicine, 35(6):897–906. RCT check pending
  4. Vuurberg G, Hoorntje A, Wink LM, et al. (2018). Diagnosis, treatment and prevention of ankle sprains: update of an evidence-based clinical guideline. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(15):956. Guideline check pending
  5. Moseley GL, Butler DS (2015). Fifteen years of explaining pain: the past, present, and future. Journal of Pain, 16(9):807–813. doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2015.05.005 Narrative review check pending

Educational content only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified clinician for diagnosis or treatment.