Sports injuries as reversible involution: a novel approach to rehabilitation and readaptation

This perspective article discusses the notions of reversible involution in sports injuries and offers an innovative operational framework for rehabilitation that we expect to help with the athlete's readaptation process. Injuries have traditionally been managed by relieving the symptoms and rec...

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Main Authors: Daniel Rojas-Valverde, Emanuel Herrera-González, Diego A. Bonilla
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Sports and Active Living
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2025.1519404/full
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author Daniel Rojas-Valverde
Daniel Rojas-Valverde
Emanuel Herrera-González
Diego A. Bonilla
Diego A. Bonilla
Diego A. Bonilla
author_facet Daniel Rojas-Valverde
Daniel Rojas-Valverde
Emanuel Herrera-González
Diego A. Bonilla
Diego A. Bonilla
Diego A. Bonilla
author_sort Daniel Rojas-Valverde
collection DOAJ
description This perspective article discusses the notions of reversible involution in sports injuries and offers an innovative operational framework for rehabilitation that we expect to help with the athlete's readaptation process. Injuries have traditionally been managed by relieving the symptoms and recovery, but physiological regulation based on the allostasis-interoception model suggests that these injuries are dynamic and reversible. This reconceptualization leads to a holistic approach beyond recovery, allowing athletes to have an optimally functioning physiology. The model emphasizes on individualized rehabilitation and readaptation approaches considering the complexity of sports injuries. Under the proposed framework, rehabilitation involves treating the immediate consequences of injury and attending to physical, physiological, psychological, technical, and tactical changes by encouraging holistic attention. By treating sports injuries as reversible involution, this framework supports a multifaceted approach to rehabilitation and readaptation, where recovery relates to physiological changes reflecting interactivity between an individual's potential for healing. This approach aims to move beyond the fixed paradigms in sports medicine by providing a multidimension vision for optimizing the process of rehabilitation to accelerate athletes’ health and well-being after injuries during sport-related activities.
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series Frontiers in Sports and Active Living
spelling doaj-art-6d6200721aae47bf9dd1cf265af7ba602025-08-20T02:31:13ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sports and Active Living2624-93672025-06-01710.3389/fspor.2025.15194041519404Sports injuries as reversible involution: a novel approach to rehabilitation and readaptationDaniel Rojas-Valverde0Daniel Rojas-Valverde1Emanuel Herrera-González2Diego A. Bonilla3Diego A. Bonilla4Diego A. Bonilla5Centro de Investigación y Diagnóstico en Salud y Deporte (CIDISAD), Escuela Ciencias del Movimiento Humano y Calidad de Vida (CIEMHCAVI), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa RicaClínica de Lesiones Deportivas (Rehab & Readapt), Escuela Ciencias del Movimiento Humano y Calidad de Vida (CIEMHCAVI), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa RicaPSICOMI, Escuela Ciencias del Movimiento Humano y Calidad de Vida (CIEMHCAVI), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa RicaDBSS Research Division, Dynamical Business Science Society–DBSS International SAS, Bogotá, ColombiaGrupo de Investigación NUTRAL, Facultad Ciencias de la Nutrición y los Alimentos, Universidad CES, Medellín, ColombiaHologenomiks Research Group, Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, SpainThis perspective article discusses the notions of reversible involution in sports injuries and offers an innovative operational framework for rehabilitation that we expect to help with the athlete's readaptation process. Injuries have traditionally been managed by relieving the symptoms and recovery, but physiological regulation based on the allostasis-interoception model suggests that these injuries are dynamic and reversible. This reconceptualization leads to a holistic approach beyond recovery, allowing athletes to have an optimally functioning physiology. The model emphasizes on individualized rehabilitation and readaptation approaches considering the complexity of sports injuries. Under the proposed framework, rehabilitation involves treating the immediate consequences of injury and attending to physical, physiological, psychological, technical, and tactical changes by encouraging holistic attention. By treating sports injuries as reversible involution, this framework supports a multifaceted approach to rehabilitation and readaptation, where recovery relates to physiological changes reflecting interactivity between an individual's potential for healing. This approach aims to move beyond the fixed paradigms in sports medicine by providing a multidimension vision for optimizing the process of rehabilitation to accelerate athletes’ health and well-being after injuries during sport-related activities.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2025.1519404/fullrecovery of functionsports medicineexercise therapyphysiotherapysports scienceathletic training: return to play
spellingShingle Daniel Rojas-Valverde
Daniel Rojas-Valverde
Emanuel Herrera-González
Diego A. Bonilla
Diego A. Bonilla
Diego A. Bonilla
Sports injuries as reversible involution: a novel approach to rehabilitation and readaptation
Frontiers in Sports and Active Living
recovery of function
sports medicine
exercise therapy
physiotherapy
sports science
athletic training: return to play
title Sports injuries as reversible involution: a novel approach to rehabilitation and readaptation
title_full Sports injuries as reversible involution: a novel approach to rehabilitation and readaptation
title_fullStr Sports injuries as reversible involution: a novel approach to rehabilitation and readaptation
title_full_unstemmed Sports injuries as reversible involution: a novel approach to rehabilitation and readaptation
title_short Sports injuries as reversible involution: a novel approach to rehabilitation and readaptation
title_sort sports injuries as reversible involution a novel approach to rehabilitation and readaptation
topic recovery of function
sports medicine
exercise therapy
physiotherapy
sports science
athletic training: return to play
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2025.1519404/full
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