Allowing yourself enough time to recover from an injury is an important part of achieving maximum performance over your years of participation.

When can you return to play?

You should not return to play netball after an injury until you:

• Can pass the simple fitness test below
• Have gained strength and movement in the injured area
• Have completed at least one full training session with no problems.

A simple fitness test

For a lower limb injury (e.g. low back, hip, knee, ankle, foot), you must be able to do all of these confidently, and without pain:

• Run the full length of the court four times
• Run, jump and land on two feet 10 times
• Hop on the injured leg 10 times
• Run shuttles two times, e.g. run and turn quickly at four cones spread in a line, two metres apart.

If you've had an upper limb injury (e.g. neck, shoulder, elbow, hand, finger), you need to be able to do all of these confidently, and without pain:

• Chest passes in pairs 10 times
• Over head passes in pair 10 times
• Passing off each hand (if appropriate) 10 times each side
• Drive to receive the ball on the run and pass back 10 times.

Coaches may have their own routine to test injured players. The main point of testing is to be sure you are able to return to the pace of the game unrestricted and pain free.

Remember: you're much more likely to re-injure yourself if you've gone back to netball too early. If you return too soon, you may find yourself 'out' for another six to eight weeks, rather than the one extra week of rehabilitation you initially needed.

Taking things further – seeing the physio

If you need to see a physiotherapist simply call and make an appointment. You don't need a referral from your GP.

If the injury was caused by an accident, e.g. colliding with a player which injured your back, or landing on another player's foot and rolling your ankle, ACC will contribute to the cost of any treatment you receive. Most physiotherapy clinics will charge a surcharge on top of the ACC contribution.

If the accident is more serious, your physiotherapist may refer you for an X-ray. You'll have to pay for this. And at this point the physiotherapist may refer you to a doctor or a specialist for your specific injury.

A word to coaches

It can be difficult to know whether or not a player is ready to return to netball after an injury. The player or even their parent may tell you they are fine to play. However, you need to be sure the player is well enough to return to the court safely and is confident enough to contribute fully to the game.

If, after the fitness test, you're still unsure the player is ready to return to sport, or if they are not getting better after a week, get them to see a Physiotherapist to help them get on track quickly.

For more information see the NetballSmart Player and Umpire wallet cards or the NetballSmart for Coaches booklet and NetballSmart for Umpires booklet.

Original content can be found here: http://www.mynetball.co.nz/netball-smart/fitness-injury-prevention/2086-can-you-return-to-netball.html