What is the primary focus of rehabilitation in musculoskeletal injuries?

The primary focus of rehabilitation in musculoskeletal injuries is to restore normal function and mobility. This encompasses a comprehensive approach to recovery that includes strengthening muscles, improving flexibility, and enhancing joint stability. Rehabilitation aims to help individuals regain their pre-injury levels of physical activity and functionality, allowing them to return to their daily lives, sports, or work as closely as possible to their previous state. This often involves targeted exercises, physical therapy modalities, and education about movement patterns.

While preventing movement can be important immediately after an injury to facilitate healing, long-term recovery hinges on gradually reintroducing movement in a controlled manner to avoid stiffness and atrophy. Managing pain is certainly a component of rehabilitation, but it is not the sole focus; pain management techniques are often integrated into a broader strategy that emphasizes rehabilitation goals like restoration of function and mobility. Additionally, while rehabilitation might help some patients avoid surgery, it does not eliminate the need for it in all cases, especially in severe injuries that require surgical intervention for optimal recovery.