Sports rehabilitation has seen steady technological progress, but its clinical effectiveness remains constrained by persistent challenges, including insufficiently individualized treatment plans and limitations in rehabilitation equipment. Rooted in the combined application of exercise physiology, sports biomechanics, and physical therapy, current rehabilitation practices often rely on fixed and universal models that do not fully account for differences in age, physical condition, and health status, potentially resulting in limited therapeutic outcomes or increased risk of injury aggravation.
Published in the Journal of Medicine and Life Sciences, the study explores optimization pathways in sports rehabilitation technology, examining how personalized training programs and monitoring approaches can be refined to improve clinical practice. By using physiological assessment data such as maximum oxygen uptake, maximum muscle strength, joint range of motion, and heart rate, the framework enables therapists to determine appropriate training intensity, frequency, and recovery periods for individualized rehabilitation plans. The application of smart wearable devices and sensors further supports real-time monitoring of gait, muscle activity, and exercise intensity, allowing timely treatment adjustments and helping reduce excessive or improper exercise.
Clinical applications of sports rehabilitation techniques demonstrate measurable improvements across different patient groups. The study showed functional improvements in sports injury rehabilitation and elderly exercise interventions, with specific outcomes observed across joint mobility, pain management, gait performance, and strength development. In treating sports injuries, knee flexion increased from 50° to 80°, while pain scores decreased from 7 to 3 following rehabilitation. Among elderly patients, gait performance improved as gait time decreased from 1.8 to 1.5 seconds per step and stride length increased from 30 cm to 35 cm. Maximum strength also increased from 30 kg before treatment to 50 kg after training, illustrating the applicability of these rehabilitation approaches across varied clinical scenarios.
Contributing to this research is Yihao Wang, a Doctor of Physical Therapy student at Washington University in St. Louis with prior training including a Master of Arts in Applied Physiology from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Science in Health and Exercise Science from Syracuse University. His background spans applied physiology, motor learning, movement science and biomechanics, supported by the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist credential and training in functional assessment and exercise testing. He is bilingual in Chinese and English.
Wang’s clinical training reflects experience across multiple outpatient rehabilitation settings. At PROActive Physical Therapy in North Syracuse, he gained foundational exposure through observing evaluations, learning techniques such as massage and functional tests, and assisting with patient instruction. His volunteer work at Kessler Rehabilitation Center in Englewood, New Jersey expanded his involvement with electrotherapy equipment and treatment techniques. His part-time clinical rotation at Athletico Physical Therapy in O’Fallon, South Missouri includes assisting with patient evaluations, therapeutic exercise prescription and modality use under licensed supervision across orthopedic and sports-focused cases.
By integrating personalized training plans with modern rehabilitation technologies, the study shows how sports rehabilitation develops toward humanization and precision through smart wearable devices, real-time data monitoring and dynamic feedback mechanisms. This integration provides a pathway for applying scientific assessment tools and individualized rehabilitation programs to improve treatment effectiveness, reduce recovery time and support better outcomes across different patient groups.