Evaluating the effectiveness of virtual reality-based rehabilitation programs for post-injury recovery in adolescent athletes: a mixed-methods study

Introduction: the importance of post-injury rehabilitation for teenage athletes demands innovative methods because traditional practices fail to sustain student athlete participation. VR-based rehabilitation creates interactive recovery programs which might advance physical healing together with mental drive. Objective: the research investigates how well VR-based rehabilitation works against traditional approaches for both physical healing and psychological involvement in adolescent athletes. Methodology: sixty adolescent athletes (aged 13–18) received their rehabilitation through random assignment into two groups: one involved traditional approaches while the other received VR-based rehabilitation. The research measured recovery outcomes at three time points: baseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks. The measured outcomes included range of motion (ROM), muscle strength, return to sport (RTS) time and pain perception. The VR group members shared their experiences through semi-structured interview methods. Results: the subjects in the VR group achieved greater improvements in ROM (p = 0.02) and muscle strength (p = 0.03) and RTS time (p = 0.01). People who used VR reported stronger motivation and engagement although these benefits brought increased worry about re-injuring their knee. Subject participants achieved better results in their rehabilitation by using immersive VR interventions. Conclusions: virtual reality-based rehabilitation enables adolescent athletes to restore physical well-being as well as emotional well-being. The interactive features of this approach improve patient commitment which accelerates their recovery time. Future investigations need to analyze extended advantages and expanded medical applications within sports medicine.