With the Donegal Senior Football Championships at the crunch stage, it’s good for teams and players throughout the county to understand what sports injuries can mean and how to assess if it’s a ‘knock’ that will go away or when to see your Chartered Physiotherapist.
By Patrick McCarrick, Chartered Physiotherapist at JT Physiotherapy
Firstly, you should be aware of any niggles or injuries that you might be carrying. If players and teams want to progress, they need to be in great shape and that includes managing and preventing any sports related injuries. Training and matches require each player to progress and develop their ability to contribute as part of the team and that’s not easy if you’re carrying a niggle or injury!
Playing sports places specific demands on the body and regardless of the level of preparation or participation, we are all susceptible to injury. In a recent study published on GAA.ie, Dr. Catherine Blake, UCD School of Public Health Physiotherapy and Sports Science, stated that a third of GAA players had more than one injury in any season and one quarter of injuries are recurrences of existing or old injuries.
Interestingly, over 75% of GAA injuries are to the lower limbs and the majority are to the ‘soft tissues’. Soft tissue damage releases chemicals and that’s what causes an inflammatory response. Small blood vessels get damaged and that produces bleeding within the tissue. In the body’s normal reaction, a small blood clot is formed in order to stop this bleeding and the body begins the healing process by laying down scar tissue. The inflammatory stage is the first phase of healing. However, too much of an inflammatory response in the early stages can mean too much scar tissue is formed and this can lead to a delay in returning to sporting activities.
[adrotate group=”76″]Here at JT Physiotherapy, we use physiotherapy treatments and techniques such as deep transverse frictions, dry needling and massage to break down excess scar tissue and accelerate the overall healing process. Along with a sports specific rehabilitation and movement re-education programmes, physiotherapy can help restore normal movement and ensure a faster return to sport.
Gaelic is a high collision sport and the most traumatic sports injuries are knee and ankle ligament sprains, calf and hamstring muscle strain, quadriceps muscle contusions (dead leg), Achilles tendon injuries, fractures and dislocations. If left untreated, sports injuries can become more complex so it’s important to get advice from a Chartered Physiotherapist to help you on the road to recovery. Carrying a niggle or injury can make a player move in a new way or restrict their movement due to compensating for that injury. Often, what is created in the compensating movement can be detrimental to the player in the long run.
Our team is experienced in assessing sports related injuries and has the tools to rehabilitate GAA players using sports specific exercises, foam roller therapy and Pilates. We want to provide players with a lasting solution to manage and avoid pain and injury so they can continue to wear their club colours proudly.
JT Physiotherapy offers a series of sports treatments including: Sport Specific Rehabilitation, Biomechanical Assessments, Sports Deep Tissue Massage, NORMATEC REVOVERY BOOTS, Joint Mobilisation & Manipulation, Foam Roller Therapy, Sports Pilates, Taping & Kinesiotape, Postural Assessment & Correction, Muscle Imbalance & Flexibility Assessment and Correction and Sports Orthotics.
If this article has highlighted something you have tried to postpone, motivated you to take action or you would like to find out more, visit www.jtphysio.com or contact the team on 074 91 110 10.
JT Physiotherapy, you’re partner in health.
