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Injury Prevention & Rehabilitation.

 

There is no real difference between injuries caused by sporting activities and those caused in the home or working place. They are all diagnosed in the same way, eg, sprain, strain, bruising, fracture, etc. The differences occur in the attitude of the injured person and the professional treating them. Most non-sporting people are happy to have a diagnosis made, followed by rest. The usual advice then is, 'Take it easy,' 'Don't overdo it,' 'It will get better given time' and, if necessary, 'Have some physiotherapy'. For sports people, this is the same as saying 'You will never play again!' What they want is a diagnosis that says 'You will be fit to play at the weekend.'
Injuries can happen to all types of tissues in the body.
These tissues are:
 

 

  • joint capsules and ligaments

  • bones and periosteum

  • bursae

  • nerves

  • blood vessels

  • connective tissue


So coming from a sporting background myself, I understand why, when your injured you want help quickly.
So that you can get back to your chosen sport or activity as soon as possible. My aim is to get you there in the shortest space of time.
From my training with the London School of Sports Massage, I'm qualified to assess & treat these soft tissue injuries.

 

Soft tissues can be injured in two ways

 

1: Overuse 
Develops over a period of hours, days, or weeks, as a result of unaccustomed or repetitive activities. Tissues commonly affected are muscles, tendons & ligaments. These injuries often begin as a minor irritation. Pain often feels better when the tissues have been warmed up and moved and it is often, therefore, ignored.
As the tissues become more irritable then the pain becomes worse. Carrying on with exercise does not allow healing, so the original problem then develops into a long-term, overuse injury (chronic), which then becomes difficult to treat.

 

2: Acute Injury

Instant injury, specific incident - direct impact from a kick, or a blow, or a sudden forceful action, or uncoordinated movement, such as a fall which causes an overstretching of the tissues, resulting in damage.

Underlying causes of overuse injuries:

 

  • sudden increase in activity

  • lack of general fitness and flexibility

  • incorrect technique while performing an activity

  • poor design of work area»

  • unsuitable equipment or training surface


Recovering from an over-use injury
This can take several weeks, but in most cases improvement is seen after the first visit & usually 3-4 treatment session & the injury is cleared & your back doing your chosen activity or sport.

Staying Fit
Healthy Eating
Three Simple Rules

 

1: Be fit for the activity

It’s fine to be fit but are you fit for the specific activity your about to undertake? Sensible regular exercise, rather than sudden mad periods of training should be used to build up the correct balance of flexibility, strength & endurance.

2: Warm up & down properly

Your body will perform & function better when warmed up for at least five minutes before activity, with a least another five minutes after activity. Simply waving your arms around & leaning against a tree is not enough! Using stretches prevents stiff sore muscles the following day & also increases your general fitness.
 
3: Use correct technique & equipment

Were all built differently your body is unique to you, so the way you sit at the computer, the position of your car seat, your running shoes. So any equipment must fit & suit you. Technique is important too, whether it be watering the tomatoes or throwing the javelin, somebody else’s technique may suit them but won’t be right for you. Poor technique can lead to injury quite quickly, so always train at your own pace, follow your training plan & stick to your equipment.

Some Sensible Tips

 

1: Aches & Pains


These are a simple indication something is wrong, ignoring these signs can increase the level of injury.

 

2: Bone density
Athletic & muscle activity helps to increase the thinkness of the bones, particularly important for women after the menopause.

 

3: Bone growth


Stops in the mid to late teens. Too much exercise at an early age can damage the growth plates & alter the way the body grows.

 

4: Diet
A normal well balanced diet with plenty of water on a daily basis will help the body in function, growth & repair.

 

5: Fatigue
The bodies way of telling you that your running out of energy & has a build up of waste products. If your always tired this may need to be checked by your GP.

R.I.C.E

 

The first course of action after an acute injury (e.g a hard tackle in football or twisting a knee whilst running or jumping) is important to get underway as soon as possible. This treatment in the first 24 - 48 hours will aid a faster recovery.

 

1: Rest
Is very important in the early stages So that the injury doesn't become any worse Further aggravation could do more damage to the soft tissue‘s Rest allows the damaged fibres to begin to knit together quickly It’s at least four days before any training effect is lost & up to ten days before training plans need to be altered.
 

2: Ice
Should be applied as soon as possible, as this slows down the blood circulation to reduce the amount of bleeding & swelling in the tissues. Ice should never be put directly onto the skin [unless it’s kept moving] as this could cause it to burn, so always wrap ice in a wet cloth. The ice should only be applied locally to the injury site. Apply the ice for anything between 5 minutes to 20 minutes, or until the skin is pale. If the skin has turned red when the ice is removed the timing has been to long If ice is unavailable then anything cold will do. This is where having a disposable ice pack in your kit bag comes in handy.

 

3: Compression

Applied to the area as soon as possible to restrict bleeding at the injury site. The pressure compresses the blood vessels so stopping the blood escaping from the open ends of the torn fibres. Compression can be applied locally to the injury site with a pad over the area & held in place with strapping.

 

4: Elevation

Of the injury should be practised as much as possible A leg or arm should be comfortably supported so that it is raised higher than the torso.

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