Injury Prevention

Prevention is better than cure

Most athletes, at every level, face an injury lay off at some point in their career.   Unfortunately, the onset of that first injury dramatically increases the potential for more injuries to occur, especially if not well managed from a rehabilitation point of view.  While some injuries are unavoidable, many are preventable if appropriate measures are taken to minimise the risk.  Most of the injuries which I see in clinic that I would class as preventable come down to two determining factors.

1. Tissue strength/Neuromuscular control
2. Load management/Inadequate Recovery

Being Strong is never wrong

Your strength and conditioning program plays a huge role in minimising your injury risk.  Strength training prepares your body by adding work capacity and tissue strength to ligaments, tendons, and bones.  Resistance training also improves coordination of muscle fiber contraction and boosts running economy which can help to delay the onset of fatigue (another factor in injury occurrence).  Many injuries that I see come down to tissues not being able to withstand the demands placed upon them so if you want to minimise your injury risk, Strength training is non-negotiable. I would always recommend getting guidance from an experienced Physio or S&C coach before undertaking a new program.

The Three R’s

In order to maximise performance and minimise injury risk, it is important to have your body and mind in the best possible shape.  There are three questions to ask yourself when it comes to Load management.

1. Am I doing too little (undercooked)
2. Am I doing too much (overcooked)
3. Am I optimising my recovery (Replenish, Rest, Recover)

Too little training or exposure to high-intensity work can leave you underprepared for match or race demands, meaning tissues again aren’t prepared for what you are asking them to do, fatigue sets in earlier, the signals coming from the brain to the body slow down and the possibility of tissue failure increases. We’ve all heard about certain athletes being unlucky with injuries, but the truth is that luck only plays a small part and often athletes return to competition inadequately prepared for the demands.  Just because the pain has resolved, it doesn’t mean that your body is fully ready to return to play. This is why it is important to finish the rehab process after injury and build back up to full training and play gradually.

On the other hand, too much activity or inadequate recovery between training sessions or competition can lead to excessive fatigue and reduction in muscle fiber coordination, neural signaling and ultimately tissue failure.  The main steps you can take to speed up the recovery process are to improve your aerobic fitness over time, fuel (eat) appropriately in season and particularly around training and competition, and get adequate rest/sleep.

There is no magic wand or secret when it comes to reducing injury rates, it comes down to consistently doing the simple things well. Speak to an experienced physiotherapist or Strength & Conditioning coach for more guidance.