Getting ready for the Oz-tag season | I’ve done my Hamstring?
Friday, February 10, 2023
Getting ready for the Oz-tag season: Things to look out for and what to do?
As our community and parks start to fill up during the nights and weekends, the sport season is back! Namely, Oz tag, Touch footy or flag football. As the season starts, the weather changes and the days become shorter, before you know it, its Winter season. Time flies.
Knees, ankles and finger injuries are by far the most common in these types of sport. Sitting out of a season(s) or for weeks to months can be one of the most frustrating experiences whether you’re an elite athlete, recreational player or weekend warrior. Be it a sprain and/or strain, effective management of these types’ injuries are key in not only optimising performance, but longevity.
Looks look at one of the most common muscle strains – A Hamstring Strain Injury (HSI). Often one of the most common non-contact muscle trauma injury when running, representing 37% of muscle traumas in professional sports with a high reoccurring injury rate that occurs up to 60% of the time. This injury can take a matter of weeks to months to heal.
What do I do when I have an HSI?
PEACE AND LOVE Strategies
P: Protect
Unload or restrict movement for 1 - 3 days but minimise the rest to maintain tissue strength and quality
E: Elevate
Elevate the injured leg above the heart (laying on your back) to promote the fluid flow out of the tissue
A: Avoid
Avoid anti-inflammatory modalities Anti-inflammatory medications may negatively affect longterm tissue healing, however, short term may help with pain management
C: Compression
To minimise the oedema and swelling
E: Educate
Understanding the nature of the injury and the expectations for recovery
- Grade 1: 1-2 weeks
- Grade 2: 2-4 weeks
- Grade 3: 8-12+ weeks
Once the first few days have passed:
L: Load
Optimal loading without increasing pain to promotes repair and remodelling of tissues
O: Optimism
Stay realistic, but have optimism of the recovery journey
V: Vascularisation
Early movement to encourage blood flow to the injured area to promote healing
E: Exercise
The breads and butter of physiotherapy! Exercise therapy to support the recovery and functioning of the hamstring but just as importantly, reduce the risk of the injury reoccurring!
The PEACE and LOVE principle can be adapted to any soft tissue or ligament injury but may need a bit of adjusting.
Book in with one of our empathetic Physiotherapists to guide your recovery and help with your football injuries and help you enjoy your day-to-day activities!
