Sports Injuries

At Sandymount Sports Injury and Physiotherapy Clinic in South Dublin we treat all sports people from the weekend warrior to the more serious athlete and whether this is you first marathon or county championship we want to keep you healthy.  We ourselves participate as weekend warriors and have first hand experience of things that can go wrong on the field, on the bike,  on the road or on the golf course.

Sports injury can result from direct trauma as in contacting an other player and twisting the medial ligament of the knee or a direct blow to the thigh – haematoma (‘Dead Leg’). Non – contact injuries such as hamstring tear can occur with sudden acceleration and many calf injuries can be  of sudden onset.  Sports injuries can also come on through repetition. The runner with IT Band pain presents with pain at the knee but the cause of the pain may be tight hip flexors coupled with weak gluts or stiff high arched feet. Our aim when considering sports injurues is to identify and rectify the cause while treating the effect.

Shoulder Injuries such as Rotator Cuff / Bursa Impingement and tendinosis are common in rackets, throwing sports, in swimmers but also in gym-goers when the arm action is repetative. In treating these injuries it is essential to identify and rectify any muscle imbalances around the shoulder and shoulder blade. Physiotherapists at the clinic use Manual therapy, Shockwave Therapy, Soft tissue release techniques, Dry Needling, Friction massage, Therapeutic exercise with elastic and weight resistance in addition to modalities such as Ice, heat, interferential and ultrasound in the treatment of these injuries. Kinesio taping, functional bracing and orthotic supports are other tools used  by Sandymount Physios to restore function quickly.

Tennis Elbow and Golfers elbow can be problematic repetative strain issues  and are not just confined to sports people. Lifting pots, pruining and hedge clipping are among the activities that can irritate the tendons. Rest from the provoking activity, mobilization of the joints and tissues and eccentric muscle training are effective in management.Recent research confirms the effectiveness of Shockwave in speedingup resolution. Dry needling may also help.

Core muscle weakness is a frequent culprit in sporting injuries and can lead to back pain, referred leg pain even without the presence of back pain, buttock pain or a sense of tight gluteals.

Piriformis Syndrome may be a manifestation of Low Back or Sacro-Iliac Dysfunction.  Stiffness of the lumbar facet joints coupled with inadequate core control may manifest itself as groin strain, hip pain and sports hernia (Gilmores Groin). Low Back stiffness and inability to twist can be the source of problems for the Golfer or the Hurler looking for  distance.

Hamstring strain and muscle tears are frequent injuries on the football and hockey field.  Muscle tears and sprains require some time out  from sport and return to play too early can lead to recurrent problems. Grade 1 muscle tear may require 10 days out of action while Grade 3 may require 6 weeks

Running can produce anterior knee pain e.g. Chondromalacia Patella, IT Band Syndrome, shin splints, calf muscle problems or Achilles Tendinosis. The correct shoes for your foot type, or a simple orthotic support may be the solution to a persistant  running injury. The physiotherapist will advise you about adequate stretching, use of foam roller and soft tissue release techniques. Strength training espically eccentric muscle exercise is indicated where tendinosis is the main problem. Advice on Shoe type and or Orthotic prescription may be part of the management.

Pre participation assessment: Most sports men and women attend when a problem arises but pre-participation assessment of alignment, biomechanics and muscle balance can help to prevent injury and is a service provided at Sandymount Sports injury and Physiotherapy Clinic.