ACADEMY

INJURY MANAGEMENT

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 Outlined below are Guidelines for use of Physiotherapy support this season.  If you sustain an injury please follow the treatment protocol and communications below.  This will help us to manage injuries better, to keep you fit and playing, and minimise the time you spend injured watching games instead of playing !

Post Match:

Immediately make contact with the medical staff to have your injury assessed.  Advice will be given on management and when to see the medical team for initial assessment. 

Communications:

• If you sustain an injury please make contact with the physio staff to have your injury assessed.   
• If an injury requires treatment, or further assessment, you must contact Harriet Cole (for Monday sessions) or Nick Allen (for Wednesday sessions) by 4pm (latest) to arrange a treatment slot. 
• Players should never arrive at training with an injury without us being aware of the injury in advance.
• During pre-season the physio will see players at Goldington Road – not at the training venue, unless by prior arrangement.

Physiotherapy Sessions:

Physiotherapy Sessions will be provided as below: 

        Monday/Wednesday:

            17:30 – 18:30 Injury assessment – arrive before 18.30 to allow time for assessment.

            18:30 – 20:30 Ongoing Rehab

            Players undergoing treatment, or rehab, will be given a treatment time for the Wednesday session.

Injured Players:

Injured players are expected attend the full training session on Mondays and Wednesdays and to bring full kit to train, and indoor kit to do rehab inside, if required.  

Use of Physio Room:

Admittance to the physiotherapy room, and rehab facility, is for injured players only.  At all other times players are expected to be with the main squad.

Contacts:

Denis J. Ormesher

Academy Director, Bedford Blues

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INJURY MANAGEMENT

Initial Injury Treatment Protocol for Soft Tissue Injuries

In the event of suffering from an injury, it is essential that you manage the injured area and follow the simple guidelines listed below.  These are not meant as a substitute for being seen by the medical staff but as simple effective self-management techniques that can make a difference to your ability to recover from injury quicker.

Post Match:

Immediately make contact with the medical staff to have your injury assessed.  Advice will be given on management and when to see the medical team for initial assessment.

Ice:

This regime must be carried out for 10 minutes every 2 hours, making sure you protect your skin from ice burns.  Any longer than this time frame for ice will be detrimental to the injured site and may in some circumstances make things worse by increasing blood flow.

Compression:

When icing make sure you keep a towel over the ice bag to apply compression.  You will be given an elastic cohesive bandage to compress the injury and this should be done during your waking hours and when weight bearing.  Do not keep this on at night as it may adversely affect your circulation.

Elevation:

Keep the injured area either level to or above the heart.  Keep your muscles around the injured site (not the injured muscle !) as active as you can with simple movement exercises that will assist the muscle pump effect and further aid recovery.

Alcohol:

This needs to be taken very seriously.  Alcohol is a vasodilator and will cause an increase in blood flow around an injured site.  This will definitely make things worse during the initial 48hrs.  The medical staff, on initial assessment, will make you of aware of your alcohol status and this must be heeded.

Anti-Inflammatory Medication (NSAIDs):

Research indicates that if NSAIDs are taken beyond the early healing phase of an injury (1-4 days) they can interfere with and delay the normal healing process.  This effect has been demonstrated with healing of muscle, tendon, ligament and bone.

• Take NSAIDs only if prescribed by your doctor and at the lowest possible dose for the shortest possible time.
• Always stick to the prescribed dose. Taking the medicine in larger dose or for longer time can increase risk of dangerous side effects
• Take NSAIDs with food to decrease the risk of gastrointestinal upsets
• Do not use a non-prescription NSAID for longer than 7 days without discussing with your doctor
• NSAIDs are not recommended for chronic pain or muscle, tendon or ligament injury (beyond the first 4 days).

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