Coaches urged to alter training to avoid injury after lengthy layoff

By Shane Brophy

A Nenagh-based sports injury therapist has warned there will be a major rise in muscle injuries in people of all ages as they return to sport after lockdown.

From Monday last, all adult team sports could return to training but with many players not having played a game in over six months, Niall O’Keeffe is concerned that there will be an influx of athletes to services like his around the country, as players do too much too quickly after so long not being in a competitive environment.

The past fourteen months or so has been an unprecedented time for everyone. Never before have sport and hobbies in general been shut down in such a way. However, extensive time off has had an impact on readiness and physical conditioning and if the right steps are not taken, there will be at higher risk of injury when sports return.

“Not only are some trained abilities lost, the physical structure and capabilities of tissues change,” said Niall O’Keeffe of Nenagh Muscular Therapy.

“Soft tissues like muscles and tendons can change rapidly in their abilities to withstand the stresses of sport. In particular, even if trying to train at home, most people aren’t exposing their bodies to the extremely fast and high intensity efforts they are used to. They may not get full speed sprinting, reactive agility, or full effort jumping. Long distance throwing or full speed swinging, and so the tendons detrain. This puts people at a greater risk of injury when they try to train and play with the same intensity after this long layoff.”

In essence, athletes and people returning to sport will not be the same as when they left, and Niall O’Keeffe has urged coaches and managers not to just return to training as they did before. It needs to be a cautious approach with specific training to each sport.

The following is the type of system of returning athletes should follow after a lengthy time off, adopting the goals of:

Safely - Athletes should be preparing their body so that they can lower their risk of injury.

Successfully - Don’t’ just survive when you return, thrive! Athletes should train so they can perform at a high level.

Sustainably - Returning to sport is great, but if you are setting up for injuries weeks or months down the line that’s a failure. Understanding how to sustain it is important. Remember fit to fight, not fit to fall.

PROCESS FOR RETURNING

Returning to any sport is a process, one which sports injury therapists have been refining for years in the high-pressure world of elite sports, long before Covid-19 stopped them in their tracks.

When a person returns from injury, there is a process that maximizes their chance of success. The lockdowns over the past year have been like an injury in many ways according to Niall O’Keeffe.

“It’s similar in the detraining each athlete experiences,” he said.

“The main key to returning is to take it slowly. The majority of sports related injuries I see in the clinic are from people doing too much too soon. You are not where you were six or twelve months ago and therefore you cannot expect to perform at that same level or intensity in only a matter of weeks.

“You must apply a graded exposure program, do a little, bit by bit and gradually increase the dosage each week. You will get there but take your time!”

He suggests a return to training in three phases:

Foundation - Athletes are building the base to return safely. The process starts working to build a sport/individual specific plan.

Train - Focus on things that will prevent injury, but also moves into training that will help athletes perform at a high level.

Sustain - Once athletes are back at training and competing, there are specific strategies that help them perform well and stay healthy. Such as diet, rest, nutrition etc.

ADDRESSING OLD INJURIES

If you are thinking of return to sport and have had injuries in the past or just have nagging aches and pains, this is a great time to get some guidance from a professional for help with pain relief which will allow you to work on exercises at home and ultimately self-management in the future.

Niall O’Keeffe is a neuromuscular and sports injury therapist, with a private clinic in Tullaheady, Nenagh. He has worked with numerous sports teams in rugby, soccer and GAA specialising in treating all forms of acute or chronic pain, from muscular or nerve related issues, regardless of the cause, duration, or type of injury, to achieve a significantly high level of pain relief.

“I have various modalities and treatments I can utilise depending on what I feel will be most effective for your particular issue as there is no one size fits all with pain,” he added.

“I’m a firm believer in keeping up to date with pain science and education and my mantra is “never stop learning”. I believe in sharing this knowledge with my clients. In my opinion the goal should always be to equip the client with the tools to be self sufficient going forward and deal with pain successfully.”