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| HIP STRETCH 19/09/2007 |
90-90 Hip Stretch
Question. Sometimes I get pain in my hips that makes me stop before I\'ve finished my training run. Are there some good stretches I can do to help solve the problem?
Here\'s one, called the 90-90 stretch, a modified hurdler stretch which is great for the hips, lower back, hamstrings, thighs--you\'ll find in doing this stretch that it will help wherever you are tightest. Sit as pictured with right angles to hips, knees, and feet, so back calf is parallel to front foot, and front calf is parallel to back thigh and foot (hence the name \"90-90\", right angles everywhere.) Two directions of stretch will be out over the front knee (hold for 15 seconds) and then diagonally out over forward foot. Then switch to the other leg and repeat. Make sure, however, that instead of rounding over the knee or foot, you press your chest forward and buttocks away, to maximise the stretch for hips and legs rather than lower back.
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| DEAD LEGS 19/09/2007 |
DEAD LEG
Quadriceps Contusion; Corked Leg and Charley Horse are also common names for this.
The quadriceps muscles are the four muscles on the front of the thigh. A dead leg is a very common injury in rugby.
Common problems and causes
A dead leg is common in contact sports and occurs when the muscle is directly struck by another object such as a pplayers knee. Forceful contact to the muscle causes damage to the muscle fibres and blood vessels. Bleeding occurs and this causes pain, swelling and inflammation around the area.
There are a number of different forms of Contusion or bruising , some much more serious than others. Intra muscular and Inter muscular.
Initial treatment
It is very important to limit the bleeding and swelling caused by the initial injury as excessive and continued bleeding will cause more muscle damage. For this reason it is best to stop activity immediately. The old adage of \'running it off\' does not occur and can only lead to a more severe injury in the end.
Early treatment involves performing the RICER regime (found on this site). This aims to minimize bleeding and promote healing. It is important to realise that attempting to massage or \'rub out\' a dead leg in the first three to four days can only serve to increase bleeding and worsen the injury. Some deep muscle injuries may persist and remain hard and painful.
What to do
Consult your Physiotherapist who will assist in dispersing the gathering of blood to promote healing, regain full painless movement and strength and return to full sport. It is also advised to consult a Physiotherapist if bruising tracks down the leg to the knee or further as this may indicate a more severe muscle injury.
Criteria for returning to sport
1. Full range of painfree knee and hip movement.
2. No pain or restriction with running, jumping and kicking etc.
\"Don\'t wait to get better\"
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| nose bleeds 06/09/2007 |
STOPPING A NOSEBLEED
Follow these steps to stop a nosebleed:
Sit up straight and tip your head slightly forward.
Note: Do not tilt your head back. This may cause blood to run down the back of your throat, and you may swallow it. Swallowed blood can irritate your stomach and cause vomiting. Spit out any blood that gathers in your mouth and throat rather than swallowing it.
Blow all the clots out of your nose. This may require fairly forceful blowing, and the bleeding may increase when clots come out of the nose.
After blowing out the clots, use your thumb and forefinger to firmly pinch the soft part of your nose shut. You will have to breathe through your mouth.
Apply an ice pack to your nose and cheeks. Cold will constrict the blood vessels and help stop the bleeding.
Keep pinching for a full 10 minutes. Use a clock to time the 10 minutes. It can seem like a long time. Resist the urge to peek after a few minutes to see if your nose has stopped bleeding.
Check to see if your nose is still bleeding after 10 minutes. If it is, hold it for 10 more minutes. Most nosebleeds will stop after 10 to 20 minutes of direct pressure.
Put a light coating of a moisturizing ointment, such as Vaseline, inside your nose. Do not blow your nose or put anything else inside your nose for at least 12 hours after the bleeding has stopped.
Rest quietly for a few hours. (NO ALCOHOL)
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| ALCOHOL AND EFFECTS ON PERFORMANCE AND RECOVERY 06/09/2007 |
Alcohol Consumption
and
its effects on Performance
Nutrition and hydration are two of the keys to optimal performance. Alcohol is a poor nutrient source for a pre match meal or hydration. Alcohol is known to slow down one’s ability to react to an opponent for as long as 72 hours following alcohol intake. Precision, equilibrium, hand-eye co-ordination, judgement, ability to process information, focus, stamina, strength, power and speed are all negatively effected for many hours after blood alcohol levels return to 0.0%.
Proper hydration before, during and after training/match along with all-day hydration is critical to preventing injuries, creating an optimal environment for building muscle, losing body fat, maximising energy levels, transporting and absorbing nutrients, and ridding the body of toxins and by-products. If a player is thirsty, they may have already lost –2% of body weight through dehydration. Performance can be decreased up to 10-20% even at this level. Alcohol can cause the body to lose more body fluid in a –hour period, leading to dehydration even quicker.
In the field of performance, recovery from exercise is dependent on replacing carbohydrates used up during activity. Consuming at least 30 – 60g of carbohydrates with 6 -10g of protein ha proven to help replace needed carbohydrates and aid in recovery.
Injuries are an inevitable result of playing and training. Alcohol can cause increased swelling of the injured tissue after a game. This is because alcohol causes the blood vessels to dilate. Alcohol can also mask pain. The more swelling in an injured area, the longer it can take to recover and get back to full match fitness. In addition, if you are already taking anti-inflammatories or painkillers, drinking alcohol can increase the risk of stomach irritation and internal bleeding.
Conclusion
Alcohol and performance do not mix. Alcohol inhibits every aspect of your game. The best choice a player can make is to avoid alcohol altogether; however, just saying “no” is not a viable option when the vast majority of players say “YES” The table below lists some suggestions to minimise the effect of alcohol on performance.
Table 1: Suggestions to minimise effects of alcohol on performance
1. Avoid excessive drinking
2. Agree to a limit before drinking and stick to it.
3. Avoid drinking games
4. Don’t drink alcohol on an empty stomach
5. Choose low alcoholic beverages
6. For every serving of alcohol, drink 8 – 12 ozs of water, fruit juice or non-alcoholic beverage (1/2 pint).
7. Continue drinking non-alcoholic beverages well after consuming alcohol.
8. Avoid social drinking at least 72 hours (that’s Wednesday) before a game.
9. After training/match re-hydrate properly before consuming alcohol. For every pound of weight lost 20 – 24 ozs of fluids (1 - 11/2 pints) with 300 –400mg of salt.
10. Always try and consume some form of protein and carbohydrates within 30 minutes after training or playing (bananas, protein bars etc) before drinking alcohol. You must also try and eat a well balance meal within 11/2 hours
11. Avoid drinking alcohol at least 24 –36 hours after experiencing extreme soreness/aches/pains or noticeable bruising or injury.
12. Do not take alcohol while taking anti inflammatories. This includes ibuprofen
Taken from an article published on the NSCA’s Performance Training Journey web site www.nsca-lift.org/perform. This web site is full of very interesting articles on all subjects relating to fitness and performance
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| CORE STABILITY BASICS 14/03/2007 |
During the season I have mentioned Core Stability during warm ups.For those of you who may not have fully understood I will add little clips of information everyother week.
What is “Core Stability” and why do you need to do it?
"Core stability muscles", are the postural muscles that help keep the body posture balanced. The exercises are slow and controlled, using correct breathing techniques and body alignment. The muscles concentrated on are Transverse Abdominals ( those that give you a 6 pack ). The multifidi, these are small intrinsic muscles that cross from each vertebrae upwards to four or five higher vertebrae and stabilise the spine when heavier loads are lifted with the larger muscles. Also the psoas and iliapsoas which come from the upper lumbar vertebrae under the stomach to the inside of the upper thigh. Generally these muscles work continuously throughout the day, therefore they have an excellent blood supply and need to be trained differently.
In modern day lifestyles, which generally entail a great deal of sitting, these muscles are often idle for prolonged periods of time, they may become shortened and weak. The outcome of this is their inability to support the core structures when heavy physical demands are required. This in turn leads to abnormal stresses being place on the knees especially when running or higher impact activities are attempted.
The trunk provides the support for the lThe trunk provides the support for the limbs and their muscular attachments, its alignment affects all other body segments. Ideal alignment facilitates optimal movement.
(Sahrmann, 2002)
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| Introduction 24/09/2006 |
The rigours of playing competitive rugby, let alone celebrating afterwards, place particular stresses on the body. Fitness and good technique provide the best protection. However from time to time that is simply not enough.
Sutton & Epsom RFC players (and for that matter non playing Club members) also enjoy access to a first class physiotherapy service. We also have our own Club Doctor who can provide additional help and support.
The Physio Service operates at the Club - in our new separate cabin - on Tuesday and Thursday evenings throughout the season. It is staffed, on a rota basis, by highly qualified professionals:
Ron BainMSc (Sports Injuries) MCSP SRP>Susan Barrett Physiotherapy (Hons) MCSP SRP
The sevice normally works on a first come, first served basis. However members of the Club\'s adult 1st XV take preference. The service costs £5.00 per session (additional charges for non members).
While you are here do look at their expert advice:
<>Sprains, Strains and Bruisesand self help
on Recoveryafter strenous training or matches and at the protocols they recommend for treating specific problems:
< consult the Club Physio\'s or your GP. If neccessary contact Dr Bill Bellenger (Home Tel: 01372 740087 - Work Tel: 01372 362345) who is the Club doctor for Sutton & Epsom RFC.
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