As an ex front-row player David is well experienced in chronic Cervical (neck)and lower back injuries. He also completed his Degree dissertation on the early onset of Cervical degeneration in rugby players.

There are many common injuries that can occur as a result of playing rugby which are not as a result of a specific incident. They do not always appear immediately, but develop over time. Should you have any niggling chronic pains that are not resolving please feel free to email the clinic to ask wether or not we are able to help……..

Self help for Twisted ankles. Usually they very swollen when the ligaments are strained. They need to be wrapped in a cold compress for five minutes at a time. Place a small rolled towel under the mattress at night which will help reduce inflammation and the pain caused by swelling.

Hamstring problems….. hamstrings often shorten when working in a sitting job, particularly at a desk, even more when driving lond periods of time in a low seated vehicle. This may reduce your ability to have a good stride length for those long sprints down the wing.The recommendation is to stretch them daily as well as before, during and post match. During the late winter months when mud sticks to the boots the hamstrings have to work harder to lift them when running. Towards the end of a game the hamstrings become very weak and shortened, this make them very susceptible to tears when attemting that last mad sprint. The advice is to stretch them briefly at every opportunity such as lineouts and penalties.

Assessment

Any persistent issues are well worth assessing here at the clinic. Small things usually lead to compensation patterns which become problematic later on.

Treatment

Once assessed we can treat most problems with soft tissue , facilitation, stretching, fascial work and rehabilitation exercises.