Head injuries
Head injuries, such as concussions, are common due to the speed, tackling and contact that occurs during rugby. Symptoms of concussion include dizziness, confusion, light-headedness, headaches and forgetfulness. It’s important that injured players take time to be cleared by a professional before returning to play.
Overuse injuries
As discussed in our previous blog, overuse injuries are very common. Without the right attention and treatment, they can affect a player’s overall performance and lead to greater problems. It’s important that you have your overuse injury checked out by a physiotherapist early on.
Trauma injuries
Rugby involves a lot of contact. This causes trauma injuries to occur regularly. These injuries can include dislocated fingers and shoulders, fractured bones, sprains in tendons and ligaments, cuts and muscle bruising. There is also a high risk of cuts to the face and facial fractures. Other trauma injuries are likely to occur as well, such as knee injuries and shoulder sprains and dislocation.
How to prevent rugby injuries
While rugby injuries cannot be 100% eliminated, there are steps you can take towards reducing your chances of sustaining them:
- Learn and use the right techniques during play.
- Practice a balanced and strict training routine that includes strength, flexibility and endurance.
- Always use a fitted, good quality mouth guard.
- Follow the rules of the scrum formation.
- Make sure that your positioning is correct during the game.
- Don’t push your body past its limit.
At Sports Focus Physiotherapy, we can assess you for potential areas of risk and help you find the best conditioning program to minimise your risk of injury. Contact us for more information or to book an appointment with our friendly and experienced physiotherapists.
