Graston For Rugby
Rugby Injuries - Prevention and Recovery
When people talk about the rough-and-tumble sport of rugby, they seldom think about the United States. The fast paced, high contact sport has long been popular in the United Kingdom, where it was invented, and in parts of Europe. However, rugby fever is at long last catching on in the United States as well. According to some analysis, the sport is surging in the United States, with over 1.4 million players and a double-digit growth rate. Rugby is also the fastest growing youth sport in the nation as well, a testament to how well this decidedly combative pastime is catching on. However, while more people are playing rugby these days than ever before, there is a serious downside: injuries.
The sport of rugby is practically synonymous with pain and injury. The injury rate for rugby is 69 percent for every thousand hours played, nearly double that of American football. Sprains, particularly in the ankles, are extremely common in rugby. Muscular strains and overuse injuries also occur frequently in the sport, particularly amongst younger players. Fortunately, a sore ankle doesn't have to keep you out of the game for too long. There are new and innovative techniques to treat rugby injuries and get players back on the field sooner rather than later.
The Graston Technique for Rugby Players
One of the newer treatments to help recover from a painful soft tissue rugby injury is the Graston Technique (GT). GT is a form of soft tissue mobilization, and involves a trained practitioner using a specially designed set of stainless steel instruments to manipulate afflicted soft tissue. The GT instruments allow clinicians to identify injured tissue, and then are used to break down scar tissue and other restrictors. The technique facilitates increased blood flow to problem areas, alleviates pain, and can speed up the recovery process. While still a relatively new medical innovation, several clinical trials have affirmed the Graston Technique's effectiveness at addressing soft tissue injuries.
GT therapy is great news for rugby players suffering from sprained ankles. Typical soft tissue injuries like this, often called adhesions, can keep muscles painfully tight and limit range of motion. GT is particularly effective at addressing these conditions. Additionally, GT can immediately address the buildup of scar tissue, alleviate lingering pain, and promote soft tissue healing for other rugby injuries as well, such as knee sprains and shoulder injuries. The Graston technique can be especially effective at addressing injuries before they become serious and debilitating, so it is worth checking with your physical therapist to get treatment as soon as your aches and pains start adding up.
Active Release Therapy (ART) for Rugby Players
Active Release Therapy, or ART, is another relatively new non-invasive technique to treat injuries commonly seen in rugby. ART is a patented technique that involves hand manipulation of soft tissue by a trained practitioner. ART's 500-move treatment protocol is exceptionally effective at identifying damaged soft tissue, and then treating it. These carefully designed, precision movements, like GT, can help increase blood flow, alleviate pain, and restore range of motion. All of this, again, is great news for sore rugby players everywhere.
Specially trained ART practitioners are adept at identifying the source of soft tissue injury or pain, then breaking down the scar tissue causing it. Active Release Therapy is also used as a preventative measure to keep muscles and tendons primed for workouts, thus avoiding injury altogether. ART can be great for dedicated rugby enthusiasts, especially those who are experiencing routine or growing soft tissue pain. So if injuries are holding you back from giving it all you've got on the rugby field, ART may be the right choice for you.
Get Back to the Scrum!
Rugby, long viewed as a decidedly British sport, is growing in popularity here. The fast paced, violent sport, with its driving runs up the field and inevitable collisions with other players, leaves athletes exceptionally prone to a variety of injuries. The Graston Technique and Active Release Therapy offer innovative ways to keep rugby players' muscles and tendons in good shape, and prevent injury altogether. They are also extremely effective at treating soft tissue injuries and rapidly getting you back in action. So don't wait until it's too late. Do your homework, find a clinician who offers GT or ART and get yourself back to the scrum before anyone notices you were missing.
Our Chandler Chiropractic and Physical Therapy clinic treats patients with a variety of muscle, tendon, joint, and ligament injuries. The clinic provides treatment for runners, tri-athletes, and weekend warriors in addition to common headache, neck, and back patients traditionally seen in Chiropractic, Physical Therapy, Massage Therapy clinics. We work with all ages and abilities of the residents in Phoenix, Tempe, Gilbert, Mesa, and Chandler AZ.