Return to the pitch: Should Pain be the Guide ?

Tissue trauma is a frequent occurrence in contact sport. Although the severity of the trauma, and the tissues involved will vary from injury to injury.

Tissues include bone, muscle, tendon, ligament, fascia, skin, cartilage also the internal organs. All of the body is made of a form of tissue and all tissues can be traumatized

Different tissues heal at differing rates, and while there are guidelines, healing time will also vary from individual to individual.

Some of the factors which can effect tissue healing are blood supply, age, individual general health and activity levels during healing.

Pain is misleading

Many people taking part in sport use the ‘does it still hurt ” question, to judge whether their torn tissues are better. They prod the tissue to evoke pain, and if it doesn’t hurt, they try out their injury in a progressive training session. If they don’t get pain during training, or they can train without later pain, they consider their injury ready for full contact sport.

But, pain is a very poor indicator of the degree and strength of tissue repair. To sustain the strains and pressures of full contact sport, tissue needs to have reached the stage of forming a strong tight scar, which usually takes much longer than anticipated.

Having information on tissue healing can assist players to be better informed about the probable stage of their injury healing, and therefore plan their injury free return to play. Healing tissue, can be pain free before it has reached regeneration, repair stage, or remodelling stages. Recurrence of pain after activity is usually a sign that further damage has occurred, and set back overall recovery

Stages of Healing

The first stage of injury healing is called the Inflammatory Phase, and occurs immediately after tissue trauma.

This period can last up to 96 hours (4 days) and involves a number of inflammatory responses, manifested by pain, swelling, redness, loss of function and increased local temperature.

The second stage in healing is the Regeneration and Repair Phase: The Fibro-elastic/ Collagen-forming Phase.

This stage starts as the inflammatory phase has finished its task, and lasts minimally 48 hours for a simple injury to 6 weeks or more for a more severe injury During this time structures are rebuilt and regeneration occurs. The pain, swelling, redness and raised local temperature of the inflammatory phase are passing, at this stage, the tissues start to feel thickened or lumpy to touch. They can now respond to electrotherapy, and gentle graded mobilisation and exercise. The Fibroblasts begin to generate immature scar tissue. These are poor quality tissues with a low level of tensile strength. This tissue can be broken down easily by loading, twisting or shearing actions. A break down at this stage puts the damaged tissue back to the first stage of injury with inflammation and pain.

The final stage of healing is the Remodelling Phase

This final phase takes place after the previous two stages, and can last between 3 weeks to 12 months depending on the degree of the original injury.

Gradually, cross-linking and shortening of the collagen fibres promotes the formation of a tight, strong scar. This phase is characterised by remodelling of collagen so as to increase the functional capabilities of the muscle, tendon, or other tissues. During this phase gradual and progressive loading of tissues can be commenced safely

Inflammatory Stage	Regeneration Phase	Remodelling Phase
Pain, inflammation, swelling, raised temperature loss of function	Minimal Pain Tissues forming immature scar tissue easily broken down	Tight strong scar tissue formation
Up to 96 hours (4 days)	48 hours to 6 weeks	3 weeks to 12 months +

The minimum time for simple tissue injury healing is approximately one month

Severe tissue damage can take more than 14 months to complete

How do I know how healed my injury is ?

A skilled Physiotherapist or Musckuloskeletal specialist Doctor experienced at palpating tissue and assessing healing state can usually give an indication of the state of the tissue repair. True state of the tissues can only be shown by X-ray, MRI or ultrasound scan.

Any pain to general palpation, or on activity indicates that the tissues has not reached the remodelling stage. Discomfort or tightness can indicate that the tissue is still at the remodelling phase

What should I do while I am injured ?

Aim to be able to be as active as possible, put in place an alternative training routine to avoid losing general fitness and low mood swings

Rest Ice Compression & Elevation with movements where possible in the inflammatory stage, with NSAID’s if needed, or homoeopathic remedies.

In the regeneration phase a wide range of gentle activities should be planned which keep fitness levels up, without stressing the immature healing scar tissue at the injury site. Runners, rowers and rugby players can maintain cardio fitness in the swimming pool. Muscle groups which are not injured can be maintained with weights. Advice and a programme of graded progression can be set by your Physiotherapist

You should aim to be able to manage all day to day activities such as lifting, work, stairs, driving distance walking and swimming free from any pain before contemplating general training, weights.

During the remodelling phase there needs to be a focus on lengthening and stretching tissues, strengthening and proprioception work. Close work with the coach at this stage will help you return to a light training programme, with specific attention to key areas which could have predisposed injury . From around 3 weeks after a simple injury a strong and efficient scar exists. However strong activity, ballistic stretching or explosive muscles action can cause this scar to be broken down

Return to full sport should be planned after a reintroduction to full training, power strength and endurance work. The timing of this phase is totally dependent on the athlete, and is different for each athlete

What guidelines should I aim for to be back to full sport ?

When you have :

Full functional range of movement

Your strength measurements are 80% to 85%

You can meet the Cardiovascular Demands of your Sport

and have Passed all Functional Tests

Reference Prentice, W. (2004). Rehabilitation techniques for sports medicine and athletic training(4thed.). New-York: McGraw-Hill.

This is a constant curiousity to me

It’s something that the Feldenkrais community stands firm on.

The IFF party line, is that the Feldenkrais Method is NOT a therapy, it is a learning method

But I use the Feldenkrais Method principles as part therapy and part learning method

My background is as a traditionally trained Health Professions Council Registered UK based Physiotherapist. I completed my Feldenkrais Method training in 1999.

Most of the people I see, come along to my health studios in Reading and Goring because they have an issue

Therapists traditionally work with individuals who have symptoms, or issues.

Our work is about problem solving.

At first level this is often with regard to pain, limited function, or poor performance.

When people feel well they traditionally stay away from Doctors and Physios

Perhaps I can illustrate this with an example

Mrs C came to see me, to get help. She had a 15 year history of headaches.

At first level her problem was headaches, and my knowledge of anatomy and pathology, diagnostics and treatment enabled me to clear her problem.

However, within the approach that I used was embedded a pure Feldenkrais principle

Taking her into her whole body pattern, going with her pattern, helping her learn about her causative habit .

Many therapist work to take people out of their patterns, but with Feldenkrais work, we explore the persons habits.

The “we” who explore are the client and me.

Going with the persons pattern, accepting who they are, starting from where they inhabit the universe. Its a very nice principle and very much acknowledging that they are perfect just as they are

]]> http://physiojw.wordpress.com/2009/10/04/what-is-feldenkrais-therapy/feed/ 0 physiojw http://physiojw.wordpress.com/2009/10/04/rugby-pitches/ http://physiojw.wordpress.com/2009/10/04/rugby-pitches/#comments Sun, 04 Oct 2009 18:21:33 +0000 physiojw http://physiojw.wordpress.com/?p=34 ]]> Today I wrote a paper providing some basic information on tissue healing.

Now into week 5 of the rugby season, the injuries are starting to mount.

Hard ground due to lack of rain, is a big factor.

Very hard dry pitches are like concrete to land on

Certainly the grades of injury players have sustained so far been higher this season than last.

Interestingly this weekend Wallingford played against Cheltenham.

It was a tough match, with nearly two thirds of the usual Wallingford team out.

Although the result was a lose, the great outcome was that there was  just one injured player.

Taking account that the opposition was strong, the factor which almost certainly led to fewer injuries was a well watered pitch.

Cheltenham had two large sprinklers programmed to water the pitch.

The result a soft springy pitch which gave better grip, reduced impact, and reduced risk of injury on both sides

Physio's on a massage course

Sometimes the public’s view of healthcare professionals can be outdated

When people hear you are a Health Professions Council Registered and UK trained Physiotherapist their most frequent remark is…..

“Do you do massage ?”

Their views are outdated, but not unrealistic

30, 20 even 10 years ago Physiotherapist’s had a training in massage as part of their undergraduate training

Now Physiotherapist’s learn massage after they graduate from university

Academy of Sports Therapy & Bodywork reports that Physiotherapist’s trained in massage are returning from the brink of extinction

The Duke of Burgundy  butterfly is thriving having benefitted from Global warming.

The freezing financial climate is perfect for rare Physio butterflies emerging from the ugliest NHS cocoons

Perhaps for this reason, many people consider the process of the NHS to be a miracle of nature it self.

My chosen obsession is the bodymind. Some may perceive it a passion with the human body movement mind and thoughts

Overarching that is my interest in drawing human movement, my love of flow felt movement and change

These are my blogs, for what they are worth.

Split up into sections ‘for my thinking is spatial very right brain reined in by left brain, and boxed to enable dissemination

Love you all

Jill