Rugby is a high-intensity and fast-moving game. This historically male dominated sport is now gaining popularity among women. The Women’s Rugby World cup championship is held every four years and is organized by the sport’s world governing body. Rugby requires a lot of strength and good technique to play. However, like in any other sport, injuries are inevitable. Therefore, in order to prevent any injury, a player should keep the following points in mind –
- Be mentally and physically prepared for the game.
- Use good techniques and practices.
- Wear the right protective gear.
- Lastly, know your strengths and weaknesses.
How to prepare yourself before the game?
Preparing yourself before the game is very important and it should be done under professional guidance for better results. We are listing here some suggestions on how to be prepared before playing rugby.
- During the off-season, work on building your physical strength under the guidance of your coach or fitness expert
- Work towards improving your skills.
- Regular medical check-up by a qualified medical practitioner is vital.
- Perform some warm-up and stretching exercises to improve your flexibility.
- Lastly, take enough rest.
Most common rugby injuries
The most common injuries while playing rugby are muscle injuries and sprain. However, some injuries can be severe and traumatic as well. Let us look at some of the most common injuries, why do they occur, and ways to prevent them.
- Hamstring injury – This injury happens in the muscle fibers that make up the hamstring. Hamstring injuries usually happen due to-
- Inadequate warm-up
- Incorrect stretching exercises or even by over-stretching.
- Improper running style
- Not taking enough rest between matches.
- Performing speed exercises on tired muscles or on a generally weak body.
To prevent a hamstring injury, one should work on improving the overall body strength, conditioning, running techniques and follow effective recovery treatments such as; foam rolling or ice baths.
- Sprained Ankle – This happens when the ankle ligaments get overstretched resulting is soft tissue damage. The severity of this can vary from mild sprain to severe ligament ruptures. A sprain in an ankle typically happens when you twist your feet on an uneven ground, or when you plant your foot improperly while running, or you land from a jump on an irregular surface.
To prevent ligament injuries, one should follow training exercises specified by experts which help players to work on their balance when doing strenuous physical activities. Using a tape or brace around ankle while playing can also protect the player from sprain.
- Knee ligament injury–This type of injury happens when the fibers which constitutes the knee ligament gets torn. Knee injuries typically happen when there is a sudden change of direction or while tackling; excessive strain on ligament causes a tear.
To reduce the risk of this injury, one should work on building knee strength by doing effective conditioning training to improve resilience of the knee to sudden change of directions.
- Concussions – These are mild to severe head injuries which happen due to a blow to the head. It happens simply due to the nature of the game. These injuries are inevitable, but concussion awareness amongst players and coaches is very important. The only way to avoid this injury is to wear a protective gear and know the game well.
These are just a few common rugby injuries. However, injuries vary according to environment and situation and for addressing such cases, one should consult a chiropractor or a medical expert in this field for an effective treatment. So, to get help with your cycling and any injuries you might be carrying, call one of our practices now.