View From The Treatment Room at Hednesford Town FC

The horrific career threatening injury to Arsenal’s Eduardo brings home to you that such a disaster can easily occur in the Premiership as well in a Sunday morning fixture. These serious injuries are relatively rare throughout the season but statistics are no comfort to the individual concerned.

News has dominated the headlines as a result of an injury which necessitated hospitalisation and surgery. Curtis Davies of Aston Villa is another player who has suffered an Achilles tendon injury already in this month of March and will be out of action for at least 8 months even as a full time professional. We recall the knee injuries of famous players like Paul Gascoigne and Alan Shearer. Players lesser known suffer the same injuries and they ALL share the same fear, `Is that the end of my football career ?`

A former Paget Sports player injured suffered a fractured ankle this season in a freak injury just doing a warm up for Hednesford Town`s Youth team.

 Fred Street-former England Physio (pictured) takes a closer look at the situation. He commented in a previous article is that in every case what cannot be overstated is: the support from staff at the club and their team mates which is very important. However life goes on and the club and the player`s team mates are in the business of training and fielding teams to play matches. It is left to the player’s Consultant and the Physiotherapist to help him along the long road back to fitness. Not much changes day to day and progress can only be measured in weeks. Players need to be encouraged and need to be patient as the club`s medical staff need to continue with `running repairs` of other players. Some Managers are good in that they allow the player to travel with the team in away matches.   

Players are all very different. They do not come `made to measure` but are `off the peg` with different reactions to dramatic events in their lives that you find in any patient. Over the weeks of recovery the emphasis swings from the treatment of disability to the assessment of capability with benchmarks of their first day off crutches, their first swimming session and their first easy jogging session. Add to these sweeteners and targets of encouragement like "Get your boots cleaned as we will take a ball out on the practice field the next time."

It is a long, slow and tedious road back to full fitness. It is best that the players keep their patience and their morale up. Rehab including `deep water running` wearing a floatation belt once the plaster is off is good because there is no impact while the player builds up their fitness. Drinking full cream milk with calcium is thought to be helpful with healing bones.

Most of all do listen to your `Physio` especially if assigned to one at `Outpatients` at the local Hospital. 

Thanks to Gavin Blackwell for sending a copy of Fred Street`s article for reference. Very thought provoking and it helped me put this article together.

Best wishes to all who are injured long term (including Dan) May you have a speedy recovery.