Date: 22.11.19
Duration: 2 hours from 1700 – 1800
Venue: Marjon Sports Hall
Reflective Summary:
I attended the ladies’ Futsal team training session for the first time. It was nice to meet team and get to know them a bit.
It is always challenging to be a little out of your comfort zone, especially when you are the only sports therapist and you haven’t an opportunity to shadow a 3rd year student. Nothing quite like being thrown in the deep end. You either sink or swim. I would like to think that I swam reasonably well this evening.
Before the training session I did a bit of preparation which involved looking up the rules of the game of Futsal and going through my first aid.
On the way to the training session I collected some rigid tape, scissors, and a bag of ice. I also brought some of my own K-tape in the event that the team did not have a sports and first aid kit bag available. It is always good to be prepared.
I met some members of the team and their coach in the Marjon Hub café. One of the ladies said she had a tender shoulder. I checked her range of movement and there didn’t appear to be any restrictions. There was enough time to do a quick pre-event massage and check out the shoulder muscles before the clinic closed and the training session started.
I palpated the shoulder and there was evidence of muscle tension and soreness in the Trapezius. This lady had played rugby (a game she doesn’t normally play) a few days earlier and had received some punishment to the shoulders after being in the ruck. I performed pre-event massage using quicker and lighter effleurage, petrissage and tapotement techniques. I also applied STR to the trapezius to ease the soreness and tension in the muscle. She was good to play.
During the training session the coach asked me to check out one of the girls for possible issues with the Medial Collateral ligament. She had had a previous MCL injury a couple of years ago. She complained of some irritation in that area. I palpated around the medial side of the knee and there was no inflammation or pain there. I also applied the Valgus Stress Test look for any laxity and pain. There was no apprehension or pain during the test. She didn’t appear have any muscle tension in the quads or hamstrings. I suggested that she would benefit from strengthening up the muscles in the upper thigh to help ensure that there are no further issues with the MCL. I said that I would research some strengthening exercises and send them to her.
Another team member came to me during the sessions and asked me to stretch her hamstrings in her right leg. I applied a Muscle Energy Technique (Post Isometric Relaxation) to stretch the hamstrings and ease the tension. I also lightly massaged the lateral side of the right thigh. There was some tension in either the Iliotibial band or vastus lateralis tendon just above the knee. The application of MET (PIR) and massage seemed to resolve the tension and she continued the training session without any further issues
The girls said that there are always niggles and mild injuries so I will be very busy throughout the season. I am not surprised as the game involves a lot of dynamic movements and twisting and turning and sudden changes of direction.
I said that I will try and book a couch in the clinic an hour before each Friday night training session.
I quite enjoyed the training session and getting to know the ladies. They are full of character and oh so fierce and very welcoming!
Areas for further improvement plus action plan
The sport involves a lot of dynamic movements, twisting and turning and sudden changes of direction. The plan is to revise hip, thigh, knee and ankle anatomy and pathologies.
Continual revision of first aid.
Continual revision of rigid and k-taping techniques.
Returning to reflections at a later date