Coping with injury

[SaintsFan_Webby]

So I recently dislocated my shoulder. Painful you may think, but not the end of the world.

This is the third time I've done it and now face an operation before xmas in order to stabalise the joint.

On top of this my entire rugby career (and I use career in the loosest possible sense of the word) hangs in the balance. It is debatable whether I will be able to play again because of the severity of the injury, and even if I were to try getting back into the game it could prove a massive struggle, both physically and mentally.

I know there are a few guys on the forum with bad injury experience, I'm after advice on how you can recover both the fitness and confidence to start playing again after such a major setback.

At 18 I really don't want to consider the prospect of retirement (especially as, much to my amazement, I had been pushing a Uni 2nd XV and possible Berkshire U20 County spot).

Any advice, words of wisdom etc appreciated...

 

[nez]

well coming back from two ankle breaks/sprains in the last two years, i have to say, you probably need to start with looking hard at it and deciding how much you want to keep playing. How much do you want to get back. I think then you can make a decision because the motivation to get back (if u want it) can take you back to where you were.

 

[dobrien7]

I dislocated my right knee cap 13 times, then they 'fixed' it so it wouldn't happen again. But this unfortunately has cost me a fraction of comfort/mobility when sprinting (attempting to).

I definitely would have to say get into rehab as soon as possible and keep it up, coz if you don't, you'll find it's never quite right again...

 

[melon]

I tore my anterior cruciate ligament in my right knee and in the process it pulled some bone out of the capsule of my knee cap a few years back. I missed rep training in the off season but that was fine...so the moral of the story is: Rest your wounds and let them heal.

Last year i broke my hand as a result of punching a granite bench top in anger over mum saying i did something when i didnt but thats not important....I played a trial game the next day with it because i thought it was jarred but it kept hurting so a 3 or 4 days later mum made me get an x-ray and sure enough there was a clean break on the bone on the outside right hand (the big bone connecting wrist to finger/knuckle...I was told not to play for 6 weeks but stuff that, i had country champs a week and a half later! So i just strapped it till it was pretty much blue, it was rather quite stupid but effective and now the bone has fixed itself but its still sticking out at a sickening angle so yeh once again moral of the story: Give things time and you'll be right (however couldnt do that in this case)

Also i've done my groin, that was a prick, it was so painful and hard 2 walk lol but the good ol' physio did his job!

 

[Bullitt]

I've been suffering with neck problems for the last 6 weeks. Immensley frustrating.