Rugby

Rugby is the ultimate contact sport. Generally the outcome is only a bruise or minor injury that rugby players themselves do not even describe as an injury. They only talk of an injury if they are forced to leave the field during a match, or even miss a match. Susceptible parts of the body in rugby are the head, the shoulders, the hands, the knees and the ankles.

Head and face
Face injuries often look worse than they are because wounds to the face can bleed severely. To avoid severe damage to the teeth, wearing a gum shield is recommenced.

In rugby, during the scrum, the ears can become trapped leading to bleeding in the auricle. During the healing process this can lead to so-called cauliflower ear. Rugby players often wear a scrumcap to protect against this injury.

Ankle
The most commonly occurring injury in rugby is a sprained or twisted ankle. In most cases, the injury occurs following a landing on the outside of the foot whereby the foot twists too far inwards. On the outside of the foot, capsula, ligaments and nerve fibre can be damaged due to overstretching. On the inside cartilage can be damaged by excessive compression. Depending on the seriousness of the injury, the tissue on the outside is either stretched or torn. This damage causes bleeding in the ankle. As a result, the ankle swells, (after a short time) bruises and becomes painful.

The damaged tissue heals naturally just like a wound on the skin. However, muscle and nerve fibre does not automatically regain its original function. Muscle and nerve fibre must be trained. This is possible with simple balance exercises. In addition, the ankle must be protected to prevent the risk of recurrence. A Push Sports Ankle Brace is an excellent solution.

Knee
The knee is a joint susceptible to injury. The knee joint can be damaged through twisting. In such a twisting incident (cruciate) ligaments and meniscus tissue can be damaged. Injury to the meniscus can cause swelling and it may no longer be possible to correctly bend and extend the knee. Serious injury to the cruciate ligaments often causes internal bleeding or accumulation of fluid. The knee then feels swollen and warm, is painful and no longer moves well. In the event of a serious twisted knee, cruciate ligaments and the inner meniscus are often both damaged. If injury to the cruciate ligaments is suspected, it is important that the correct diagnosis be made by a sport physician and/or sport physiotherapist.
During and following recovery from a knee injury, it may be worthwhile to protect the knee (during sport) with a Push Sports Knee Brace.

Shoulder
In rugby, the tackle is a widely used and fully approved technique. Because the player is brought to the ground in full flight, and with a ball in the hand, the shoulder is occasionally bruised and/or dislocated. Such an injury must always be treated by an expert.

Thumb
An acute thumb injury in rugby can occur as a result of taking hold of an opponent in a tackle. The thumb is bent backwards. The symptoms are pain, swelling of the thenar and restricted movement around the thumb joint. Any movement of the thumb is particularly painful. As the thumb ligament is extended, there is often considerable pain without any clear instability in the joint. In the event of a tear, the pain and swelling increase, and there is greater instability. If the ligament is totally torn away, the pain can be manageable, because there is no further tension on the damaged ligament. However, the thumb is then considerably more mobile.
Following the correct treatment, these problems generally disappear by themselves. The first stage is several days rest. You can then start to gradually move the thumb, guided by the level of pain. In this phase, and when you return to sport, a Push Sports Thumb Brace can protect the joint against pain, and worsening and recurrence of the injury.