Here at Core Physio Gawler Place we take the AFL competition very seriously and with the upcoming decision regarding where the grand final will be held, we reached out to some of our Physios to see what they think some of the most common injuries sustained by AFL Athletes are.
So, what was the number of most common AFL injuries?
ACL Tear:
If you’ve been keeping up to date with the AFL news then you would know that Sydney Swans premiership player Alex Johnson has suffered yet another ACL tear, this is now his seventh tear to his ACL. The term ‘ACL’ stands for anterior cruciate ligament and it is a tissue that connects the thigh bone to the shin bone at the knee. Most ACL tears lead to surgery and this is followed by intensive rehabilitation through a Physiotherapist.
Alex Johnson, Sydney Swans - ACL Tear Injury
Can Core Physio Help With Rehab After Surgery?
The answer is, of course we can! After having surgery to repair the ACL ligament there is a long road of rehabilitation exercises to undertake to get back to full function and sport.
An ACL tear is pretty nasty and can keep players on the bench for the whole AFL season so fingers crossed we don’t see anymore ACL injuries on the field this year!
What are some other injuries sustained through AFL?
Hamstring strain:
Now, if you search the current injury list for the AFL you will see that just about every injured player has sustained a hamstring injury. One of the most common hamstring injuries that we see throughout the AFL is a hamstring strain.
A hamstring strain occurs when one or more of the muscles gets stretched too far and begins to tear. This injury can be mild and could require only a few treatment sessions to resolve or it could be quite severe and require surgery with extensive rehabilitation.
Matt Rowell, Gold Coast Suns, Dislocated Shoulder
Can Core Physio Help Treat A Hamstring Strain?
Yes! A Physio is an integral part of the whole team involved in getting hamstring injuries to heal and return to full function.
Shoulder Dislocation:
You might have heard about the Gold Coast suns rookie superstar Matt Rowell and his dislocated shoulder. Matt landed awkwardly after being tackled whilst trying to handball. The shoulder is the most mobile joint in your body so it can be very commonly injured especially in sport. A dislocated shoulder needs to be attended to immediately and in some rare cases, may need surgery. Rehabilitation after a shoulder dislocation is paramount as it helps re-strengthen the shoulder joints to avoid it happening again.
Can Core Physio Treat A Shoulder Injury?
Of course! In fact, our Physio Sachin loves treating shoulders.
We hope this run down on some of the most common injuries in the AFL has been helpful and we’d like to see Port Adelaide in the grand final this year!!
This blog was written by Georgia, practice manager from the Adelaide CBD Physio practice.