Considerations and common injuries of the female athlete

First and foremost, I am extremely please at the advancements in women's sport. As a sports therapist and a woman, I am glad to see women's sports being more acceptable and viewable to the public on a wider scale.

But, there are challenges when working with female athletes and the need to understand the physical and physiological difference between men and women is imperative to us who work with sport injuries.

Physical: First, the bones and joints of men and women differ greatly. Women have shorter and smaller limbs compared to their male counterparts, 51.2% v. 56%. Women have a wider pelvis, which is great for centre of gravity, but not always good if it creates a high Q-angle (the angle between the ASIS of the pelvis and the centre of the patella). Second, muscle mass is less in women roughly 20% less than men. Muscle quality is not necessarily different, but strength and power difference occur, for instance women have greater hamstring flexibility. Finally, women athletes have a greater general joint laxity compared to male athletes, potentially due to a decreases muscle mass surrounding a joint.

Physiological: As most of us know, women athletes have a higher fat percentage than men 22-26% v. 12-16%. Females also have a smaller heart compared to men of the same bodyweight, and also have lower blood pressure and smaller lungs. This may lead to a decrease in VO2 MAX of 10-15%.

So what does all this have to do with injuries?

Due to fluxes in estrogen levels, bone density, chosen sport and all the considerations above, it mean female athletes have a higher increase in the following injuries:

Stress fractures

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Patellar Tendonitis

Lateral Epicondylitis

Illiotibial Band Syndrome

Spondylolysis

What can female athletes do?

As with any athlete you need to ensure you are eating properly. Women who go on diets that don't have enough caloric intake for their sport will be at a higher risk of decreased bone density. Eating high quality, low processed foods such as fruits and vegetable along with protein and carbohydrates to power your body through it's sport.

Strength training and cardio. I tell all my clients to have balance. Balance your cardio and strength, don't just focus too much on one. Keeping your heart and lungs healthy through cardio and HIIT increases your VO2 MAX and strength training will keep your muscles strong.

Have regular GP check ups. It is important to ensure you visit your GP for your cervical exam and if you have any menstrual concerns. Women athletes occasionally have a decreased occurrence of menstruation cycle, if this applies to you, it is important to see your GP. Once again, nutrition and exercise can play a big part in irregular menstruation cycles.

If you suffer from a sport injury, it is important to see a sports therapist or sports physiotherapist as soon as possible. The earlier diagnosis of an injury the faster rehabilitation can be started to get you back to your pre-injury self.

In summary, working with female athletes in the sport injury world has a set of challenges all it's own, but it's worth it to see such great women excel in their chosen sports.

If you have any questions about sport injuries and rehabilitation, please contact me at sara@prestigesportinjury.co.uk

Kinesio tape, is it worth the hype?

I

admit, I have a love-hate relationship with kinesio tape and I am by no means a kinesio tape expert, the below is just my opinion on my experience with kinesio tape.

While I would love to believe it has the ability to make a person faster, stronger and generally perform better, I just don't see conclusive evidence.

As a qualified Rock tape 'Rockdoc' I am intrigued by the Pain Gate Theory to help explain why kinesio tape can reduce pain. But, there's a part of me that feels that some of this may be the placebo effect in action.

I do explain the Pain Gate Theory and  placebo effect to my clients when I do use kinesio tape as I do not want to give them false expectations and I want to ensure they are aware the tape may not work.

I do use kinesio tape in my clinic (not often) and on my rugby players frequently, however, this is due to the fact that kinesio tape does provide light support to joints. I don't necessarily feel that it reduces their pain, but it does help to support ankles, knees, shoulders, elbows and wrists. In rugby I use kinesio tape after the early stage of rehabilitation, for instance once the zinc oxide tape used to provide support and protection can be removed I use then apply kinesio tape to help give the player support without reducing range of movement. I have also used in when players have returned to sport to give them peace of mind that the joint is stable and will not 'go' while on the pitch. I have tried to use it on hamstrings and calves to help 'maintain the flexibility' the muscle and reduce pain from tightness, but have found this ineffective in most cases.

I don't want to be a 'witch doctor' in my way of treating clients and players. For me kinesio tape is a mutual decision between myself and the client and they are made aware of all the ugly truth that it might just be pretty coloured tape, but it is an excellent way to support the joints after injury.

If you have any questions about sport injuries  and rehabilitation please do not hesitate to contact me at sara@prestigesportinjury.co.uk