Injury Prevention

The term sports injury, in the broadest sense, refers to the kinds of injuries that most commonly occur during sports or exercise. Some sports injuries result from accidents; others are due to poor training practices, use of improper equipment, lack of conditioning, or insufficient warm-up and stretching. Although virtually any part of your body can be injured during sports or exercise, the term is usually reserved for injuries that involve the musculoskeletal system, which includes the muscles, bones, and associated tissues like cartilage.

The Medical, Scientific and Welfare Committee in conjunction with a working group comprising of Dr. Pat O’Neill, Prof. Niall Moyna, Dr. Pat Duggan, Dr. Kieran Moran, John C. Murphy and Dr. Catherine Blake have developed the GAA 15, a 15 minute standardised warm-up programme aimed at reducing the number of injuries sustained by GAA players. The selected injury prevention intervention is based on programmes incorporated internationally by FIFA (the 11+) (FMARC) and by the Santa Monica Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Research Foundation (PEP) in soccer, the findings from the National Injury database since 2007 and a pilot of the programme in UCD. The GAA 15 version 1 can be undertaken as a standardised warm-up before training and games.

Injury Prevention in Gaelic Games - Development of Gaelic15 - Dr. Catherine Blake

GAA 15 Videos

SportsClinicPlus

SportsClinicPlus has produced HD exercise warm-up videos for the GAA 15 v.1. Their exercise technology platform aims to keep more players injury-free and to reduce the cost and length of recovery so players get better faster. SportsClinicPlus use multimedia and technology to enrich and develop the connection between healthcare professionals such as physiotherapists and doctors and the sporting community (athletes, team managers, sports clubs, administration bodies) thereby preventing injury and supporting injured athletes to engage effectively in evidence-based exercise pre-habilitation and rehabilitation programs respectively. Go to https://www.sportsclinicplus.com/ to find out more about what they do. You can download their Injury Rehab App by clicking here.

The best immediate treatment for acute soft tissue injuries is PRICE protocol.

Most strains and sprains can be dealt with at home but the more severe ones will need to be seen by a doctor. To reduce pain and swelling, remember the acronym PRICE - Protect, Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.

PRICE

P-PROTOCOL: Protect the injured area e.g. use crutches, protective bracing if appropriate.
R-REST: You should rest the injured area for 24-48 hours. Crutches may be needed to take the weight off an injured knee or ankle. Make sure that you know how to use the crutches properly. Use them on the uninjured side to relieve pressure from the injured
I-ICE: Apply an ice pack (e.g. pack of frozen peas or a bag filled with crushed ice wrapped in a towel) as soon as the injury occurs. Repeat up to three times a day. Remember to place a damp cloth between the skin and ice. Do not apply the ice pack for lo
C-COMPRESSION: Wrap the affected area in an elastic bandage tightly - but not so tight as to cause compromise of the blood supply to the affected area.
E-ELEVATION: To reduce swelling, elevate the affected area above the level of the heart.