Shoulder Injuries in Australian Rules football

Many types of tissues can be damaged with a shoulder injury but the dislocated shoulder provides the most serious of disruptions to this highly mobile joint.

A dislocation of the shoulder joint is usually traumatic and is therefore common in contact sports like Australian rules football, rugby league and rugby union. Once this has occurred it is important to get the best possible care of the injury to optimise your chances of preventing recurrence.

In some cases post shoulder dislocation, the joint can be damaged to the point where surgical intervention is required. This is not always the case however. Seeking the advice of an MTM Sports Physiotherapist can help to figure out how best to manage the injury. Rotator cuff muscle tears, shoulder joint labral tearing (cartilage) and joint capsule trauma are all possible issues that your Sports Physiotherapist will help to assess and treat.

Prevention of shoulder injuries can therefore range from somewhat possible to completely impossible depending on the mechanism or mechanisms that were involved.  Your Physiotherapist will be able to advise whether strengthening can assist you in preventing future issues with the joint.

A comprehensive and incremental strengthening approach to the shoulder and shoulder girdle muscles will provide the best possible protection against ongoing dysfunction in any troublesome or injured joint. To find out more come and see one of our experienced Physiotherapists.

MTM Physiotherapy Blog – May 2012