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hen a footballer grazes his sessions last two hours and I often did two a day The main advice from professionals is to act
W
knee, he is carried off on a – but I did catch up on paperwork!” quickly on any injury the moment it surfaces.
stretcher. When a polo Tomlinson also had physiotherapy, laser, Ignoring injuries forces other muscles to
player gets thwacked with ultrasound and took homeopathic remedies compensate and the problem will escalate.
a stick, he keeps going. Symphytum and Arnica. “Tennis elbow is a classic example of
Emma Tomlinson played three months last year repetitive strain,” says Crawford. “Tiny
with a ruptured cruciate ligament. But can Where are the black-spots? microtears in the muscle and tendon tissue
players afford to ignore pain, or turn a blind eye While the breaks sound dramatic, it’s the develop over weeks, months, even years.
to learning how to prevent it? Research specific chronic injuries – the tennis elbows, back pains Discomfort turns to pain, then a movement
to polo injuries is thin on the ground. In 1999 and groin strains – that nag away and snuff disorder. By then you aren’t just fighting the
Costa-Paz et al evaluated injuries to 34 riders out players’ enjoyment, improvement and, for tears, but the compensatory problems you have
during an Argentine high-goal season. A professionals, employment. While Costa-Paz also developed.”
McTimoney Chiropractic student, Steph Targett, found that fractures, strains and concussions Tennis elbow is common because the weight
has just completed a thesis on polo players’ were the most common injuries, Targett’s of the polo stick, combined with the use of the
injuries and conditions – surveying 69 research revealed right-arm shoulder and body weight, are absorbed by the fragile wrist.
volunteers (many of whom she contacted elbow, back and neck muscles as the injury The shoulder and neck may also compensate.
through Polo Times). black-spots. The shoulder has a very dynamic motion and
Costa-Paz found that although polo has a Crawford cites back spasms as prevalent – a is frequently injured. It can be more complex
relatively low injury rate compared with other third of his patients suffer back pain. “Probably than tennis elbow because it has several
sports – at around eight per 1,000 player hours – 95 per cent of people who play polo aren’t fit degrees of movement through flexion and
these injuries are frequently severe. Costa-Paz enough,” he says. “They work 10 hours a day extension. The injuries are common both
concluded that 65 per cent are traumatic – that
is, sustained from a fall, a kick or a polo stick.
This can be gory stuff – but there is little anyone
“Probably 95 per cent of players aren’t fit enough.
can do about it except to hope that a medical
They work 10 hours a day then expect to go out on
team experienced in trauma is first on the scene.
Peter Crawford, a polo-playing associate
a Saturday morning and perform”
– Peter Crawford
physiotherapist for Back In Shape Physiotherapy,
has witnessed some sickening crunches. “The then expect to go out on a Saturday morning traumatically, for example dislocation by falling
worst I’ve seen was an open femoral fracture – and perform. They don’t have enough core on an outstretched arm, and non-traumatically,
the big bone in the leg was poking out of the control which, combined with the dynamic as in tears to muscle tissue.
skin,” he says. aspect of polo, means their backs can’t cope.” Beginner Sophie Wilkinson fell awkwardly
“They treated it by putting on an external Back spasms occur when the muscles on her left arm and tore the muscles in her
metal frame – a basic technique used by the between the vertebrae lock up and the joint shoulder. Her physiotherapist banned her from
Russians in World War I to treat shot wounds.” compresses, rendering the back immobile. riding for four weeks and strapped the shoulder
Three years ago Luke Tomlinson was rolled on Crawford recommends getting on your to take the pressure off the affected muscles.
by two horses and escaped with a fractured pelvic hands and knees and rotating onto your heels “I did everything the physio prescribed as I
wing. He was back playing after one month to stretch the muscles either side of the felt I was just getting the hang of polo,” says
thanks to a combination of treatments – from vertebrae, and to see a professional forthwith. Sophie. “Six months on it feels strong –
homeopathic to hyperbaric. Steph Targett found that physiotherapy was although I’m lucky it’s my left arm.”
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy involves sitting in the most recommended form of treatment. And it’s not all about the upper body.
a chamber breathing 100 per cent oxygen while Chiropractic, osteopathy and surgery were also Sudden changes of movement (between the
under increased atmospheric pressure. This popular, followed by shiatsu massage, horse and you, or the horse and ground) can
encourages damaged cells to repair quickly. “It ultrasound, strapping for support, McTimoney provoke groin strains (torn adductor muscles).
was strange and time-consuming,” he says. “The chiropractic and swimming. Depending on the grade of tear, these can take X
www.polotimes.co.uk January/February 2010 43
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