ACL rehab for rugby( Draft only)

Posted by Physio Toolbox
June 9, 2009

This is a draft of some information for a patient booklet on acl rehab. Any thoughts welcome. Still in the draft phases so needs editing and pictures adding.

 

Sport Specific Rehab for Acl : End stage: Rugby

 

 

Rugby places high physical stresses on the knee and ACL due to the forces from contact in tackle situations, from high speed cutting maneuvers and sudden changes of direction and deceleration.

Different playing positions and roles mean that there are varying situations where stress is put on the knee. The back row and three quarters tend to perform more high speed changes of direction and the forwards are put under different stresses in the scrum,ruck, maul and lineout situations.

Due to the amount of change in direction,speed and force involved in rugby it is vital that rehab following surgery incorporates not only strength but balance(proprioception) and agility drills. This should result in a stable knee and should retrain the nervous system to be able to sense abnormal displacement and initiate protective muscle reflexes to help prevent further injury.

Fatigue can put further stress on the knee as your responses and skill levels will be affected so it is important to continue to work on your stamina.

 

Key Skills (least risk for knee first)

1.Driving in the loose/in a scrum

2.Sidestepping at full pace

3.Running jump to catch the ball and landing.

4.Sudden deceleration and change of direction

5.Combined sudden deceleration, change of direction and tackling to the side.(High impact contact situations)

 

Drills to enable skills (as order appears above)

1. Driving in the loose/scrum

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quadriceps strengthening exercises from earlier in the rehab should be continued and resistance progressed.

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Running with resistance e.g . Dragging weight or running parachute.

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Driving against somebody holding a tackle shield.Start lying on front then get up and drive player 5 metres. Stop run back to start and lie on front. Repeat x5

 

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Scrummaging against machine/ opposing scrum.(dependant on position)

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Start straight run 10 metres and arc around 5 metre semi circle run back to start. Repeat in opposite direction. Repeat x 5. Gradually increase pace and shorten arc to increase dificulty.

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Figure 8 Runs. Run around cones set 5 metres.

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Zig-zag running. Cones set diagonally 10 metres apart. Run diagonally from cone to cone. Repeat x5

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Posts or cones set 2 metres apart . Sidestep (gradually increase pace)Do exercises with ball in hands. Start from varying position e.g lying on front, lying on back, Facing backwards.

 

3.Running jump,catch and landing.

 

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Jump off trampete and absorb landing . Two feet landing initially then progress to one foot. Can be started from week -

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Jogging around pitch , jump (two feet) and land and continue jog. Repeat every 10 metres.

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Cones set 20 metres apart .Run out and have assistant throw ball up for you to jump and catch. Land and continue to jog to next cone turn and pass to assistant. Repeat back to first cone. Repeat x5.

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Have somebody kick the ball to you to run , jump, catch and land.

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Progress to jogging forward then assistant kicks over your head so have to turn and run back and catch over your shoulder and land. 

 

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Shuttle Runs – Increasing pace.

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Jog forwards to 22 yd line turn and run backwards to halfway , turn and sprint forwards to tryline stop and run back to 22. Repeat sequence. Add high knee lift running, bounding, short step running as recommended.  

 

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Have five tackle bags positioned 3m apart. Lie on front, run out to tacklebag 5m in front and tackle. Then run diagonally back to start line and lie on front. Run forward to next bag and tackle then repeat drill for remaining bags. Repeat x3 . ( may need diagram to explain)

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Run out to cone(10 m) touch and then hit tackle bag positioned to the right and slightly back from the cone. Get up and run to next cone and repeat for tackle on left . Get up and run to end then jog back . Repeat. 

 

 

 

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