Sports Injuries: Do Niggles Matter and What Can You Do About Them?
With the Paris 2024 Olympics coming up, we decided to discuss the niggling pains that often lead to injuries
It is common for an athlete to get niggles during the sport season. As training load and volume increases, so does the demand on the muscles and tendons. At times it may seem okay to push through, especially when the team depends on you performing at your best. However, it is important we define what a niggle is and what risks are associated with ignoring them.
What exactly is a niggling pain?
A niggle is a physical discomfort, whether pain or tightness. Usually, they do not require time away from the game. In some cases, it could be minor and therefore, we can continue to perform at a high level. At other times, it could impact our ability to perform at our best.
How likely is an athlete to suffer from an injury after a niggle?
Studies have shown that athletes who reported a niggle were approximately 3-7 times more likely to suffer an injury that would lead to time away from their sport! The injury onset was within 7 days of feeling the niggle (Whalan et al, 2019). A bit of discomfort or tightness, no matter how minor, places an athlete at risk of an injury that can temporarily put them out of the game.
What can you do to prevent this?
1. Recovery is just as important as training. Without a proper recovery, we risk fatiguing that then leads to injuries. For more on recovery techniques, check out our blog on Athlete Recovery.
2. Sleep! Yes, sleep was mentioned in our Athlete Recovery blog, but it deserves to be mentioned again. It is so incredibly important and yet, it is one of the first things we sacrifice to try and fit as much into our day as possible. For athletes, they should be aiming for 8-10 hours of sleep per night. Athletes averaging less than 7 hours of sleep per night over 2 weeks have a 51% increase in risk injury (Johnston et al, 2020). Those averaging more than 7 hours of sleep per night over 2 weeks had 37% reduction in risk injury.
3. Avoid Training errors! It is common for athletes to try and get extra workouts in during the season. However, if increasing volume, intensity and/or frequency of workouts too quickly, there is a higher risk of over-training. In addition, there needs to be a right balance of low and high intensity sessions. If there are too many high intensity sessions, the body does not have enough time to recover which leads to fatigue, and this leads to injuries. Seiler (2010) proposed an 80:20 rule; 80% of training at low intensity while 20% at hight intensity. If you are wanting to put in extra miles or get some extra strength sessions in, speak with your coaches and come up with a weekly plan to make sure you are getting the right balance.
4. Overall wellbeing plays a big part in minimising injury risk. Psychological stress can increase injury risk by 32% (Johnston et al, 2020). Make sure to take care of your overall wellbeing by implementing relaxation techniques, mindfulness, and/or speak with a counsellor or therapist. In summary, even a minor discomfort or tightness should be taken seriously if you want to avoid risking an injury that could temporarily put you out of the game or competition. Speak with your coaches about modifying your training load and seek treatment from a Physiotherapist to get you back to 100%.
If you have any underlying niggles, don’t ignore them. Contact your Sports Physiotherapist and get the issue addressed immediately! If you want more information, feel free to reach out to us at Novar Sports Physio in Fulham Gardens.
Our articles are not designed to replace medical advice. If you have an injury or health concern, we recommend seeing a qualified health professional.
Reference:
Clarsen B, Ronsen O, Myklebust G, Florenes TW, Bahr R (2013). "The Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaire on Health Problems: A new Approach to Prospective Monitoring of Illness and Injury in Elite Athletes", Br J Sports Med. Published Online First: 21 Feb 2013. DOI:10.1136/bjsports2012-092087
Johnston R, Cahalan R, Bonnett L, Maguire M, Glasgow P, Madigan S, O'Sullivan K, Comyns T (2020). "General Health Complaints and Sleep Associated With Injury Within an Endurance Sporting Population: A Propsective Study". Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. Vol 23, Issue 3< March 2020, p. 252-257.
Seiler S (2010). "What is Best Practice for Training Intensity and Duration Distribution in Endurance Athletes?". International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. 5(3): 276-91. DOI: 10.1123/ijspp.5.3.276 Whalan M, Lovell R, Sampson JA (2019). "Do Niggles Matter? - Increased Injury Risk Following Physical Complaints in Football (Soccer)", Science and Medicine in Football. DOI: 10.1080/24733938.2019.1705996
