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IS YOUR CHILD COMPLAINING OF PAIN PLAYING SPORTS?

Nov 7, 2022

IS YOUR CHILD COMPLAINING OF PAIN PLAYING SPORTS?

THERE IS MORE TO GROWING PAINS

By Michael O’Boyle 

Playing sport from a young age is a great way to promote physical and mental well-being. Sports participation is an excellent way to develop physical fitness, coordination, and encourage the lifelong habit of exercise. The sports participation rates within Northern Ireland are continuously growing, with some children participating in sports up to 7 nights per week.

From a healthcare perspective it is great to see children active. However, despite the benefits of sport, too much activity can lead to injury.

What injuries are common in young athletes?

The most common injury seen in young athletes is overuse injuries. A lot of the time these are labelled as “growing pains” but that does not mean they should be ignored. These injuries can be very painful and debilitating. Overuse injuries will not only effect performance, but they will also reduce enjoyment of sport because of pain. If left untreated overuse injuries can progress into more sever injury.

What causes Overuse Injuries?

Overuse injuries occur when the physical load from high intensity sports participation is higher than the recovery time. During our preteen and teen years the body is rapidly growing, and the musculoskeletal system is continuously developing.  During the ages of 13-15 for girls and 15-17 for boys the bones of the skeleton are growing rapidly. The rapid lengthening of the bones results in increased muscle tightness and tension. An accumulation of increased muscle tension and an overload of high intensity repetitive exercise can cause the area of muscle attachments to become inflamed and painful.

What are the most common areas for overuse injuries in young athletes are?

  • Hips
  • Groin
  • Knee
  • Heel

What to look out for?

Young athletes are at most risk of an overuse injury during a period called “Peak Height Velocity” (PHV). This is the period of rapid growth, known more commonly as a growth spurt. Therefore, it is important you monitor your child’s growth. There are also formulas online where you can estimate the time of a child PHV. So here are the four key things to look out for:

  • A rapid increase in growth (changes in shoe size is a good indicator)
  • Sport Related Pain (pain is often present toward the end and after high intensity exercise. In more sever cases pain can be present at the start of exercise)
  • Pain on Everyday Activities (In more sever cases some everyday activities such as going up or down stairs can cause pain)
  • A Change in Sport Performance (young athlete’s can be apprehensive about discussing pain in case they have to miss sport. However, it is important to look out for changes in movement or any signs that your child may be struggling during exercise)

What can you do to help?

There are many things you can do to prevent or reduce the effects of overuse injuries within young athletes. The key tips are:

  • Slightly Reduce Activity Levels During PHV
  • Ensure Your Child has Adequate Recovery Time from High Intensity Exercise
  • Perform Regular Stretching
  • Perform Strength Training
  • Apply Ice to Painful Areas Post Exercise
  • Seek Advice from a Physiotherapist

 

Sport is extremely important to young athletes and we at Gav Noble Physiotherapy are passionate about keeping our athletes engaged in sport, pain free and performing at their optimal potential. If you have any queries or concerns about your son/daughter please do not hesitate to contact the clinic.

If you’re not sure what to do next, then try our FREE discover session. Find out more about it HERE.

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Physiotherapist
  • Are you comfortable working with different people to achieve their health goals?
  • Are you stuck in a boring job with little chance of learning, development or career opportunity?
  • Do you want a fresh flexible opportunity that will allow you to grow professionally and personally?
  • Our dynamic and fun business is looking for the right person to join the team.

Ideal Characteristics Required 

  • People person
  • Highly motivated
  • Outstanding references
  • You actually want to learn and work

Why work at Gav Noble Physiotherapy? 

  • Join an established, respected and busy set of clinics

  • Excellent work environment with learning opportunities in both Clinical & Business

Skills Required 

  • Commitment to ongoing professional development
  • Demonstrated ability to work as part of a team
  • Practical and able to problem solve
  • Demonstrate ability to market and advertise your skills
  • Able to use a computer
  • Strong musculo-skeletal and manual therapy background
  • Relevant Qualification 

Desirable skills/interest 

  • Manual therapy
  • Pilates training
  • Dry needling
  • Kinesio tape
  • Marketing/Business
  • Previous MSK Private Practice background

Perks

  • Opportunities for developing manual therapy skills.
  • Mixed Caseload
  • Flexibility, accountability, autonomy, transparency
  • Ability to make changes and improvements to clinical practice easily and quickly.
  • Flexibility and freedom to be creative in your approach with patient care
  • Flexible working hours
Client Care Specialist

THIS JOB WILL BE PERFECT FOR YOU IF:

  • Have amazing personal and phone communication skills
  • Have a record of speaking to people at length and the ability to deal with complaints in an empathetic manner
  • An understanding of KPIs in business and the ability to optomise their own performance
  • Help our clients get the best outcomes they can
  • Want to learn on the job and are keen in evolve your current skills
  • Computer and Social Media Literate
  • Able to handle taking payments and managing money

THE OPPORTUNITY:

  • Join a hard working, fun group who enjoy making a difference every day you come into the clinic
  • The opportunity to make a real difference in people’s lives and health through communication and education

IF YOU CAN SEE YOURSELF:

  • Helping potential clients determine if our clinic is the right fit for them and their problem?
  • Answering and returning phone calls of potential, current and past clients?

JOB TITLE: Client Care Specialist

  • Are you comfortable with talking to strangers both in person and on the phone?
  • Are you a motivated to learn?
  • Is being “organised” a top priority in your life and are you able to multi-task and prioritize projects, while simultaneously meeting deadlines and prioritizing your day?
  • Can you communicate effectively with people from all different backgrounds – both written and verbal?
  • Are you able to speak up when you see something that is not working and can you anticipate the needs of other people because you show up for work knowing that the smallest details always make the difference?
  • Do you have a positive outlook on life? Are you flexible and open to change, committed to learning?

THE ROLE:

  • You will be responsible for managing a busy front desk and waiting room.
  • experience, meeting and greeting our patients, answering the phone, converting inquires into paying patients and ensuring that all of our patients are looked after and made to feel welcomed whenever they enter your world.
  • Ultimately, your job is to help us grow the revenue of the clinic by booking in new patients via the phone or those who walk into our clinic directly and excelling at retaining those patients as lifelong customers of the business.
  • You’ll do that by creating the type of customer service experience that patients will be happy to pay for – and just as happy to tell others about.

THE TASKS:

  • Communicate the value of our services (in person and on the phone) and be able to explain how what we do, is worth the price we are asking
  • Successfully handle price objections.
  • Hold a lengthy (at least 15-20 minute) conversation with new patients on the phone ensuring that patients are committed and bought into our service.
  • Provide an exceptional waiting room environment for our patients that they’ll look forward to coming back to.
  • Ensure that people who call requesting appointments are placed on schedule and understand the true time and cost commitment involved in physical therapy.
  • Ensure people show up excited for their first appointment after scheduling.
  • Communicate with patients before, during and after appointments to ensure satisfaction is being achieved.
  • Ensure that all invoices are raised on time, every time and are sent to the appropriate person (in house or externally).
  • Organise and plan all schedules – maximising efficiency and revenue for the clinic.
  • Foster deep relationships with patients ensuring NP score hits agreed levels.
  • Develop and regularly update the procedures library so that every aspect of the role is documented and can be achieved by anyone else in the business.

SKILLS/COMPETENCIES NEEDED:

  • Be able to hold meaningful conversations with prospective patients on the phone for longer than 20 minutes (empathy).
  • Be able to answer all questions asked on the phone in a such a way that increases the likelihood that the person asking will want to become a customer (insightful and knowledgeable).
  • Recall names and faces of patients and in doing so making all our patients feel welcomed and remembered.
  • Provide a warm and welcoming greeting to patients when they arrive in the clinic (experience).
  • Organisation and planning: plans and organises, schedules and budgets in an efficient, productive manner.
  • Focuses on key priorities.
  • Follow through on commitments: lives up to verbal and written agreements regardless of personal cost.
  • Demonstrate an ability to quickly and proficiently understand and absorb new information.
  • Attention to detail: does not let important details slip through the cracks.
  • Persistence: demonstrate tenacity and willingness to go the distance to get something done.
  • Proactivity: acts without being told what to do.
  • Bring new ideas to the company.

WHAT WE WILL DO FOR YOU:

  • Provide you with ongoing training and support in the field of customer service and front desk administration.
  • Give you an amazing environment to work in that includes working with a team of wonderful and very supportive staff – as well as very
  • friendly customers.
  • Opportunity to develop and grow in a team that is value driven and strongly encourages personality based service.
  • Competitive salary with chance to earn even more as we grow as a result of your impact.

Salary: On Application.

Hours: Full time, 37.5 hours.