Helping players overcome injury
A passion for sport led Strandhill Road’s Ciara Mulrooney back to her native Sligo this year to set up an injury and sports clinic. Recalibrate, based in the Sligo Enterprise Centre in Strandhill, opened at the beginning of the year and already Ciara has numerous people seeking help with their various injuries.
She told the Sligo Champion: “I graduated with a degree in Athletic Therapy and Training in DCU. It was a four- year course and something I always wanted to qualify with. Athletic therapy focuses on musculoskeletal injuries, all the aspects behind injury, pain, rehabilitation and performance, getting people back to doing what they love.” Ciara deals with the likes of injuries from chronic back pain to ACLs, which are becoming increasingly more frequent. Her love of sport was something that began from a young age she admits. “I suppose I was always mad into sport. I was big into sailing and spent time working on Tall Ships around Europe.
“My dad, Jimmy, was a big influence in gett ting me into sailing. When I was 16 I was on the Asgard and I loved it,” she added. Ciara spent time travelling in Australia and after moving back to Ireland decided to go back to college.
“Sport was always something I really enjoyed. Having worked as a Massage Therapist with Voya, I decided becoming an athletic rehabilitation therapist was something I was passionate about. I was involved with sport, be it hockey, handball, cross- country and various clubs. I’m starting open water swimming lessons to complete my first triathlon this year. And have done multisport races in the past.” She graduated in October and decided to set up her clinic in the Enterprise Centre beside the sea. “It’s an injury treatment clinic, dealing with injuries in children right up to adults.” With hands- on treatment and therapy, people are given specific exercises to bring them back to being pain free.
Ciara is also using her expertise on local sports stars. She said: “I’m working with the Sligo senior hu hurling team at the minute an and the Sligo Rovers academ emy, the U17s and U19s, along with Glencar/ Manorhamilton.Mano It’s not only sports people I work with, I also deal with individuals,” Ciara explained. She said many people come to her suffering with chronic back pain that is quite debilitating. A lot of what she does is listening to the person on what’s been happening, educating them on pain and understanding why it happens and then using massage and mobilisation exercises to get around the problem. “There’s a lot more to injuries than just pain, psychological, environmental are other factors.” In terms of injuries people come to her with, Ciara said she gets a lot of hamstrings and ACLs. “They are very common now. Some happen because people are training with such intensity. “We’ve come a long way thankfully with regards to rehab and science to help,” she added.
“At the minute I’m hoping to expand and I’m thinking of doing workshops on injury prevention down the line. Concussion awareness is another aspect and something we really need to get a grasp on, realising how serious concussion is and this whole ‘ Oh I’ll be grand’ is not right.” Ciara said the whole area of injuries is constantly evolving and it’s important to keep up to speed with all that is happening. “It is constantly developing and every year I have to do a certain amount of courses.”
Ciara is also dealing with older people who have issues regarding pain and movement that is affecting them in their daily lives.
“A lot of people have arthritis or problems with knee joints and hips.
“The main focus is to get them back where they are able to do the their day to day things, be it gardening, going for a walk, that sort of thing, where they are not in pain.”
Ciara said when people are suffering with pain, many don’t seek help straight away.
“When you have pain, it’s important to realise you have it and accept it.
“It’s having the awareness to fix it and not being afraid to fix it. Pain is the body’s reaction in telling us that something is not right,” she pointed out. “It’s about seeking the right treatment and not prolonging it, where more damage could happen. Getting treatment and exercising have proven the most beneficial,” she said.
Ciara is also working with the IT Sligo GAA teams, including the Sigerson Cup side and also the college’s hurlers. She explained that players and coaches have really become up to date on all the different types of injuries and how to deal with them.
“There can be an element of win at all costs but there has to be respect there for players’ welfare too,” Ciara added. She is currently enjoying life back in Sligo after relocating with her young son, Phil from the hustle and bustle of Dublin. “There’s definitely a more relaxed balance to life here without all the commute and that. Phil is big into sports too which is great to see and settling well into school here.” You can get in contact with Ciara through phoning 087 9719094, her website, www. recalibrate. ie and also on Facebook ( Recalibrate - Sligo Injury Clinic) and Twitter @ RecalibrateSligo.