Damien McMahon of the Physio Recovery Room has added the unique Hamstring Solo to his physiotherapy practice.
This elite data driven device is capable of identifying weaknesses in the hamstring and highlighting any risk factors with the help of meticulous graphs and percentages. Damien is looking to level the playing field by making the utility of the Hamstring Solo more accessible for players at club level.
Currently in the off-season with sports injuries, Damien feels that it is the perfect time to assess individuals that have been hurling or playing football and are looking at getting ready for next season.
Now in its fourth week of operation in Damien’s practice, it is the only one in the country available in a chartered physiotherapy setting, having been used religiously in professional field sports for a number of years.
On the Hamstring Solo, Damien informs, “it is a data driven device. The player comes to the machine and does certain exercises. The machine then processes information to the iPad, where data relating to the left and right side of the hamstring can be found. That can identify any weaknesses in the hamstring and tell you if there is a risk factor.
“There are different thresholds the athlete has to meet to pass the test. The machine identifies this and gives a percentage. I’ve had it two weeks and it is very good as it gives me that objective measure, so I can work with people coming back from a hamstring injury as well. It monitors people’s strength during rehab, seeing if the programme is effective for them.”
Damien tells The Clare Echo of the use that Clare hurlers and footballers would have gotten out of the machine over the last number of years, Munster and Leinster would utilise it also. Damien is hoping to provide that very same opportunity for players to get tested outside of the inter-county and professional sports scene. On recent feedback, Damien admits, “On anyone that I’ve tested so far, they have found that the data was very good. They may have thought that they were further through their rehab but through the graphs, they could visually see where their strength was at. By using the Hamstring Solo, they have been able to reduce the risk of a recurrence of injury.”
The Hamstring Solo has given Damien the leisure of tailoring specific rehab programmes around individual weaknesses. Fatigue, he tells, is another barrier towards injury. Hamstring injuries are the number one muscular injury in sport, with a 63% re-injury rate. The Hamstring Solo will aid in identifying strength and left and right imbalances in the individual athlete. Damien is calling on all athletes to start hamstring rehabilitation now in order to build resilience for next years championship.
Damien runs the Physio Recovery Room on his own and is available through his telephone number at 086 083 6015 or through Instagram at physiorecoveryroom. He also hosts a special booking system where anyone interested in making an appointment can view his diary and choose a date and time of their preference. This process is available on the Physio Recovery Room website and takes less than thirty seconds, Damien concedes.
