Fencing injuries Part 2 - lower body injuries
Following on from our previous blog on fencer’s elbow, here we continue looking at other common fencing injuries - this time those affecting the lower body. Firstly, knee pain - and then ankle sprains.
Knee Pain/ Patella Tendinopathy
The repetitive, lunging, and often explosive nature of fencing can be a recipe for knee pain.
A patella tendinopathy is pain originating from the tendon that sits underneath the knee cap that attaches the thigh muscle to the bone. During the lunging movement, the patella tendon is required to absorb forces of up to 4 times body weight! So it is easy to see how stress can accumulate on the patella tendon.
With patella tendinopathy, pain will be felt between the bottom of the kneecap and the top of the shin bone and is most commonly a specific point of pain.
By strengthening the muscles at the back of the thigh, extra support is given to the knee joint without adding additional stress to the knee, in doing so, protecting the knee from excessive shearing forces. Performing hamstring curls or deadlift exercises 2-3 times a week will strengthen your hamstring muscles and assist in supporting the knee during those lunging movements.
If you develop pain in this area, a simple patella strap can be effective at reducing pain levels. However, it is best to seek a full assessment to help understand the root cause of the problem and prevent worsening of the condition.
Lateral Sprained Ankles
A sprained ankle can be a debilitating injury that prevents sports activities for many weeks. As a fencer lunges forward onto the lead leg, the ankle can be susceptible to rolling beyond its normal range, causing ligament damage. The biggest risk of suffering an ankle sprain is having already suffered an ankle injury. So if you have had an ankle injury that hasn't been rehabilitated, make sure you check in with a physio for an assessment – no matter how long ago it was!
In most cases, the signs of an ankle sprain are obvious, with pain and possibly swelling and bruising on the outside of the ankle and foot. However, the absence of bruising does not necessarily mean no injury has occurred, so if you are unsure, seek medical advice.
Preventing Sprained Ankles
Improving balance is one way of reducing your risk of an ankle sprain. A great exercise for this is the forward reach. Standing on one leg with a slightly bent knee, keeping the stance leg still, reach forward as far as you can whilst maintaining your balance, pause, and then return to the start position. A greater challenge can be added by reaching in different directions. Repeat 8-10 times on each leg.
Our Special Offer For Lansdowne Fencers!
Charlie, our new specialist upper limb, hand and wrist physio has worked with many athletes returning them to performance following an injury.
If you are experiencing any kind of pain after fencing, book a consultation with Charlie. He will thoroughly assess your injury before putting together a rehabilitation program to return to pain-free fencing as quickly as possible.
We can currently offer Lansdowne Club fencing members a *20% discount on their initial consultation.
*Only valid until November 2022 and terms and conditions apply - please contact us on 0203 012 12 22 for more information.
