Injuries

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For Hurling, Football and Ladies Football please use the following link:

http://www.gaa.ie/news/gaa-injury-benefit-fund/

For Camogie please use the following Insurance Claims Procedure:

On the happening of an occurrence likely to give rise to a claim contact either:

AON Risk Solutions
Tel: 01.2666435 Email: Vanessa.mcgarry@aon.ie

Or

ACE Insurance
Tel: 01.4401700 Email: irlclaims@acegroup.com

Please make contact as soon as reasonably possible after the date of occurrence.

What Are Sports Injuries?
The term sports injury, in the broadest sense, refers to the kinds of injuries that most commonly occur during sports or exercise. Some sports injuries result from accidents; others are due to poor training practices, improper equipment, lack of conditioning, or insufficient warm-up and stretching.

Although virtually any part of your body can be injured during sports or exercise, the term is usually reserved for injuries that involve the musculoskeletal system, which includes the muscles, bones, and associated tissues like cartilage.

Common Types of Sports Injuries

Muscle sprains and strains
Tears of the ligaments that hold joints together
Tears of the tendons that support joints and allow them to move
Dislocated joints
Fractured bones, including vertebrae

Sprains and Strains
A sprain is a stretch or tear of a ligament, the band of connective tissues that joins the end of one bone with another. Sprains are caused by trauma such as a fall or blow to the body that knocks a joint out of position and, in the worst case, ruptures the supporting ligaments. Sprains can range from first degree (minimally stretched ligament) to third degree (a complete tear). Areas of the body most vulnerable to sprains are ankles, knees and wrists. Signs of a sprain include varying degrees of tenderness or pain, bruising; inflammation; swelling, inability to move a limb or joint; or joint looseness, laxity, or instability.

A strain is a twist, pull or tear of a muscle or tendon, a cord of tissue connecting muscle to bone. It is an acute, noncontact injury that results from overstretching or overcontraction. Symptoms of a strain include pain, muscle spasm and loss of strength. While it's hard to tell the difference between mild and moderate strains, severe strains not treated professionally can cause damage and loss of function.

Tips for Preventing Injury

Whether you've never had a sports injury and you're trying to keep it that way or you've had an injury and don't want another, the following tips can help:

For detailed information download our Preventing Injury document.

Avoid bending knees past 90 degrees when doing half knee bends.
Avoid twisting knees by keeping feet as flat as possible during stretches.
When jumping, land with your knees bent.
Do warm-up exercises not just before vigorous activities like running, but also before less vigorous ones such as golf.
Don't overdo.
Do warm-up stretches before activity. Stretch the Achilles tendon, hamstring, and quadriceps areas and hold the positions. Don't bounce.
Cool down following vigorous sports. For example, after a race, walk or walk/jog for five minutes so your pulse comes down gradually.
Wear properly fitting shoes that provide shock absorption and stability.
Use the softest exercise surface available and avoid running on hard surfaces like asphalt and concrete. Run on flat surfaces. Running uphill may increase the stress on the Achilles tendon and the leg itself.

Types of Injuries:

There are many types of injuries a Gaelic Games player can suffer. The most common injuries are in the following body areas:

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