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Ruby’s Journey

Hello everyone, my name is Ruby and I’m going to be writing about my journey in the last couple of years and my experience with the team at Goodall Healthcare Group.

 

I had my first operation in September 2019. I had a ruptured patellar tendon. This is where a part of the patellar tendon, which attaches the patella to the quadriceps muscle tears. A piece of bone can also break off with the tendon* This made me unable to bend my leg for about 6 weeks and this was a very stressful time for me as I had new started high school at the age of 12. I remember I was at football and when I went to kick the ball, my left knee made a loud “pop” noise  and I couldn’t bend or walk on it at all! 

I was out of football for about a year, but I was regularly going to a physiotherapist at that point and putting in the hard work, which meant I finally got back on the pitch.  However, I had another incident post football where I woke up in severe pain. I was unable to weight bear and walk on the leg and ended up going to A&E. My condition at the time was really confusing for many health professionals, their working diagnosis was anterior tuberosity growth arrest.**

This resulted in another operation and having a Lizaro frame on my leg. I was allowed to carry on with football until my operation date, which was good, however this was another setback in playing the sport I love. 

Once the frame came off, my biggest priority was returning to fitness and this was a very difficult task with variable follow-ups and I was still in so much pain. This is when I came to Goodall Healthcare Group and saw Jane. She understood my condition and my priorities in terms of football and helped me manage my condition and get rid of my pain through manual treatment, exercise prescription and activity modification. At Goodall Healthcare Group, I found the service extremely welcoming at every appointment but also over the phone when contacting the wider team. 

The service with Goodall Healthcare Group was different to any of my previous experiences because if I was ever in pain, I was seen to and treated straightway, which is unique. Goodall Healthcare Group specialises in Sports and Exercise Medicine and the treatment package included manual therapy, exercise prescription, relevant activity modification and a clear plan for my return to sport, all of which was discussed with me at every step. 

I am pleased to say I am now back playing football at a high level and have been accepted for a football scholarship after I leave school. I want to make it far into a footballing career and I hope my story has helped people to realise that with appropriate help from a team like GHG and your own willpower you can overcome setbacks and continually enjoy what you love! 

 

 

 

*Patellar tendon tears can be partial or complete. Partial tears do not completely disrupt the tendon however complete tears mean that the patellar tendon is totally separated from the kneecap.

**This condition can be a more rare complication of Osgood-Schlatters disease resulting in a  huge loss in range of motion, insurmountable pain and therefore has a massive impact on the quality of life and for a young athlete like Ruby, potentially could be career ending. 

Ruby since continues playing professionally and has continued to thrive within her sport. We are proud to have been part of her journey and wish her every success and will continue to offer our services at every step of the way to help achieve her career goals. We endeavour to provide the same excellent service to all of our customers across the board, therefore encourage everyone to get in touch as soon as possible, should they wish to be assessed.

 

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