Spotlight on: First Team Physio, Nicole Jones

Spotlight on: First Team Physio, Nicole Jones

First team Physiotherapist Nicole Jones joined the Bristol Ladies set up this season and has been an invaluable addition to the backroom team. She runs a weekly clinic for the girls on a Thursday evening at the clubhouse and travels to every home and away game to support the girls. Her advice and support has been vital in maintaining a fit and healthy squad and she took some time last week to talk us through her journey and thoughts on the world of rugby.

When did you decided you wanted to become a physiotherapist?

I knew that I wanted to be a physiotherapist around the age of 16. I’d been working at a local stables and thought I wanted to be a veterinary physiotherapist, but to do this you have to study human physiotherapy first. During the course I realised how much I enjoyed working with people, getting them back to normal function and normal activities, so decided to continue down this route.

So how did you become a physiotherapist? Was it a long process?

I got my A levels and then went onto University. I graduated five years ago from Plymouth University and since then have been involved in a mixture of NHS and private work. I’ve got a special interest in elite sport and chronic pain. I’ve also spent three months working in Africa, helping patients with spinal cord injuries and those who had suffered strokes. I’ve also done a post graduate course in veterinary physiotherapy, but have decided to stick with humans for now!

What would you say to anyone considering physiotherapy as a career?

Research is key! I’ve created a resource to help anyone considering this route (http://www.physiowizz.co.uk). Physiotherapy involves a lot more than just sport – working with patients in intensive care, looking after the chest and breathing through to rehabilitation of patients with spinal cord injuries. Making sure you know exactly what’s involved is key in making the right decision and taking that first step to become a qualified physio.

So how did you get involved in rugby physiotherapy - do you play?

I used to! I started at University and played at scrum half – I got involved when my university didn’t have a lacrosse team which was what I’d been involved in before. I loved the team aspect, being involved in something with lots of other girls and keeping fit and healthy. I really recommend it to anyone – it’s such a great game.

How did you get involved with Bristol Ladies?

I saw an advert on Facebook for the position and jumped at the opportunity. Bristol Ladies has a fantastic squad with lots of international players, both young and experienced. It’s fantastic to work with elite, highly motivated players at such a passionate and well supported club.

What have you enjoyed most about being part of Bristol Ladies so far?

The great family atmosphere definitely makes it special. The connections with RFU medical team have also been a great help with my continuing professional development. All the girls have been friendly and welcoming and have worked with me to introduce injury prevention management schemes and to get each injury sorted quickly, but also safely.

What’s the most common rugby injury you see?

I see a lot of ankle injuries, shoulders, and ACL injuries - although not too many this year touch wood!

What is your top tip for players before they run out for a game?

Every player should do a thorough warm up and include dynamic stretches (stretches through movement) and a ball specific warm ups. At Bristol Ladies we use the PEP programme to prevent knee injuries and I would highly recommend it to any athlete.

What’s the easiest thing players can do to avoid injury before and after games?

A thorough warm up and cool down is the best and simplest thing any player can do to avoid injury, but unfortunately I often see players miss or skip at club level teams. Bristol is an exception to this, and the girls are all extremely serious about their health.

It’s also extremely important to allow recovery time, commit to your exercise programme and keep an eye on your sleep pattern and diet. The biggest reason people don’t do well with their physio is because they don’t follow the advice their given! It’s not about restricting players, but facilitating the recovery process and getting you back to playing as soon as possible without the injury recurring.

Concussion has been in the news a lot this season – what are your thoughts on the current guidelines?

Concussion is a controversial subject, but the new guidelines are essential to keep players safe.

The consequences of a knock on the head can be severe. It can result in a brain bleed, long term brain damage and early onset of dementia, and it’s vital that concussion is taken seriously in young players.

To promote good safety guidelines we use a SCAT 3 test to assess baseline brain function – if you get a concussion we repeat the test to see if there are any difference between the two. On organisation called The Physio Crew will do free baseline test for anyone who is interested - please call 0117 951 2328 and book in for this free of change.

What is the best advice anyone has ever given you about being a physio?

Keep learning, always. Keeping up with advances in the medical profession is such an important part of my job. There are always news studied and new discoveries that can benefit my patients and I need to be on top of them to help serve my patients to the best of my ability.

Who is your professional idol?

Phil Harris is one of the most inspirational guys I’ve ever met. He got me my first job and took a chance on me when I was newly qualified. The way he is with patients is brilliant and he’s always striving to be better physiotherapist.

What are your thoughts on the status of women’s rugby in the UK?

It’s brilliant – the world cup really put all the girls in the limelight and it’s been building for the last few years. The perception of the game is changing, and even though I still get comments like ‘I can’t believe you used play rugby’, barriers are still being broken down. Anyone has the right to enjoy the game, it doesn’t matter what gender they are, and that’s slowly becoming more and more accepted.

What is difficult about your profession? 

Managing players can be difficult, players want to play (so to speak!)! When they’ve taken a knock sometimes it’s best to wait a few games to recover rather than going back into training too quickly and causing more damage, but getting them to see that can be tough!