Mystery injury continues to plague Miller

[ian1964 10,720]

KENNY Miller has revealed his fitness remains a concern on the eve of the new season for Scotland and Rangers after failing to find a precise diagnosis of the hamstring problem which has plagued him for the past 18 months.

The striker cut short his close-season break to spend a week in Munich undergoing tests and treatment from world-renowned sports medic Dr Hans-Wilhelm Muller Wohlfahrt. The man credited with reviving the careers of sporting luminaries as diverse as

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Jose-Maria Olazabal, Paula Radcliffe, Michael Owen and Maurice Greene has placed Miller on a course of homeopathic injections in a bid to cure the intermittent discomfort which has constrained the pacy forward.

 

But while Miller has been able to take part in pre-season training at Murray Park this week, he admits he is not significantly closer to solving a difficulty which will be a worry for both Rangers ahead of their SPL title defence and Scotland with the crucial World Cup qualifier against Norway in Oslo just four weeks away.

 

"It's pretty much the same as it was towards the end of last season," said Miller. "Nothing is really showing up. It's more a case of describing my symptoms and hoping they can get to the bottom of it.

 

"Dr Muller Wohlfart seems to think the course of treatment he has put me on is going to give me a kind of release from it and take that niggle away. I've managed to take part in full training since coming back from Germany at the weekend, but it has been a bit of an effort. Right now, it's hard to tell whether I've still got it or whether I'm just stiff from pre-season training.

 

"I felt a little better today after a day off on Wednesday, so I just hope that will be it.

 

"The type of injury it is, a lot of other things flared up because of it last season. There were a lot of red herrings when it came to trying to diagnose it. We had the best people looking at it, but every time we felt we were getting somewhere, it was a case of two steps forward then three steps back.

 

"It was really frustrating last year. In the title run-in, we played Celtic at Ibrox and I'd been on medication for a couple of weeks before the game. I got through that game and felt great, but then afterwards I felt terrible. It was murder and I had to miss the midweek game at Hibs.

 

"It inhibits me, because it's also in my head now that I've got this problem. I'm not able to open up and react as quickly as I could on the pitch. I can't reach full pace as quickly as I should be able to. They are the main problems."

 

One obstacle Miller will not have to overcome in the new campaign is the antagonism of a section of the Rangers support who did not welcome his return to the club a year ago. The former Celtic striker's contribution to a domestic double for the Ibrox club has ensured he is firmly back in the fold.

 

Speaking at the launch of Rangers new official website, Miller added: "There was a lot of opposition to me coming back at the start of last season, but this year we are going into it as champions and double winners. We have set our sights on the Treble this season and hopefully making progress in Europe.

 

"If we hadn't been successful last season, then I would have been one of the first ones to get stick. But, hopefully, I have won over those people who didn't want me back. I came back to this club to win trophies and play in the Champions League and it's a huge bonus we are automatically in the group stage this season."

 

http://sport.scotsman.com/rangersfc/Mystery-injury-continues-to-plague.5468907.jp

[bmck 117]

that seems like a bizarre story. he has an injury with no physical symptoms? it sounds a bit weird that he cant tell it from pre-season stiffness, and im not sure how he can say it is a "type of injury" if he doesnt know what it is, much less its causing other stuff to flare up. it seems to be that he just thinks he should be able to run faster. maybe its the insomnia making ordinary things seem weird, but there is something not right there. the parting dig at the fans is pointless as well. a) he should be smart enough to play down the opposition to him coming back, and shouldnt be arrogantly assuming opposition has gone because they won the double, because he didnt play that big a part in it. odd interview. s_a, you are our resident expert on the physio stuff - does he is sayng sound plausible about the injury?

Edited July 17, 2009 by bmck

[UCF2008 0]

KENNY Miller has revealed his fitness remains a concern on the eve of the new season for Scotland and Rangers after failing to find a precise diagnosis of the hamstring problem which has plagued him for the past 18 months.

 

So he was 'plagued' by this same injury for the 6 months leading up to his �£2m move to Rangers? Looks like our medical staff are still doing a fine job

 

he should be smart enough to play down the opposition to him coming back, and shouldnt be arrogantly assuming opposition has gone because they won the double, because he didnt play that big a part in it.

 

It doesn't come across as arrogant to me that he's saying he hopes he's managed to win over the support.

[bmck 117]

It doesn't come across as arrogant to me that he's saying he hopes he's managed to win over the support.

 

yeah, you're right. didn't see the 'hopefully' first time i read it.

[Super_Ally 0]

odd interview. s_a, you are our resident expert on the physio stuff - does he is sayng sound plausible about the injury?

 

Sports Science is less about the injury side of things than the physio or sports medicince.

 

Very strange article. Quite bare of actual details, just alluding to things.

 

I thought his problem last year was a hamstring strain/pull, or is my memory playing tricks? If that is what it was the other problems he is referring to can be things like hurting your back. If you have an injury in parts of the legs and (perhaps unkowingly) you are changing your running pattern to take strain away from the injured mucle groups/joints or whatever it can cause problems elsewhere.

 

The idea of homeopathic injections to fix that sort of problem is new to me, though that's why he's gone to see a pre-eminent sports medic. I'm sure there are plenty of rehabilitative methods I am not clued up on. I would have thought rehab would involve rest, ice packs, light work to exercise the affected muscle and injury so perhaps swimming or cycling taking weight off the injury. A lot of stretching and perhaps some resistance work both increasing in intensity gradually. The idea of injections throws me and perhaps it is not that original injury that was reported that caused the original problem.

 

(Sports Science support is greatly imrpoved in that respect. Gone are the days of a physio or skills coach taking strength and conditioning training of a football team. There's often sports scientists and strength and conditioning coaches, physios, sports medics, sports psychologists, nutritionists. Experts performin only the role in which their expertise lie).

 

As I say, it is difficult to have a great idea of what is going on as it is devoid of many details and only alludes to certain things. That will no doubt have made it hard for you or anyone else to deduce what is going on.

[bmck 117]

As I say, it is difficult to have a great idea of what is going on as it is devoid of many details and only alludes to certain things. That will no doubt have made it hard for you or anyone else to deduce what is going on.

 

cheers for that man. i think a better article would have maybe tried to explain it, as that's the news surely, but then they couldn't use the word 'mystery' in the title

[Super_Ally 0]

cheers for that man. i think a better article would have maybe tried to explain it, as that's the news surely, but then they couldn't use the word 'mystery' in the title

 

Just had a look back and saw it does mention his hamstring, not sure how I missed that first read, so makes my intial point obvious.

 

All it really says though is:

 

Hamstring injury.

Mysterious cause.

Symptoms (doesn't state what).

Seeing a top Sports Medic

Injections.

 

When he says nothing is showing up I guess he means in any testing by medical staff.

 

Red Herrings may refer to other niggles or injuries that are unrealted and just a result of a grueling season.

 

Training in football is different to a lot of sports in that you dont have a traditional periodisation. You cant select to peak for certain events in the same way that say someone involved in athletics can. You need to be near your peak for 8-9 months with the fact that you are playing 1-2 games each week of the season. It therefore means players are often competing carrying slight niggles that perhaps confused diagnosis of Miller's problem.

 

If the article carried any other details it may be possible to get a better idea of what was going on. However perhaps the club do not want that kind of information being made public as they are obviously incredibly protective of any training methods and testing results perhaps the same applies here. Or perhaps the reported felt the story would be to dull if they got sources to explain medical and scientific concepts that would turn off your average reader? Far more interesting to talk about mystery as you say. No doubt sells papers better.

Edited July 17, 2009 by Super_Ally

[bmck 117]

thanks for that, man. you see, i understood that perfectly, and when you think about it that is the real story here, if there is one at all. give up yer sports science mate and get into journalism

[Super_Ally 0]

thanks for that, man. you see, i understood that perfectly, and when you think about it that is the real story here, if there is one at all. give up yer sports science mate and get into journalism

 

Ha ha. :cheers:

 

I'd happily write about sport for a living. Just need to find a media outlet where you're not banned from writing positive stories about the gers :devil: Just kidding.

 

Seriously though Sports Journalism (or any other subject you were interested in) would be awesome. Go and watch your favourite sports events for free and then someone pays you to write about it. Would be like getting a wage from Gersnet. :spl:

[ian1964 10,720]

Ha ha. :cheers:

 

I'd happily write about sport for a living. Just need to find a media outlet where you're not banned from writing positive stories about the gers :devil: Just kidding.

 

Seriously though Sports Journalism (or any other subject you were interested in) would be awesome. Go and watch your favourite sports events for free and then someone pays you to write about it. Would be like getting a wage from Gersnet. :spl:

 

You mean you are doing all this work on gersnet for nothing ?