Injury Updates: Dennis Allen expects Oakland to be 100% by Training Camp

Dr. Nick Chicoine – Jun 20, 2012

Minicamp has concluded, and training camp is just around the corner.  In 6 short weeks the Raiders will meet in Napa Valley for what will not only be the first Training camp without Al Davis, but also the first camp I can recall that the Raiders are expected to have no pre-existing injuries.  In a recent interview following the final day of minicamp, Dennis Allen stated:

“I expect everybody that we got on the 90 man roster right now, to be fully ready to go for training camp.”

If accurate, this is great news… period.

I honestly don’t remember the last time the Raiders went into training camp with a 100% clean bill of health.  Injuries are likely to occur during camp, pre-season, and the regular season, however with all the changes that have occurred this off-season, having full participation will be a great start to camp.

Dennis Allen also noted that Hamstring injuries have been an issue.  This is expected when your skilled players could qualify and compete for a spot in the 2012 Olympic 4x100 relays. 

The Hamstrings are a bundle of muscles located on the back of the thigh.  These muscles are responsible for flexion of the knee, and aid in hip extension.  For runners, this is where a lot of your speed comes from.  The faster you run, the more strain you put on these muscles.

When a Hamstring injury occurs the player will feel a pop or tweak in the back of their thigh, followed by a lot of pain and potential bruising.  These injuries typically occur in fast players who warmed up insufficiently.  Treatment is rest, Ice, compression, elevation, physiotherapy, and in serious cases surgery is necessary. 

Dennis Allen is not used to coaching this much speed, so he may require the players to warm up a little longer than he’s used too.   With great speed comes great responsibility, and with injuries on the rise in the NFL, it is important to take every preventative measure to keep these players healthy and on the field. 

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