An Irish doctor has said the former Ireland rugby captain Brian O’Driscoll’s revelations about taking prescription medicines before playing matches shines a light on a problem faced by many GPs.
Dr Brendan O’Shea, assistant adjunct professor at the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at Trinity College Dublin, said we shouldn’t be surprised that elite sports players are taking these prescription painkilling medications.
“There is a group of elite ultra-competitive sports people who aren’t interested in the lower-rung treatments for injuries, such as rest/ice and elevation or even paracetemol and anti-inflammatory gels,” said Dr O’Shea. He said doctors feel under significant pressure to keep these players categorised as fit to compete, or to accelerate their recovery. A recent International Rugby Player’s survey found 45 per cent of players feel pressurised by coaches and staff to play when injured.
Source: Sylvia Thompson, The Irish Times, 6th December 2018
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