The Road to Recovery

Physio Gerry Docherty explains how injured keeper Greg Paterson is working his way back to fitness

Club physio Gerry Docherty reports that Greg Paterson has done really well since the operation to put pins in his broken leg:-

"Over the last couple of weeks he has had some discomfort over the bottom of the shin bone which is very common with these injuries.  There are two pins that go across the bone at the lower end and up near the knee.  There is a metal rod that goes up through the shaft of the bone so the ones near the ankle were causing a little discomfort and they had to be removed."

Those pins were removed successfully on Tuesday 6th July without any complications.

"They came out smoothly and he now needs to rest it for a week to ten days without doing any heavy leg exercises. So far so good - it was fourteen weeks past Thursday. Apart from a minor, minor set back everything has gone really well and almost to plan. We can start him back strengthening up his leg and working on his cardio vascular system as well with a view to getting him back on the training ground.

Gerry Docherty has attended the monthly consultations that Greg has with the surgeon and they plan the recovery programme together. The stitches come out this week and the programme will be reviewed once more following that.

"The rest of the metal work stays in for the rest of his life.  There is no reason for them to be taken out unless they are causing bother.

"I am hoping that he can be back nearer the end of September.  He will be back in training at least, whether he is ready for a game might take until October.

Greg Paterson has been cycling, squatting and doing leg presses.  Since the pins have been removed last Tuesday Greg requires the wound to heal but following that he can concentrate on getting his calf stronger. "I have just being doing weights and getting my upper body stronger. I went on holiday for two weeks but since then I have been in every day." It was just Graham Bayne and Greg Paterson for most of the close season working under the supervision of the physio. "I don't know when I will able to get back running but I am just taking every day as it comes.  Gerry will tell me when I am strong enough to do it, hopefully soon. Mr Brenkl my surgeon was very happy with it - every time I have gone back he has never had anything bad to say about it.  He always says the bone is healing well and there are no problems."

The signing of Chris Smith from St Mirren was not going to phase Greg who is a laid back character at the best of times:-

"That's three keepers now but I am not worrying about anybody just now, I know that it going to be a while until I am back fit.  When I am back fit I will need to see the gaffer and see what his view is - whether that might be going out on loan, I don't know. I just need to wait until that time comes. I need to get match fit whether that is playing in the Under 19s or going out on loan, I am not bothered."

Greg has experienced a come back from injury when he had to recover from a back injury:-

"I felt quite good coming bask into training; you miss it so much. Your footwork or your movement is not as sharp as it will be but after a couple of weeks you are back to normal.  I'm not going to go to training and start dropping all the balls - you don't lose that."