IT could have been very different if I had simply reached into the freezer box and got out some ice to put on my injured leg.

But, instead, like many people, I decided to do nothing, reckoning that time was the best healer.

How wrong I was.

When I began playing football again, just months after the original injury was caused taking part in the same sport, I felt a sharp pain again in the same area.

This time I knew something had to be done so I paid a visit to Darlington sports therapist Sue Hammler.

Sue, who works from her home in the village of Middleton One Row, near Darlington, boasts that she can safely and effectively treat back and neck pain and any other muscle and joint problems, whether of an acute or chronic nature.

The first thing she asked me was whether I had put ice on the injury, because in acute injuries, such as hamstring tears or adductor (groin) strains, immediate treatment using ice packs is essential to minimise the damage caused by internal bleeding of soft tissue structures.

Regular ice treatments and then hot and cold packs can help to reduce the bleeding and clear the debris and swelling caused by the body's own attempts to heal itself.

But because I had simply done nothing, scar tissue had built up in my adductor and knotted. This is why I was finding it hard getting out of the bed on a morning, never mind trying to kick a football.

Within minutes of being on the treatment table, Sue had identified my injury as an adductor strain through doing a series of muscle flexes on my leg. She then began to treat the problem area.

Firstly she massaged the good muscles around the injury to warm them up.

She then moved to the muscle which was causing me problem, and to say I nearly jumped off the treatment table when her finger pressed against this area, is an understatement.

But after a while the pain subsided and it felt even better after Sue used an ultrasound machine to soften the scar tissue.

After just one treatment, my leg felt 75 per cent better and after two more sessions with Sue, and regular exercise in between, I felt as good as new.

It was another satisfied customer for Sue, who is building up a reputation as one of the best sports therapists in Darlington.

She only became a therapist a few years ago after her two children, Jonathan and Sophie, reached school age and she became bored of being a housewife.

She spent two years studying for a diploma in sports therapy and now runs her business from her home in Church Lane, as well as helping injured sportsmen and women in the Eastbourne Sports Complex every Tuesday, from 6.30pm to 9pm.

As well as providing remedial treatments for injuries like mine, she also performs sports massages and Indian head massages, which can help to relieve headaches and stress.

"I love doing what I do because I meet so many different people and it's very rewarding when they go away with their problem cured," she said.

"What many people don't realise is that if they treat their injuries immediately, it limits the damage and reduces the amount of scar tissue which builds up.

"I can successfully treat most injuries within a few sessions, and I would urge anyone with problem to get in touch with me, rather than struggling through the pain barrier."

Sue Hammler can be contacted on (01325) 332345 or (07971) 108803.

For appointments at the Eastbourne Sports Complex telephone (01325) 243177.