FOOTBALL INJURIES AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

By Jyotsna Raj Boge/Physiotherapist

(Skiver, 2023)

Introduction

Football is the most popular recreational and amateur sport worldwide. Most common sport injuries include injuries from football. The common injuries are located in the lower extremities.

Common injuries

·       Muscle injuries mostly involve the hamstrings, followed by adductors, quadriceps and calves.

·       Ankle sprains.

·       Anterior cruciate ligament injuries.

Management and prevention

Physiotherapy forms the centre of prevention and management of these injuries. Preventive strategies have been shown to lower the risk of injuries and re-injuries when adhered to by the players. These strategies may be divided as below,

·       Strength Training - Consisting of the Nordic hamstring exercises with  gradual increase in load over a 5-6 week period. These exercises have been shown to increase both concentric and eccentric strength in the muscles.  This helps improve maximal voluntary contraction and also maximal running speed. Concentric strengthening also helps improve overall symmetry between the right and left lower and upper limbs.

·       Proprioceptive training - This can be done using devices such as ankle disks, balance boards and tilt boards. Proprioceptive training helps to better movement control during jumping and landing, and also improves resilience of ligaments and tendons which will then lower the risk of the dreaded Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury.

·       Core stability - Helps in controlling the position and movement of the trunk over the pelvis.

Examples of Programs

The above-mentioned strategies can be combined in a multi - component training including balance, core stability and functional strength and mobility. The FIFA 11+ and 11 program are some examples.

The FIFA 11+ program Includes agility, plyometrics, proprioceptive and strength exercises performed for 15-20 minutes prior to the game or training sessions.

The FIFA 11 program - Includes 10 physical exercises and promotion of fair play, performed for 10-15 minutes during the training session.

Lastly, the most important strategy to help increase player adherence to preventive strategies include education, communication and trust and proper coaching.

Conclusion

For further information on injury management and preventative injury management, as well as for tailored exercise programs, you should consult with one of our physiotherapists here at Evans Street Physiotherapy. You can contact us on (03) 97441204. Online bookings are also available through our website.

 References:

Koch, M., Klügl, M., Frankewycz, B., Lang, S., Worlicek, M., Popp, D., & Krutsch, W. (2021). Football-related injuries are the major reason for the career end of professional male football players. Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy, 29(11), 3560-3568.

Lakshakar, P., Sathe, P., Sathe, A., & Kumar, D. V. (2022). Common sports injury in football players: a review. Int. J. Sci. Healthc. Res, 7, 26-33.

Pérez-Gómez, J., Adsuar, J. C., Alcaraz, P. E., & Carlos-Vivas, J. (2022). Physical exercises for preventing injuries among adult male football players: A systematic review. Journal of sport and health science, 11(1), 115-122.

Robles-Palazón, F. J., López-Valenciano, A., Croix, M. D. S., Oliver, J. L., García-Gómez, A., De Baranda, P. S., & Ayala, F. (2022). Epidemiology of injuries in male and female youth football players: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of sport and health science, 11(6), 681-695.

Skiver, K. (2023) Rules of soccer explained: All the basics you need to know to follow ‘The beautiful game’, Sporting News Australia. Available at: https://www.sportingnews.com/au/football/news/rules-soccer-explained-basics-know-beautiful-game/ombkoaivyu7maxsib58jubtq (Accessed: 21 July 2024).