Game On: Avoiding Injury
Game On: Avoiding Injury
Just like the Olympic games, soccer transcends race, religion, culture, and nationality to unite us in a singular interest. It has become an international language with a staggering 270 million people playing in games across the globe.
It’s a sport that inspires the kind of collective joy that can only come from sharing a truly remarkable experience. And that alone is worth celebrating.
Alas, the game we love does not come without consequence. Unfortunately, soccer injuries are all too common.
Muscle injuries are a frequent occurrence among soccer players. This type of injury is associated with a burst of acceleration or sprinting, sudden stopping, lunging, sliding or a high kick.
Ankle and knee injuries are also very common. This injury occurs when ligaments are strained, during cutting, twisting, jumping, changing direction or contact/tackling.
Groin pain, in particular, is a widespread occurrence, with 1 in 5 players experiencing an injury in a season.
Surprisingly, nearly half of all soccer injuries can be avoided.
It’s true, preventing injury is possible. In most cases, injuries are caused by an underlying weakness or imbalance in the muscles of the leg, core, and pelvis.
Specialized exercises and training programmes designed to address the areas that are most vulnerable to injury during a game can dramatically reduce your risk of getting injured.
Your physical fitness is the single most important factor in preventing soccer injuries.
For instance, studies have found that:
- Strength training can reduce the incidence of injury by nearly half (47%) compared to players who did no specific strength training.
- 51% of hamstring injuries can be avoided with good proprioceptive programmes.
- Among players who participated in pre-season proprioceptive training 3x a week, there were 7x fewer ACL injuries and an 87% decrease in the risk of ankle sprain.
- Neuromuscular training for the knee can reduce the incidents of serious knee injury by 3.5x.
Whether you are an avid player or prefer to play part-time as a pastime, injuries can be bad news. But a little knowledge and preparation can go a long way.
That’s why we’ve put together printable/downloadable fact sheets on the 6 most common soccer injuries, and how to both prevent and treat them.
Our free fact sheets include prevention and treatment techniques for:
- ACL Injury
- Hamstring Strains
- Ankle Sprains
- Meniscus Injury
- Groin Strains
- Contusion Injury
Our informative fact sheets are perfect for anyone who is interested in preventing injuries, treating injuries, and minimizing the risk of reinjury.
If you want to understand more about any of these aspects, get in touch with us. A good preventative programme incorporating both strength and neuromuscular/proprioceptive training can help keep you in the game.
If you’ve already suffered from a soccer injury or your kids, family or friends have suffered from one, download our informative fact sheets for treatment techniques Click here
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