Sports Injury

If you would like to discuss an type of injury whether it is sports related or not please contact Simon Mennell email or telephone (01376-583523)or mobile 07905 178159.

Why is Football Good For You

It is well documented that regular physical activity promotes health: research suggests that exercise reduces the risk of certain chronic diseases and promotes longevity. To reap the benefits of exercise, guidelines suggest that you should exercise for 20-30 minutes, three to five times per week.1 Playing football two or three times a week will help you to reach these levels, and will provide you with a number of health benefits (listed below).

Football can reduce your risk of heart disease Playing football on a regular basis could reduce your risk of coronary heart disease. Several studies have found that people who do not exercise at all were at a significantly higher risk of heart attack than all other people, and the risk decreased significantly with increasing activity.2,3 Because of this, the greatest benefits were experienced by those who did moderate to vigorous activities, like football. These individuals had greater than 50 per cent reduction in the risk of heart attack compared with people who were inactive.

The good news is that the benefits of regularly playing football will occur regardless of whether you smoke, drink or eat the wrong foods. The studies found that the effects of physical activity on heart attack risk were not affected by other cardiovascular risk factors.

Playing football when you're young can lower the risk of osteoporosis At the moment, there are a few treatments for osteoporosis but no cure, so methods to prevent the disease are vital.4 Fortunately for most people, osteoporosis can be prevented by eating the right nutrients and taking part in the right kind of exercise.

Studies have shown that participating in weight-bearing exercise, for example playing football, is important in building up and maintaining strong, healthy bones. And it has been found that people who take part in regular weight-bearing exercise in childhood and adolescence are less likely to develop osteoporosis in later life.

Football can help with weight loss Exercise is an important factor in weight loss. Following a balanced diet is important, but it will never be completely effective by itself. By playing football and becoming fit, losing fat will be easier.

Exercise helps the body lose fat in two main ways:
increases metabolism. During a game of football you will be burning off fat, and you will continue to burn an increased amount of calories after the game because exercise increases your metabolic rate by 10 per cent for approximately 48 hours after exercise.6 This residual effect of playing football plays a useful role in burning calories and helping with weight loss increases fat-burning enzymes. As you run around while playing football you are using your muscles which, in turn, will be burning fat. Muscles contain specific enzymes which burn only fat, and research has shown that people who exercise regularly have more fat-burning enzymes in their muscles than people who don't exercise.4 Increasing your activity level by playing football will increase the number of fat-burning enzymes in your muscles and make your body more efficient at burning fat.

Football builds muscle strength
Playing football requires you to use your muscles, especially the muscles in your legs. Regularly exercising your muscles will allow you to maintain or even increase your muscle mass. Without regular exercise, muscle mass is diminished along with muscle strength. There are several benefits to maintaining muscle mass and strength including:increased ability to burn fat both at rest and while exercising a reduced risk of falls7 and increased mobility in later life (particularly useful to avoid unwanted fractures due to osteoporosis).One study suggests that two sessions of exercise per week can increase the strength of the muscles used by as much as 30 per cent.

Football can improve your mood and self-esteem and lower stress levels
Football can have positive effects on our mental health as well as physical health. Regular exercise has been shown to lower perceived stress and improve mood and self-esteem. One study found that regular exercise reduced chronic stress, life event stress and work stress.8 And these benefits have been found in both adults and adolescents.

Being in a team can keep you motivated
When you begin an exercise programme your motivation may be high, but as time goes on it can be difficult to maintain this routine. Playing a team sport like football is an excellent way to stay motivated as there are other people there to support you and keep you going.

Who can play football?
All people can play football regardless of their age and fitness level. Due to the popularity of football, there is a huge number of football clubs throughout the UK - ranging from local amateur clubs to professional clubs. This number and variety of clubs provide many opportunities to play - no matter what your playing ability or level of fitness.For safety purposes, people with known heart disease, or other conditions that can affect their activity levels, and people who have not exercised regularly for several years should consult their doctor before starting to play football. The popularity of football in the younger age groups, and the number of teams organised specifically for children make it good for encouraging children to exercise. Encouraging children to exercise is especially important, as combating diseases such as obesity and coronary heart disease are lifelong processes that are best started in childhood.10 Being overweight or obese in childhood is increasing in the UK, and encouraging children to participate in activities such as football can help prevent this trend.

Preventing football injuries
Before you begin to play football, consider warming up before the game. A warm up consisting of some light exercise to warm the muscles and some stretching may help to reduce the risk of injury. For more information on warming up and stretching

Typical Injuries Associated With Training

Common injuries associated with exercise are the following:

• Abrasion (strawberry) - the rubbing off of skin by friction.
• Dislocation - "the displacement of one or more bones of a joint from their natural positions.
• Hot spot - a hot or irritated feeling of the skin which occurs just before a blister forms. These can be prevented by using petroleum jelly over friction-prone areas.
• Blister - a raised spot on the skin filled with liquid. These can generally be avoided by applying lubricants such as petroleum jelly to areas of friction, keeping footwear (socks, shoes, boots) in good repair, and wearing the proper size of boot or shoe.
• Shinsplints - a painful injury to the soft tissues and bone in the shin area. These are generally caused by wearing shoes with inflexible soles or inadequate shock absorption, running on the toes or on hard surfaces, and/or having calf muscles with a limited range of motion.
• Sprain - a stretching or tearing of the ligament(s) at a joint.
• Muscle spasm (muscle cramp) - a sudden, involuntary contraction of one or more muscles.
• Contusion - a bruise with bleeding into the muscle tissue.
• Strain - a stretching or tearing of the muscles.
• Bursitis - an inflammation of the bursa (a sack-like structure where tendons pass over bones). This occurs at a joint and produces pain when the joint is moved or touched. Sometimes swelling occurs.
• Tendonitis - an inflammation of a tendon that produces pain when the attached muscle contracts. Swelling may not occur. Stress fractures of the feet.
• Tibial stress fractures - overuse injuries which seem like shinsplints except that the pain is in a specific area.
• Knee injuries - caused by running on uneven surfaces or with worn out shoes, overuse, and improper body alignment. Soldiers who have problems with their knees can benefit from doing leg exercises that strengthen the front (quadriceps) and rear (hamstrings) thigh muscles.
• Low back problems - caused by poor running, sitting, or lifting techniques, and by failing to stretch the back and hip-flexor muscles and to strengthen the abdominal muscles.

The most common running injuries occur in the feet, ankles, knees, and legs. Although they are hard to eliminate, much can be done to keep them to a minimum. Preventive measures include proper warm-up and cool-down along with stretching exercises. Failure to allow recovery between hard bouts of running can lead to overtraining and can also be a major cause of injuries. A well-conditioned soldier can run five to six times a week. However, to do this safely, he should do two things: gradually build up to running that frequently and vary the intensity of the running sessions to allow recovery between them. Many running injuries can be prevented by wearing proper footwear. Soldiers should train in running shoes. These are available in a wide range of prices and styles. They should fit properly and have flexible, multi-layered soles with good arch and heel support. Shoes made with leather and nylon uppers are usually the most comfortable. See Appendix E for more information on running shoes.

Since injuries can also be caused by running on hard surfaces, soldiers should, if possible, avoid running on concrete. Soft, even surfaces are best for injury prevention. Whenever possible, soldiers should run on grass paths, dirt paths, or park trails. However, with adequate footwear and recovery periods, running on roads and other hard surfaces should pose no problem.

Common running injuries include the following:
• Black toenails.
• Ingrown toenails.
• Stress fractures of the feet.
• Ankle sprains and fractures. Achilles tendonitis (caused by improper stretching and shoes that do not fit.
• Upper leg and groin injuries (which can usually be prevented by using good technique in stretching and doing strengthening exercises).
Tibial stress fractures, knee injuries, low back problems, shinsplints, and blisters, which were mentioned earlier, are also injuries which commonly occur in runners.

Football players prone to injury could soon be sidelined as new biomedical software promises to predict who is most likely to be unfit to play. The software, developed by Computer Associates, predicts how likely players are to pick up injuries based on data collected over a period of time. "When players do physicals, the examiners are faced with long lists of metrics such as pulse and recovery rate but translating them into information about present and future fitness is difficult," Computer Associate's Vice President told Computing magazine. The software will be trialled at Italy's AC Milan where the club has been frustrated by expensive signings who are unable to play due to injury.

It's not always possible to avoid injuries but a few precautions can be taken to reduce the possibility of injuries or accidents. Always take time to warm up and stretch. Research studies have shown that cold muscles are more prone to injury. Wear shin guards to help protect your lower legs.

Be careful about your choice of footwear, the following is a guide Wear shoes with molded studs. Shoes with screw-in studs often are associated with a higher risk of injury. However, shoes with screw-in studs should be worn when more grip is needed, such as on a wet muddy field.

Don’t crawl or sit on the goal or hang from the net. Injuries and deaths have occurred when goals have fallen onto players. The playing surface must be kept in good condition. Holes on the playing field should be filled, bare spots reseeded, and debris removed.Be knowledgeable about first aid and be able to administer it for minor injuries, such as facial cuts, bruises, or minor tendinitis, strains, or sprains.

Be prepared for emergency situations and have a plan to reach medical personnel to treat injuries such as concussions, dislocations, elbow contusions, wrist or finger sprains, and fractures.

R.I.C.E

The first 24 - 48 hours you must use the RICE Procedure.

R = Rest you must rest the injured area to stop further damage and bleeding. This will enable the injured area to knit together, do not be tempted to use the injured area to "test" - the rest is vital.

I = Ice should be applied as soon as possible as it slows down blood circulation which reduces bleeding and swelling. Do not apply ice direct to the tissue/skin, wrap it in a towel or cloth so the skin does not burn. Ice also has an analgesic effect.

C = Compression should be applied to the area as soon as possible to restrict bleeding at the injury. Pressure compresses blood vessels so preventing blood escaping through open ends of the torn fibres. Do not apply compression around a whole limb as it will starve other areas of blood.

E = Elevation this allows gravity to assist the removal of swelling from the unjured area and aids recovery. Leg or arms should be comfortably supported so it is raised lighter than the torso.

General Information of Sports Injuries

Soccer is probably the fastest growing sport in the country. The World Cup and the 1996 Olympic Games have added to this growth. Soccer is perceived to be safer than football. However, soccer is a collision sport and injuries do occur.

Head injuries are fortunately rare. A common cause of head injury is "head banging" when two players attempt to head the ball. This collision can result in a concussion, a cut or bruise, or even a more serious neck injury. Broken noses, cheeks and jaws can also occur.

There has been some controversy recently by the suggestion that repeated trauma from heading the ball can cause a brain injury similar to that seen in boxers. This is yet to be proven. Any player with dizziness, headache or neck pain after heading a ball should be evaluated for a mild concussion. Usually this just requires removing the player from the game, but repeated complaints need to be seriously considered for medical evaluation.

The shoulder injury most commonly seen in soccer is a shoulder separation. This is a form of ligament sprain in the shoulder. Most require just protective padding, ice, and measures for pain control. Some more severe ligament tears may require surgery. Another less common injury is a shoulder dislocation. This may be a partial or complete dislocation. A complete dislocation must be manipulated back into socket by a doctor.

In the legs the most common injury is a muscle strain or tear. Soccer requires sudden acceleration and this is when these injuries occur. Stretching and a proper warm-up can help prevent this injury. Treatment is rest, ice, compression and elevation. Formal physical therapy for rehabilitation is often needed.

Knee injuries can be mild to varying degrees of severity. Some ligament sprains just require rest. A tear of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) usually requires reconstructive surgery. With the latest surgical procedures, these athletes can return to sports in about six months. Dislocations of the knee-cap are a common soccer injury, especially in females. Braces are sometimes used after an injury to protect the knee. Braces may also be used to prevent injury. All knee injuries should be evaluated by a specialist in the treatment of knee injuries.

One of the most serious soccer injuries is a fracture of both bones of the lower leg. The fracture is usually at a level near the top of the shin guard. It usually occurs when two players going for the ball at the same time clash. One player misses the ball and kicks the other with enough force to break both the tibia and fibula bones of the lower leg. The leg needs to be splinted and the player seen immediately by an orthopedic surgeon. Surgery is needed for some fractures, usually those that are unstable or open fractures (one that breaks the skin).

A bruised leg is also common. Ice, compression and elevation are needed to stop any deep muscle bleeding and swelling.

Ankle injury is usually in the form of varying degrees of ligament tears. Fractures are not uncommon. Any ankle injury with accompanied swelling should have an xray and evaluation by a doctor. Usually a specialist should be consulted as these injuries are often under-treated.

Achilles tendinitis, pain in the tendon above the heel, is common. Heel pain and arch pain are also common. An arch support will usually help these problems. The soccer cleats should be worn only during games or practice.

Goalies are unique, in many ways! The frequent diving makes a goalie more likely to injure the shoulder and elbow. Catching and blocking balls also causes injuries to the wrist and hand.

Preventing all soccer injuries in impossible. Appropriate equipment is a must. Shin guards are mandatory. Goalies should wear gloves to prevent hand injuries. Conditioning with both agility and endurance is needed. Strength and speed are also needed in soccer. Play it safe. When injuries occur, have the player evaluated by an athletic trainer or physician.