There are no speed limits on the football pitch. Every win for the football team is necessarily not a win for our bodies. Before we can create something magical on the field, something else always has to give, and most of the time it's our bones and tissues. Physiotherapy treatment is one of the ways we give back to our bodies.
Causes of Football Injury
Football injuries are as familiar to football as beer is to England. Nobody is ever safe from the kids playing in their backyards to the superstars in exotic leagues. We can always be certain that every once in a while, somebody will get hurt. Common causes of football injuries are:
Foul Play
Emotions run high on the football pitch. When push comes to shove, the game can take a violent turn.
Trauma or Collisions
In a football field, there are several forces moving in different directions; a recipe for disaster. A player in the field can easily collide with another player, the ball or the goal post, all leading to injury.
Falling
Even the most stable players fall, sorry Messi fans. A tackle can lead to a fall which can also lead to severe injury.
Weather
When playing in adverse weather conditions, footballers can be at risk of being struck by lightning. This unfortunately happened in South Africa in the 90s. Also playing in the heat with inadequate hydration can lead to health complications for young athletes.
Most Common Football Injuries
There are hundreds of injuries in football. Footballers are always discovering new ways of getting hurt as frequently as they discover new ways of scoring. Common injuries in the field include:
Concussions
This is the most common type of head injury. A concussion causes a minor brain injury that temporarily disrupts its function.it is mostly caused by head collisions with the ball or another player.
Bruises and Cuts
This always reminds me of my coach telling us to get our heads in the bloody game. Bruises and cuts are caused by physical contact with players of either your team or the opposing team.
Ankle Sprains
Science defines ankle sprains as the stretching or tearing of ligaments. Many footballers define it as a harrowing experience. It holds the smaller trophy on the podium next to fractures and has trauma as its leading cause.
Fractures
Fractures are some of the worst injuries that ever happen in football. The dislocation or breaking of bones is the leading cause of fractures. Most fractures are usually as a result of trauma.
Tips on How to Prevent Football Injuries
The injury discussion is not a lost cause. Players, coaches and teams, in general, can take action to reduce the occurrence of injury. These are some of the proven prevention measures you can put in place to protect yourself from injury.
- Pre-season medical checkup
- Wear protective gear
- Strength training
- Warm-ups
- Cooldowns
- Keeping a healthy diet
1. Pre-Season Medical Checkup
After a period of resting or a break, ensure that you get a checkup from your physiotherapist before you go back to action. Also, consider a gradual return to the pitch through strength training and other exercises.
2. Wear Protective Gear
Wearing the right gear goes a long way to ensuring that you are safer in the field. Protective equipment prevents you from undergoing unnecessary suffering. You may want to consider shin guards, cleats and sunscreens when playing in the sun.
3. Strength Training
Football is a physically demanding game. Ensuring that your lower tissues and muscles are up to the task will help decrease your chances of getting on the injury bench. This may include exercises and more sets of deadlifts, squats and lunges.
4. Warm-Ups
The human anatomy has to be warmed up first to get it up to speed, or else it breaks down. Warm-Ups should include stretching and a bit of cardio. Doing a warm-up before each game will help your muscles adjust to the action in the field.
5. Cooldowns
Cooling down is just as important as warming up in football. After your football game or training, do some cardiovascular exercises and stretching before you leave the football field.
6. Keeping A Healthy Diet
The importance of a healthy diet in football can never be overstated. The right meals; made up of a balanced diet and rations are vital for any footballer. Also, proper hydration, before, after and during the game is essential to keep injury at bay.
Physiotherapy Treatment for Football Players’ Injuries
The bad news is that every second you spend on the football field is putting yourself at further risk of injury. The good news is that with a physiotherapy treatment, you have a better chance of recovering from your injury.
Physiotherapy is a branch of medical science that specialises in recovery in times of injury, illness or disability. More so, physiotherapy plays a vital role in recovery from injuries in football. It helps to lessen the severity, restore joint movement, function and mobility. These are some of the injuries physiotherapy deals with:
Groin Strains
Groin strains are caused by the straining of the adductor muscles found in the thigh. Going through this puts you in a long list of legends including England's Captains Steve Gerrard. Physiotherapy comes in handy with this injury. Your physiotherapist is likely to perform Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation (PRICE).
Dislocation
The most common dislocation is that of the shoulder. Having this puts your shoulder beside that of Jamie Carragher and other greats. Physiotherapy comes in handy in recovery after surgery. It combines a mixture of flexibility training, confidence and working on muscle training to get you back in shape.
Calf Strain
This involves stretching or tearing of the muscles at the back of your lower leg. A lot of scenarios on the football field can lead to this unfortunate event. Physiotherapy will help you like it did Eden Hazard with the PRICE approach. This is the famous Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.
Sprained Ankle
Sprained ankles are very common in football. They are caused by exerting excess pressure on an ankle and can be very painful. Almost all legends have sprained their ankles at least once in a while. Physiotherapy ensures rapid recovery using the POLICE mechanism. This includes protection, optimal loading, ice, compression and rest technique.
ACL Injury
The Anterior Cruciate Ligament is the ligament responsible for twist and turn knee movements. During an injury, this can tear easily severely reducing knee function. Physiotherapy comes in handy during the gradual recovery from an ACL injury. It includes techniques such as Electrical Muscle stimulation, hydrotherapy, and anti-gravity training.
Where We Come In
At CK Physio, we are dedicated to ensuring that your journey to recovery is filled with hope and fulfilment. We are always willing to take one for you whenever you take one for the team.
NOTE: Due to the COVID19 pandemic, CK Physiotherapy can assess, correct and progress exercises, give advice and show you alternative techniques you can use at home to self-massage and manipulate. This is offered via Skype/FaceTime/Zoom consultations at £35 for self-paying patients. BUPA, AVIVA, and AXA have all approved remote consultations. For any inquiries about physiotherapy and football injury, contact us today and let us walk you all the way to your recovery.
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