There on the court, or the field, you see him or possibly her lying there in obvious pain.  They were in a breakaway play on their way to score when it happened, an injury.  No other event in sports can stop play, quiet the crowd, and get both teams to pause - take a knee - and pray.

 

Athletes, coaches, and parents, accept the fact that injuries will always be a part of sports.  Athletes running at full speed, physical collisions, and changing directions set the stage for possible injury and unfortunately it is only a matter of time before most athletes will experience an injury.  This reality drives researchers to study the subject hoping to shed light on how, why, and when, injuries occur.  Working to develop the best ways to prevent injuries and when they do happen, how to recover quickly without lingering deficits.

 

A team of University of South Florida researchers spent two years gathering data about sports injuries from ten high schools in Hillsborough County, Florida.  Some of their findings go against some long held beliefs about injuries:

 

• Injuries occur more frequently on warmer days and on surfaces that are mostly dry, not wet.
• Game day injuries are more publicized, but injuries during practice are just as severe and common.
• Sports experience and physical maturity should help protect older athletes, yet high school seniors are more likely to get hurt than underclassmen.

 

Whether these facts are new to you or that you are already aware of them, the most important point is, are we doing enough to keep our young athletes safe?

 

The high profile stories of heat related deaths have driven laws and policies to raise awareness and keep athletes safer.  These events are tragic yet rare, with the more common injuries being bruises, sprains, and strains.  Additional findings from the University of South Florida researchers:

 

• Football is at the top of the list, both game time and at practice.
• In girl’s soccer, the most common injury – right knee.
• In boy’s basketball, sprains and strains to ankles and wrists were the most common.
• The left thumb, the most common injury in volleyball, although the numbers in the study were small.
• One area that researcher Karen Liller found interesting is cheerleading.  “There seems to be problems with their stunt work and their landings.” Noting that there are a lot of lower back and hip injuries in cheerleading.

 

As more information is uncovered about when, where, and how sports injuries occur, is there anything that can be done?

A CDC study published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine indicates that special injury prevention programs are effective.  The CDC’s study focused on injury prevention of  the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in female collegiate soccer players.  Statistics show that female athletes experience more non-contact ACL injuries than males participating in similar activities.  First a little information about the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries:

 

·        Almost all ACL injuries occur in activities that involve running and quick direction changes including the popular youth sports; football, soccer, and basketball.

·        An ACL injury is one of the most catastrophic injuries that can happen to an athlete taking a player out for up to 9 months.  In addition, it marks the end of participation in the current sport season and can extend into the next as well.

·        The Anterior Cruciate Ligament is vitally important to the competitive athlete by controlling rotational forces around the knee.  If it’s torn, sudden changes in direction become nearly impossible.

·        The incidence of ACL tears by young athletes is increasing each year as more athletes get into sports without proper neuromuscular and strength training.

 

The CDC’s study focused on the effectiveness of the Prevent Injury and Enhance Performance (PEP) program developed by the Santa Monica Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Research Foundation, Santa Monica, Calif. This group conducts research to prevent musculoskeletal and neurological injuries.

 

The researchers followed 61 women’s soccer teams with 1,435 players in Division I of the NCAA for a single season.  Twenty six teams were randomly selected to participate in the PEP program and thirty five served as the comparison group.  The PEP program was found to be effective in reducing the risk of ACL injuries.

 

Significant findings include:

·        Athletes on teams using the PEP Program suffered no ACL injuries during practice, compared to six injuries among the non participating teams.

·        Among athletes with a history of ACL injury who used the program, none experienced noncontact ACL injuries, compared to four injuries among other players in comparison group with a similar history.

·        In the second half of the season, athletes using the PEP program reported no ACL injuries, while other athletes in comparison group experienced five injuries.

 

All teams conduct various warm up and stretching exercises, but the PEP program focuses on improving techniques in jumping, stopping and turning to reduce ACL injuries and was shown to prevent ACL injuries.

 

Dr. Bert Mandelbaum, director of the Santa Monica Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Research Foundation states “PEP was developed specifically to prevent serious knee injuries and their consequences…. We recommend that teams use it as an alternative warm-up before training sessions. Putting PEP widely into practice, we hope, will continue to show reduced risk of ACL injury among soccer players.”

 

Additionally, Velocity Sports Performance, an industry leader in sports performance training, suggests these 5 “pillars” of their ACL Tear Prevention Program:

 

·        Teach the athletes how to properly absorb force. Most non-contact ACL injuries happen during stops or changes of direction

·        Create balanced muscle groups, your hamstrings should be at least 60% as strong as your quads. When they’re not, injuries result.

·        Train the nervous system to consistently utilize safe neuromuscular recruitment patterns.  Balance training can help improve the neuromuscular recruitment patterns of the quad and hamstrings.

·        Improve the mobility of the ankle and hip: mobility at the two joints surrounding the knee creates stability at the knee.

·        Coaches dedication to quality movement: only through practicing perfect movement patterns will athletes become more resilient to an ACL tear.

 

If you or your child play sports, injuries will occur.  The good news is new research is showing that proper training and preparation can indeed reduce injuries.

 

Until next time,

Glenn Karisch

ISSA Certified Youth Fitness Trainer

 

 

The views and information presented in this article do not reflect the opinions of Lee County Live or its advertisers.  They are the creation of the author and are presented for entertainment and informational purposes only.  You should consult your doctor before you begin any exercise or training activity, change your diet, begin a sport, or consume any dietary supplements.