by physiotherapist Michael Wood

Soccer has an overall injury rate of approximately 10-15 injuries per 1000 hours of playing hours (Junge 2000). In Australia, soccer ranks 5th for all injuries presenting to an emergency department. In addition, approximately 10% of all injuries are major injuries in which a player is sidelined for more than a month.

Why Injury Prevention?

  • 91% of soccer players suffer some injury complaint related to soccer (Peterson 2000)
  • Younger athletes are more prone to certain injuries due to their growing bodies
    • Bones are growing (bones>muscle>nerve)
    • Muscle imbalances due to growth
    • Bone cartilage is softer during growing stages
  • High level soccer players are more at risk of injury than amateur level players (Inklaar 1996)
  • Studies have shown that injury prevention programs are effective in reducing the incidence of injuries in soccer.
Injured soccer playerInjured soccer player

INJURIES

Traumatic

  • Sprain
  • Strain
  • Contusion
  • Fracture
  • Dislocation
  • Concussion

Non-traumatic (overuse)

  • Osgood-Schlatter Disease
  • Sever's Disease
  • Patella Tendonosis
  • Stress Fractures
  • Shin Splints

WHERE?

  • Lower limbs (70%)
  • Upper limb (15%)
  • Face (10%)
  • Trunk (5%)

PREVENTION METHODS

Research has indicated that injury prevention measures are effective in reducing the number of injuries occurring during the soccer season (Junge 2002, Yeung 2001).

Taping

  • You are more likely to re-roll your ankle after a previous ankle injury
  • Taping has been shown to decrease the number of re-occurring ankle sprains in sports people

Equipment

  • Mouth guards (high incidence of orofacial injuries in soccer)
  • Shin guards (properly fitted/good quality)
  • Shoes (painful feet/properly fitted/well kept - make sure you undo shoe laces)

Injury prevention exercises

  • Specific exercises aimed at improving joint stability/flexibility, muscle strength, muscle coordination/balance, endurance, speed and agility can decrease the occurrence of injury (Junge 2002) (Boyle)
  • These exercises are generally made more specific to sport in order to make them more effective in injury prevention

Similar exercises can be incorporated during training or during the warm-up

  • Areas to include (examples)
  • Sport specific cardio conditioning (use similar muscle groups)
  • Flexibility
  • Sport cord drills
  • Strength specific to improve speed and agility
  • Endurance exercises
  • Plyometric
  • Trunk stability