Soccer Injury

Endurance and strength For soccer, endurance is needed to keep up during the game. And lower extremity strength is needed to run and control the ball.

ACL Sprains and strains are the most common lower extremity injuries. Ankle sprains are the most common and the most common strain is the hamstring. ACL strains in the knee are some of the common injuries that may require surgery.

ACL Definition A crucial ligament of each knee that attaches the front of the tibia with the back of the femur and functions especially to prevent hyper-extension of the knee and is subject to injury especially by tearing.

Cause of the injury Quick deceleration , hyper extension or rotational injury(no human contact necessary) *sudden change of direction* Example: the ACL is usually torn as a result of quick deceleration, hyper-extension, or rotational injury that usually does not involve contact with another individual.

Signs/symptoms A loud pop or popping sensation in the knee. Severe pain and inability to continue activity. Swelling that begins within a few hours. Loss of range of motion. A feeling of instability or “giving way” with weight.

Questions The upper leg and lower leg would be the main parts affected. Injuries range from mild, such as a small tear, to severe, such as when the ligament tears completely or when the ligament and part of the bone separate from the rest of the bone. Continuing to play with a strain/sprain/fracture would put major pressures on the part of the body and cause a treatable injury to become something more serious that may require surgery. With an ACL injury, continuing to play would end an individuals athletic career. It occurs a lot in females but that doesn’t exclude males. Young athletes are usually affected by these types of injuries because they begin to put strain on their body at a very young age and as years go by the wear and tear gets to be too much and just one wrong move can cause injury.

treatment Restore normal stability. Restore level of function athlete had before. Limit loss of function Prevent injury or more damage Reduce pain

Rehabilitation Light jogging, bike machines and treadmill workouts at first. Karaokes, in and outs, lateral drills, and incremental sprint drills. Slow paced to start off. 30 min for jogging and 10-15 minutes for each exercise. Glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves.(focus on resistance, balance and mobility) Be careful and go slow. 30 reps for each section of the muscles.

aCL injury prevention Prioritize drills such as depth jumps, single leg jumps and drop step to jump(biomechanics movement) Goblet squat, deadlift, push-up and split squat.(pure strength movement) These are exercises to help prevent injuries.

APA Citations Anterior cruciate ligament.(2017, May 23).Retrieved May 21,2017 Anterior cruciate ligament.(2017, May 23).Wikipedia.org. Retrieved May 21,2017 Knee Injuries: ACL, PCL, MCL, Meniscus, Emergency Medicine|Diseases & Conditions|5MinuteConsult.(n.d).Retrieved May 21,2017