Injury Prevention

Injury Prevention is an integral aspect of playing sport. With the football and netball season fast approaching, and teams commencing pre-season training, now is a good time to become familiar with specific strategies to prevent injury and allow you to play at your best!
 
Injury prevention can be placed into two broad categories: 1- Primary prevention which includes health promotion/disease prevention. 2 – Secondary prevention which includes early diagnosis and treatment to limit the development of disability.
 
Physiotherapists have the knowledge and skills to provide effective injury prevention advice.  Specific techniques may be team warm-up/stretching, or athlete specific, addressing the underlying cause of a previous injury.  Correct biomechanics of individual players is a major factor in injury prevention.  Examples of this include static abnormalities such as leg length discrepancies which cannot be changed. However, potential secondary effects of abnormalities can be minimised by compensatory devices such as a shoe build-up, or orthotic device in the case of flat feet. Other abnormalities may result following injury or due to poor technique. An example of this is a previous ankle sprain which results in ligament laxity, muscle imbalance and hence – the risk for recurrent sprains. Other important factors that will assist in the prevention of injury are:
 
•        Warm-up
•        Stretching
•        Taping and bracing
•        Protective equipment
•        Suitable equipment
•        Appropriate surface
•        Appropriate training
•        Adequate recovery
•        Nutrition
 
Warm-up and stretching are most important for any individual participating in sport and training. Warm-up prepares the body for exercise. The most effective warm-up consists of general exercises including jogging, and general stretching. Specific exercises include dynamic stretches and movements appropriate for the sport/activity to be undertaken.

Make an appointment with your physiotherapist today to assess any concerns you have from previous injuries, and to provide you with correct stretching techniques for muscles that work hard during training and sport! 

By Grace Gibbs (PHYSIOTHERAPIST)