Reducing your risk of injury, prevention is the best treatment!
Did you know that leg injuries account for nearly half of all injuries in footy players? Want to get ahead and prevent the risk of ankle sprains, knee injuries and general lower limb injuries by half? Sounds too good to be true right?!?
Wrong! The injury prevention program PrepToPlay has been shown to do just that. This program has been put together by a group of expert clinicians from multiple leading Australian universities with the help of the AFL Medical Officers Association, AFL Physiotherapists Association, and AFL Sports Science Association. We know that unfortunately some injuries are unavoidable, particularly with contact sports. However, did you know that approximately half of ACL injuries are actually done without any contact! We reckon that sounds pretty preventable…
Imagine having a season without any missed games due to injury!
A non-contact ACL injury is about 2-3 times more likely to occur in female footy players compared to male footy players. ACL injuries (and most leg injuries for that matter) are likely due to several factors, including poor hip/knee/ankle control, poor general lower limb strength, and the agility/start-stop nature of the sport. Australia has one of the highest rates of ACL surgeries, and we think this is probably due to the type of turf we play on.
The experts have therefore devised a simple preventative exercise program to target all risk factors associated with leg injuries, which include components of:
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Warm up
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Hamstring strength
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Hip strength
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Groin strength
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Skills specific to balance, landing and change of direction
Each component progresses gradually, simulates requirements of game play, and are easy to perform with minimal equipment and can be done almost anywhere (with a bit of space and a buddy).
PrepToPlay is a program that is simple, yet effective and is recommended across all age groups from beginners to the professional seniors. For more information ask your coach or drop by at Physio Plus to see a physiotherapist.
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Hübscher M, Zech A, Pfeifer K, Hänsel F, Vogt L, Banzer W. Neuromuscular training for sports injury prevention: A systematic review. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 2010, 42(3):413-421.
