Having more knowledge of common football injuries is an important first step in preventing them.
Football is the world’s most popular sport. There are over 240 million registered players worldwide, some 18,000 in our local association alone, and many more recreational football players. In a sport that can be contested so vigorously inherent risk of injury follows. What are the common injuries we see in football?
As expected, 50-80% of football injuries affect the feet and legs. Usually areas most commonly injured in the legs are the ankle, foot, knee, and lower leg.
40-45% of leg injuries involve the ankle and foot. Most of those injuries are sprains or strains, Ankle Sprains being the most common.
Knee injuries account for 25% of leg injuries. An ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) Tear and Reconstruction is the most common major injury problem of the knee, but injuries to the MCL (Medial Collateral Ligament) or the Meniscal Cartilages of the knee are also common football injuries.
In young athletes, Osgood-Schlatter Disease is a common cause of knee pain. Sever’s Disease is a common source of heel pain.
In the lower leg, tibial shaft fractures are uncommon, but they represent the most severe type of lower extremity trauma in football. More commonly we see Hamstring Strains and Corks of the Thigh.
Head injuries account for 4-22% of football injuries. Concussions make up 2-3% of all football injuries. Most severe head injuries are caused by collisions. The collisions could be with other players, goalposts, the ground, or the ball.
Please find more detailed information about the above common football injuries by following the links provided.
If you have a football injury and require an accurate diagnosis, investigations to be arranged as soon as possible, evidence based treatment and a comprehensive football rehabilitation program then contact Jubilee Sports Physiotherapy.
