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Personal protective equipment (PPE), devices
News Release from: Firstaid4sport.co.uk | Subject: Firstaid4sport Products
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 04 July 2006
Common World Cup Injury Woes
Firstaid4sport paramedic looks at the top 5 injuries affecting footballers
With the World Cup in full flow, even the world's greatest, fittest players can't seem to avoid picking up injuries - and being English, we know this better than anyone! This is common problem for many athletes at the top of their game and Firstaid4sport.co.uk's expert paramedic, Gemma Newlove, takes a look at the five most common football related injuries and how best to treat them 1: Anterior Talo-Fibular (ATF) Ligament Injury The dreaded 'sprained' ankle
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 23 Aug 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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This injury usually occurs when the ankle is inverted, this is when the sole of the foot points towards the centre of the body, damaging one or all of the three ligaments just below the bony process on the outside of the ankle.
This will cause the ankle to be quite weak for some time.
Initially, PRICE (Protect, Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) needs to be applied and for protection from further injury, footballers should wear an ATF brace.
Further reading
Check the first aid kit before kick-off
Bosses could vastly reduce absenteeism by ensuring that their company's sports teams have the right first aid equipment, according to Jerry Newlove of firstaid4sport.
Amateur football lacking adequate first aid
A survey at the Grass Roots Football Show 2005 showed that less than half of amateur football teams believe their first aid kits are adequate to deal with injuries that may occur during a match.
2: Anterior Cruciate or Torn Cartilage in the Knee One of the most common injuries which carries the longest recovery time, is damaging the anterior cruciate ligament, that is the ligament that crosses behind the knee joint, diagonally from the back to the front.
This injury is regularly caused by a hard blow to the outside of the knee, while the foot is planted firmly on the ground.
The cartilage is also stretched or torn in about 70% of all serious knee injuries.
The area needs to be protected with a knee brace after the RICE process has been applied.
3: Hamstring/Quadriceps Strain A very common pre-season injury is a hamstring/quadriceps strain.
This occurs when the thigh muscles jump straight back into 100% effort after a lengthy break.
My advice to those injured would be to ease back into training.
Pre-season exists for that that very reason - to get the body ready for the hammering it will receive over the whole of the following season.
If a player picks up a strain, they should keep the area warm with a neoprene sleeve to promote blood flow and therefore recovery.
4: Achilles Tendon Strain The Achilles tendon is the large tendon that connects the calf muscle (Gastrocnemius) to the foot.
This can be strained very easily from overuse and with the number of games each season growing, this has become a very common injury.
The tendon can also be damaged when the back of the ankle is struck by a foot in a tackle.
To help the player recover from the injury, a Cho Pat brace should be used.
5: Metatarsal injury/fracture And finally, the famous Wayne Rooney metatarsal injury.
This is an infamous up and coming injury, most probably as a direct result of the advances in boot technology.
The technology is allowing the material to become thinner and lighter to allow for better movement and speed, but it is also giving less protection to the delicate bones of the feet and toes.
It may be the case that players go back to wearing stronger boots to avoid any further world cup misery!.
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