MONDAY NIGHT INJURY CLINIC

The Sports Injury Clinic holds a regular Monday night injury clinic. Between 6pm and 8pm clients can receive injury management from the weekend’s activities at a reduced rate, phone 9783 9990 anytime on Monday to secure your time.

Our Physiotherapist will assess, treat and direct a rehabilitation program for your players’ immediately as well as an active management plan to avoid spending more time than is necessary the on sidelines. On the day of assessment our physiotherapist will contact and report to the injured players coach or manager by phone or email to report findings and outcomes. You will also have immediate access to Sports Medicine Doctors for assessment and investigations if required. A Monday night injury clinic session is fully covered by your private health fund with no gap to you, or in the event you don’t have private health insurance the cost is $20.

Preventing Soccer Injuries

Facts on soccer injuries

Soccer is one of the most popular team-based sports in Australia and worldwide.

Statistics from the Australian Sports Commission’s 2004 survey showed an estimated 659,200 Australians aged 15 years and older played outdoor soccer in the 12-month period prior to being surveyed. A further 293,600 people played indoor soccer.

Soccer places many demands on the technical and physical skills of players. During the course of play, soccer players accelerate, decelerate, jump, cut, pivot, kick and head the ball and, as a result, injuries can and do occur.

How many injuries?

• From 2002-2004, 1,222 people were admitted to Victorian hospitals while 3,376 people visited emergency departments for soccer-related injuries.
• From 2002-2003, one in every 473 soccer players was admitted to hospital for a soccer-related injury.
• The rate of injury for soccer players is up to 35 injuries per 1,000 playing hours.

The causes and types of injuries

• More injuries occur during games than training.
• Up to 35% of injuries are caused by foul play.
• The most common types of injuries are bruising, sprains, strains, fractures and dislocations.
• Injuries to the lower body, namely the ankle and knee are most common, followed by the upper body and head.
• Common causes of injuries are player contact, falls and tackles.

Factors increasing your injury risk

• Previous injury.
• Age.
• Joint instability and pain.
• Poor physical conditioning.
• Inadequate rehabilitation.
• Exercise overload.
• Poor soccer skills.
• Amount and quality of training.
• Playing field conditions.
• Not wearing protective equipment.
• Rule violations.

Safety tips for soccer players

Good preparation is important

• Always warm up, stretch and cool down.
• Undertake training prior to competition to ensure readiness to play.
• Undertake fitness programs to develop endurance, strength, balance, coordination and flexibility.
• Gradually increase intensity and duration of training.

Good technique and practices will help prevent injury

• Know the rules and play fairly.
• Instruction on correct kicking, heading and tackling techniques must be available and reinforced.
• Coaches should undertake regular re-accreditation and education to ensure their knowledge is kept up-to-date.
• Officials should enforce game rules.

Use appropriate equipment and check pitch safety

• Check and maintain the soccer pitch regularly to remove hazards.
• Replace balls once their water-resistant qualities are lost.
• Use appropriate sized balls for the age and gender of players.
• Ensure both permanent and portable goals are securely anchored to the ground.
• Ensure portable goals are made of lightweight material.
• Dismantle, remove or secure portable goals to a permanent structure after use.
• Standards Australia’s Handbook, Portable Soccer Goalposts
• Manufacture, Use and Storage (HB 227:2003), aims to prevent deaths and serious injury occurring from soccer goalposts. To order a copy visit www.standards.org.au
• Some moveable goal posts are now banned for sale in Victoria. Visit www.consumer.vic.gov.au for further information.

Wear the right protective equipment

• Wear a mouthguard, preferably custom-fitted, at all times.
• Wear shock absorbent shin guards at all times. Seek professional advice on the correct fitting of shin guards.
• Consider preventive ankle taping or bracing to reduce risk of injury.
• Seek professional advice on footwear.

Modify rules and equipment for children

• Encourage children to play Goalkick, Rooball and Football Anytime to develop good skills and technique.
• Children should head the ball with the proper technique and use the correct sized ball for their age and weight. Younger children should use softer balls (Nerf ball) to head the ball. Once confidence is built, a regulation ball (under-inflated at first) can be introduced.

Other safety tips

• Eat a well-balanced diet.
• Drink water before, during and after play.
• Apply broad-spectrum sunscreen when playing outdoors.
• Do NOT play in extreme heat, wet or slippery conditions.

If an injury occurs

• Injured or bleeding players should be removed from the field immediately.
• Injured players should seek prompt attention from qualified first aid personnel.
• Ensure players are fully rehabilitated before returning to play.
• An ankle brace should be worn for at least three months after serious ankle injury.

This article was provided by SmartPlay, to see the original document with references click here.

A PRO-ACTIVE 2008 FOR YOUR CLUB

The Sports Injury Clinic gives you tips and offers services that can help your club be pro-active in preparation on the training track and ultimately lead to improved performance on the field.

Ground conditions affected by the drought are just one of the challenges we face during 2008 in getting your players up to peak condition.

However, with The Sports Injury Clinic’s AFL approved programs and player management systems, we can implement effective strategies for your club in a structured and pro-active way, 7 days a week.

Some of the concerns coaches consistently raise with us include injury reoccurrence, non structured training nights and rehabilitation programs.

The Sports Injury Clinic can address all these issues positively, working within your current club infrastructure.

What can we do for your club?

Assistance 24 hours a day

Your club will have access to an on-call physiotherapist who will give immediate assistance for players, coaches and trainers 24 hours a day. Just call 1800 351 421 for on-the-spot advice.

Exercise Physiology

The Sports Injury Clinic’s qualified Exercise Physiologists can come to your club and conduct specialist training sessions. They can also assist with structuring your training year based on prior knowledge of football injury and best outcomes. Exercise physiology sessions are also available on-line for your club during training and specialist injury sessions. (i.e. Hamstrings, groins, quads, knee/ankle injury.)

Injury Updates

You will receive 20 Injury Updates per year which will give you facts and information regarding certain injuries for use by coaches and players.