Football is a popular sport for many reasons and many people, both professional and amateurs, love to play the game every week. However, it is not without its hazards. In fact, football players can sustain some serious injuries with long and short-term consequences. Here’s what you need to know about common football injuries.
The ankles contain ligaments; these are types of connective tissue that hold small bones together and connect muscles to the ankle. When playing football, it is very common to stretch or tear these ligaments when a player rolls their ankle. A common injury in football, the Anterior Cruciate Ligament, (ACL), sprain or tear is also very painful.
If you roll your ankle and tear the ligament, you will experience immediate pain and will not be able to stand, walk, or continue to play. Additionally, your ankle will swell, and you might experience some bruising; it’s best to put an ice pack on it and rest. It takes weeks to heal.
Another very common injury you might endure when you play football is a knee injury. The game of football requires a lot of rotation in the knee, which puts a lot of strain on the knee bones and surrounding ligaments. The knee is a complex piece of anatomy that needs careful attention.
Common types of knee injuries in football include dislocation, fracture, and anterior cruciate ligament damage. All of these knee injuries are severe and require careful rehabilitation with a specialist physiotherapist. Always consult a professional when trying to heal a knee injury.
If you play football, you know the importance of warming up before going on the field. Warming up helps to increase your heart rate and directs blood flow to the muscles helping to prevent injuries when active. Still, you might overstretch on the field and tear a crucial muscle in-game.
Muscle strains are extremely common in football and can range in severity. While most players are familiar with some muscle strains, pulling a hamstring can prevent you from walking and take around six weeks to heal. To prevent this strain, ensure you have warmed up carefully.
Dislocations are less common in football, but they can occur; when they do, it’s important to know what you need to do. Common dislocations in football happen in the knee, but they can also occur in the shoulder or the ankle. Seek immediate medical attention when this injury occurs.
If you suffer a dislocation, it’s important to pop the bones back together as soon as possible. Although this is a painful process at first, it’s the best way forward; the longer you have your joint dislocated, the more pain you will suffer. Needless to say, you need someone who knows how.
A concussion is a trauma to the head that causes some temporary sensory issues and localized pain. Football concussions happen during head-to-head contact when jumping for the ball and sometimes from repeatedly heading the ball. Concussions need to be professionally treated because they can lead to long-term health issues and brain damage in a player’s later years.
Suffering from a sports injury? At Essex Physiotherapy Clinic, we are trained and qualified experts in physiotherapy for sports, knee pain, frozen shoulder, stress management as well as relaxation therapy. Contact us today.
