Sport, especially Football is a global passion, and it extends far beyond the professional stage, engaging participants of all ages and genders. However, the research can often neglect amateur and female players. Addressing this gap, a recent study examined 462 male and female amateur footballers, uncovering crucial insights.

Key Findings were:

1. Injury Prevalence: Nearly 78% of males and 79.2% of females reported previous or existing injuries. We often play with little niggles and pains.
2. Weekly Injury Rates: Nearly 1 in 5 Males recorded and 1 in 4 females reported weekly injury prevalence. That is extremely high!
3. Gradual Onset Injuries: Over half of male and female injuries resulted from gradual onset issues. It comes on subtly and the nit leads to injuries. Why we recommend listening to your body and report any early signs to your physiotherapists.
4. Age as a Factor: Injury incidence increased by 7% for each year of age in males and 3% in females.
5. Common Injuries: Hip/groin injuries topped males’ list, while knee injuries dominated females’.

Clinical Implications: 1 in 5 males and 1 in 4 females reported weekly injuries, emphasising the need for reducing individual injury risk, especially for those aged 25 and above or with pre-existing injuries.

This study underscores the importance of tailored injury prevention programs for diverse football demographics, ensuring a safer and more enjoyable experience for all players.

To reduce your risk of injury, call our clinic on 91168691 to book in with one of our experts for an individual program.

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The FIFA 11+ is a power-packed warm-up program designed to slash injury risks in soccer players. But could it also be the secret ingredient for winning games? Let’s dive into a study that uncovered intriguing connections between using 11+ and scoring more victories in men’s college soccer.

Key Takeaways:

1. Performance Matters: Teams following the 11+ regimen scored more wins and suffered fewer losses, showcasing the direct link between program use and improved game records.
2. Compliance is Key: Teams that adhered to the 11+ at least twice a week reaped even more substantial benefits in their win/loss ratios.
3. Performance Over Prevention: While injury prevention is a given, showing that 11+ enhances performance might be a game-changer for coaches and athletes. It highlights the relationship between keeping players healthy and uninjured and winning performance.

The FIFA 11+ warm up program is known to reduce injuries in soccer players. Despite its effectiveness, many teams don’t fully embrace or stick to it. Highlighting the performance benefits over injury prevention might be the game plan.

What It Means for Physio’s, Coaches and Athletes: Adopting an injury prevention program like the FIFA 11+ could now offer a two-for-one deal—less injuries and more wins. Coaches and athletes might find better performance a compelling reason to commit to such programs.

Pre-season is upon us for next year and we advise our sponsored teams to adopt the program to reduce injuries and improve performance. To get our clinicians to assess and implement the program, please contact our friendly staff today.

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For many of us, dealing with headaches is like a recurring storyline. Did you know that neck pain might be a key player in tension-type headaches (TTH)? Let’s discuss by diving into the latest insights in tension type headaches.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Neck-Headache Connection: Neck pain in tension-type headaches can stem from various causes, including referred pain from the head or musculoskeletal issues in the neck. Understanding these nuances is crucial since up to 90% of TTH patients also report neck pain.
2. Evidence of Neck Impairments: Research highlights some common impairments in individuals with TTH, like forward head posture, reduced neck movement, and altered muscle control. However, these findings don’t always pinpoint the neck as the headache culprit. They might be consequences rather than causes.
3. Upper Cervical Structures and Sensitisation: Areas like the upper cervical spine joints and trigger points in muscles can contribute to TTH, possibly due to sensitisation of the trigeminocervical nucleus. However, it’s a complex puzzle—reproducing headaches through palpation doesn’t always happen.
4. Holistic Management Approach: Managing TTH requires a multidisciplinary approach. Physiotherapy, with a mix of strategies like manual therapy and specific exercises and approaches involving the central nervous system, proves effective. While soft tissue therapy may offer short-term relief, solely targeting upper cervical joints isn’t recommended.
5. Decision Tree for Cervical Involvement: The authors propose a decision tree for clinicians. If trigger points reproduce TTH, start with soft tissue treatment, followed by addressing upper cervical joint dysfunction. Posture and motor control issues can be tackled along with general aerobic exercise.

Implementing in Practice:

1. Tailored Treatment Plans: Our Physiotherapists can tailor treatment plans based on individual patient findings. Identifying trigger points and choosing interventions accordingly, such as soft tissue treatment or manual therapy for upper cervical joints, ensures a targeted approach.
2. Holistic Exercise Prescriptions: Exercise isn’t one-size-fits-all. Combining tissue-based exercises with central nervous system-focused activities provides a holistic approach. Patient preferences play a role in adherence, making exercise programs more effective.

Understanding the intricacies of neck pain in tension-type headaches empowers both physiotherapists and patients to achieve relief more effectively. Our Clinicians can create personalised strategies for lasting well-being.

Call our friendly staff to book an appointment today 9116 8691.

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Knee pain, specifically in the front region, known as patellofemoral pain, can have a significant effect on quality of life. The good news is that exercise therapy has proven to be a game-changer for this condition. But, which exercise regime works best, focusing on the hip or the quadriceps? Let’s dive into the findings of a recent study to unravel the mystery.

Key Takeaways:

1. Equal Footing for Hip and Quadriceps: The study set out to compare the effectiveness of quadriceps exercises (QE) against hip exercises (HE) for patellofemoral pain. Surprise, surprise—both showed similar improvements in reducing knee pain and enhancing patient function in the short term.
2. Sustained Benefits at 26 Weeks: The good news doesn’t stop at the short term. The pain relief and functional improvements from both exercise protocols remained at the 26-week mark since the initiation of the exercise routines. It’s a lasting gift from your exercise efforts.
3. Exercise Adherence Matters: Participants completed around 28 out of 36 exercise sessions, showing that sticking to the program is key. Whether it’s seated knee extensions or standing hip abductions, consistency pays off.

Implementation:

1. Tailoring Exercise Plans: Physiotherapists now have more flexibility in crafting exercise plans for patellofemoral pain patients. Recognizing the unique needs of each individual, they can choose between hip-focused or quadriceps-oriented exercises based on patient-specific risk factors.
2. Combining Therapies for Maximum Impact: This study suggests that exercise therapy, whether targeting the hip or quadriceps, can be complemented with other interventions like orthotics, taping, or bracing. It’s about creating a holistic approach for the best results.
3. Age Consideration: While the study focused on individuals in their early 20s to early 30s, clinicians need to be mindful of the age range. The prevalence of patellofemoral pain can vary in different age groups, so adapting exercise plans accordingly is crucial.

This study gives us a valuable tool in the form of options. It’s not about choosing between hip and quadriceps exercises; it’s about having an arsenal of effective strategies to tackle patellofemoral pain and help individuals of all ages get back on their feet with less knee trouble.

If you are suffering from anterior knee pain, book an appointment with one of your clinicians to access and create a personalised program for you.

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Ever felt pain, instability, or recurrent injuries in your ankles? That might be chronic ankle instability (CAI), a condition influenced by various factors like mechanics, sensory-motor issues, and even psychological aspects. Previous research hinted at faulty movement patterns in chronic ankle instability, and now a recent study dives deeper into how limited ankle motion might be contributing to the problem.

Key Takeaways:

1. Focus: Researchers looked at the biomechanics of active individuals with chronic ankle instability, particularly how they landed on a single leg during certain tasks. The key question was whether their static ankle flexibility (dorsiflexion range of motion) played a role in how they performed these movements.
2. Participant Groups: The participants were divided into 3 groups: hypomobile (limited flexibility – stiff ankles), normal, and hypermobile (excessive flexibility – too much movement).
3. Biomechanical Differences: The results showed significant differences in how participants landed based on their ankle flexibility. Those with limited flexibility (hypomobile) had less dorsiflexion and more hip flexion during landing, while those with excessive flexibility (hypermobile) tended to adopt an ankle inversion strategy.
4. Muscle Activity Findings: Muscle activity patterns also varied. The hypomobile group used more muscles around the ankle but less thigh muscle, while the hypermobile group leaned toward a knee-dominant landing strategy.

Implementing in Practice:

1. Tailored Interventions: chronic ankle instability has multiple factors at play, and this study emphasises the need for tailored interventions. We need identify specific impairments and customise the approach accordingly to individual patient findings.
2. Restoring Ankle Motion: Around 25% of chronic ankle instability patients in the study had reduced ankle motion. Physiotherapy interventions have been proven effective in restoring sagittal plane motion at the ankle, even in long-standing cases.
3. Balance and Proprioception Training: About 20% of CAI patients had greater ankle flexibility, leading to a susceptibility to ankle inversion. Incorporating balance and proprioceptive training becomes crucial for this group to enhance stability and prevent recurrent injuries.

In conclusion, understanding chronic ankle instability involves considering a variety of factors. Physiotherapists play a key role in evaluating ankle flexibility, addressing impairments, and tailoring interventions to optimize movement patterns and reduce the risk of further injuries.

Our clinicians tailor a program based on your needs so you can confidently return back to sport or activity. If you are suffering from stiff ankles or excessive movements causing recurrent sprains book in with our physiotherapists to get your program.

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