Soccer is a great sport. It keeps you active and promotes your endurance and coordination skills. As with any other physical sports, soccer also has some risks of potential injuries that you need to look out for. Here are some common injuries observed specifically in males during soccer games and practices.
A research was carried out to examine the injury surveillance data for the last 15 years from National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). There were 22,000 games that had 6,693 injuries and 62,000 practices resulting in 6,281 injuries.
Some interesting facts determine the risk of injuries during practice and games:
- During games players are 4 times more likely to get injured as compared to practice matches.
- During games, players endure more contact injuries among themselves as compared to almost zero contact injuries during practice.
- Regardless of game or practice, there is a 60% likelihood of injuries affecting the lower body parts.
Five Common Injuries in Men’s Soccer
Sprained Ankle
Around 17% of soccer injuries from both practice and game are sprain and strains of the ankle. It happens when a player stops suddenly or changes his direction abruptly. The ankle twists in an unnatural way and you get a sprained ankle. The RICE protocol (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate) usually makes it go away in a few days. However if you not let it fully recover, there is a high probability of re-sprains. As a matter of fact, out of the total sprain injuries in this study 24% were recurrent ankle sprains.
Upper Leg Muscle-Tendon Injuries
Hamstring and quadriceps injuries are number two on the common soccer injury list. It can occur due to collision among players or an abrupt fall. Usually it recovers within a few days of rest and medicine. But severe hamstring tears must be treated properly and can keep a player out of field for several weeks or months.
Pelvis or Hip Muscle-Tendon Injuries
Usually a hard fall can result in a soft tissue injury of this complex body region. Usually such injuries are labeled as sports hernia. The recovery period can be prolonged depending on the severity of the injury and the kind of hip pain treatment you are receiving.
Knee Injuries
Hard Collision, abrupt twist or turn, or a fall can result in ligament tear in the knee or knee dislocation. You would have heard of ACL injuries and meniscus tears, both these are severe knee conditions calling for immediate medical attention and effective knee pain treatment for full recovery.
Concussion
Since soccer games have more player contact and collision occurrences than soccer practice, there is a 14 times higher chance of a concussion injury for a soccer player in the actual game.
One best way to prevent collision injuries is to strictly adhere to the game rules especially in aggressive instances such as tackling or charging. Pain Management Institute provides utmost medical care for injured athletes and has experts specializing in sports injury treatment. PMI has been helping sports persons from Frankfort, Mokena, New Lenox , Orland park, Tinley park, Chicago heights, Olympia field , Kankakee, Bourbonnais, Monee, Manhattan , Joliet, Flossmoor, Homewood , Oak lawn, Calumet city, Burr Ridge and Hinsdale. Dial (815)464-7212 to book an appointment.