Soccer Related Injuries - Know Your Anatomy

• Wear shin guards to help protect your lower legs. Soccer tournament records show that lower leg injuries are most often caused by inadequate shin guards.

• Wear shoes with moulded cleats or ribbed soles. Shoes with screw-in cleats often are associated with a higher risk of injury. However, shoes with screw-in cleats should be worn when more traction is needed, such as on a wet field with high grass.

• Use synthetic, nonabsorbent balls on wet playing fields. Leather balls can become water-logged and very heavy when wet, putting players at high risk for injury.

• Soccer goals should be well padded and properly secured. Padding the goal decreases the incidence of head injuries when the goalie and other team members collide with the posts.

• The playing surface must be kept in good condition. Holes on the playing field should be filled, bare spots reseeded, and debris removed.

• Secure the goals at the end of play. A simple bicycle lock can chain the goals together and prevent them from tipping over. Unsecured, unsupervised soccer goals can fall onto children and result in severe injuries.

• Pay attention to the weather conditions: In a thunderstorm, leave the field and get inside immediately. In hot weather, take sufficient water breaks. In cold weather, wear appropriate clothing, including gloves and hats. Consider shortening practices in severe temperature extremes.

• Do not crawl under or sit on the goal, or hang from the net. Injuries and deaths have occurred when goals have fallen onto players.

• Coaches should be knowledgeable about first aid and be able to administer it for minor injuries, such as facial cuts, bruises, or minor strains and sprains.

• If playing on artificial grass fields, make sure to adequately clean any skin scrapes or abrasions to reduce the chance of them getting infected.

• Be prepared for emergencies. All coaches should have a plan to reach medical personnel for help with more significant injuries such as concussions, dislocations, contusions, sprains, abrasions, and fractures.

An injured player's symptoms must be completely gone before returning to play. For example:

• In case of a joint problem, the player must have no pain, no swelling, full range of motion, and normal strength.

• In case of concussion, the player must have no symptoms at rest or with exercise, and should be cleared by the appropriate medical provider.

Because many young athletes are focusing on just one sport and are training year-round, doctors are seeing an increase in overuse injuries. Specific tips to prevent overuse injuries include:

• Limit the number of teams in which your child is playing in one season. Kids who play on more than one team are especially at risk for overuse injuries.

• Do not allow your child to play one sport year round — taking regular breaks and playing other sports is essential to skill development and injury prevention.

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This blog is intended to be used for information purposes only and is not intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment or to substitute for a medical diagnosis and/or treatment rendered or prescribed by a physician or competent healthcare professional. This information is designed as educational material, but should not be taken as a recommendation for treatment of any particular person or patient. Always consult your physician if you think you need treatment or if you feel unwell.