With eleven matches into the new season the Championship is beginning to take shape at both ends of the table, with a few surprises along the way. At the top Burnley are leading the pack on goal difference to QPR, an early favourite to bounce back to the Premiership on the first occasion. Relegated last season, Reading are also pushing for promotion, sitting just one spot below the play-offs.
At the other end of the table however, early Championship contenders Bolton sit perilously close to the relegation zone after a very turbulent start to the season. With a new team in place following missing out on a play-off spot at the end of last season there is a lot of expectation and a long way to climb up the table.
Frequency of Football Injuries
With some shaky starts to the season football injuries, to some extent, have played a part. Sports injuries are an accepted inconvenience and sometimes unavoidable. With players pushing themselves harder and further in a bid for glory then football injuries are common place, whether from overuse or bad challenge.
Players will train hard and condition their bodies to be able to handle the pressures on the pitch and slightest over stretch or strain can have a major impact and result in time on the sidelines. It doesn’t matter whether you’re looking to avoid football injuries or running injuries the principles remain the same, know your limits and stop if you feel you have succumbed to injury.
Types of Football Injuries
Football injuries can affect every area of the body with varying levels of severity, though can typically be categorised as either joint issues or muscle complaints. In a contact based sport, injuries can happen from over stretching for a ball, landing awkwardly from a jump, slipping on the turf or as a result of a bad or heavy challenge.
Common football injuries are located in the lower body, including ankle injuries, knee injuries, calf strains and hamstring pulls.
Muscle Based Injuries
Muscle injuries are typically as a result of overuse, where the muscle is either stretched or torn, with the latter being more serious. Due to the nature of the sport with running being quite intermittent throughout the game a sudden sprint can cause a muscle strain.
The calf and hamstring muscles are some of the most likely muscles to be affected by injury, with varying degrees of severity. A slight strain in the muscle can affect a player’s ability to run and will require a few days rest to allow the muscle to heal. They may experience some pain and inflammation, something which can be managed with pain killers and ice.
Hamstring tears are graded by their severity, with a grade one requiring a few days rest, compared to a grade three which may require surgery and even cause bleeding of the muscle which can be visible and quite painful.
Joint Based Injuries
From a joint perspective, the majority of football injuries occur as a result to damage to the ligaments, which are the tough bands of tissue connecting the bones. The damage to the ligament will determine the period of time a player could be out of action and the necessary course of rehabilitation.
A sprained ankle is one of the more common forms of ankle injury sustained, with minimal damage to the ankle ligaments. Whilst it may be very painful and affect a player’s ability to apply weight to the joint, let alone run, it is a self-limiting condition which should get better within a few days.
One of the more serious football injuries a player could sustain includes an ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) injury, which is responsible for stabilisation of the knee joint and something Chelsea will be all too familiar, with Van Ginkel out until next Spring. Depending on the severity of the injury surgery is often required to repair the ligament, followed by extensive physiotherapy to build strength back into the joint. The rehabilitation process can take up to a year before a player can even consider kicking a ball.
Recovery from Injury
The immediate aftermath of receiving an injury is critical to ensure that the impact is minimised. If you should continue playing with an injury then you run the risk of making things worse and spending even longer in the treatment room.
Following any injury you spend a few days resting and avoid any exercise which will place a strain on the weakened area. In the event that the football injuries incurred fail to remedy themselves within a few days then it is advisable to speak with a clinician for a professional diagnosis, from which a comprehensive rehabilitation programme may be offered should it be required.
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Common Knee Injuries From Mountain Biking
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