ouCH!
Soccer injuries you can
prevent
BY sTePHen HanDel caT(c)
The pain comes out of nowhere;
no fall, twist, or impact, but you’re
feeling the hurt and worse, you’re
out of the game. What happened?
Unlike the bone crunching checks
of hockey and football, the causes
of soccer injuries are quite different,
and often the result of overuse or
repetitive strain injuries. You can
If you already have this pain, some treatment Knee pain can come on gradually from
focusing on correcting any biomechanical overuse of the joint. For example, “patello-
avoid them with a little prevention.
problems in your walking or running pattern femoral syndrome,” or pain caused by the
Plantar fasciitis is inflammation in the can help. It could be a simple matter of proper kneecap being pushed against the sides bone
strong tissue on the bottom of your foot shoe support and learning how to tell when
that attaches to your heel. It functions as a your shoe is worn out, or it might require
support for the arch on the inside portion of custom orthotics. Proper strengthening and
the foot. If it is inflamed, it causes heel pain stretching the plantar fascia will also help.
while running, or when getting out of bed in Pes anserine bursitis is a mouthful, but is
the morning. To prevent it, you need to know an irritation or inflammation of a bursa in your
the causes of inflammation: knee. A bursa is like a pillow that
acts as a cushion between
tendons, bones and skin.
The pes anserine
bursa is found on
the inner side
of the knee
just below the
knee joint and it
protects a group of under it, can occur with a lot of running. The
muscles attached pain, either sharp or dull, is usually felt in
1. Increase in activity (running or jumping, to the shinbone. the front of the knee. Squatting or walking
running on uneven or hard surfaces) The inflammation down stairs often makes it worse, and you
2. Weight gain is caused when leg might feel a grinding or “clicking” in the joint.
3. Wearing shoes without adequate movement squishes Prevent it by stretching the outside of the
support the bursa. knee, and strengthening the inside. This will
4. Increased or decreased arch height (high Treatment may include: using ice packs on help rebalance the kneecap and prevent it
arches or flat feet) your knee for 20 to 30 minutes every three from being pulled out of place.
5. Muscle weakness in the ankle or small to four hours for two or three days or until For more information on these or any other
muscles of the foot and arch the pain goes away. To prevent it in the first muscle or joint injury, feel free to contact the
6. Decreased flexibility of leg and ankle place, use shoe orthotics to prevent your knee Algonquin Sports Therapy Clinic (www.astc.ca).
muscles (especially the calf muscle) from twisting and your foot from being flat. Stephen Handel BSc, Dip SIM, CAT(C) is a
7. Decreased mobility of the joints in the Do proper leg stretching and strengthening Certified Athletic Therapist and owner of the
foot and ankle. exercises. Algonquin Sports Therapy Clinic.
18
Ottawa
www.Kickabout.ca
>> sprING/suMMer 2008
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