Physiotherapy and Soccer Kids
All young footballers have aches and pains from time to time but when can they be dismissed as growing pains and when do they need professional intervention?
Overuse injuries are common and account for 5% of injuries at soccer academies, higher risk areas in footballers are backs, knees and heels. The increased volume of exercise combined with commitments to club, county and national teams and still be expected to participate in school sport and other activities can take its toll. This, combined with sub standard pitches and growth spurts means that coaches, players, parents need to be alert to the risk of certain injuries and seek help if their symptoms don’t appear to be settling down.
Symptoms of injuries in youngsters may mimic the adult version but should not be managed automatically in the same way. Injuries in children can be unique to their age group and need a very different approach to ensure they recover fully and avoid further damage. Symptoms are generally self limiting and will settle down with the appropriate management. Early identification of the problem and modifications to training is essential.
The prevalent ligament and muscular injuries of adults can occur in children but they are more prone to traction injuries at the point where the muscles and tendons insert into the bone. This is primarily due to the fact that during growth spurts, the muscles and tendons don’t grow as fast as the bones they are attached to and are therefore subjected to increased stress. These rapid changes can also cause injury due to the loss of a balanced muscular system, which in turn can lead to postural mal alignments. Another area of injury unique to children is at the growth plate within the bone. It can either cause symptoms of pain through defective bone formation or can be subjected to shear forces during sport. The prevalence of these unique adolescent type injuries is highlighted in a study by Watkins and Peabody (1996). 53% of the 394 injuries among children presenting during a 3-year period in a sports injury clinic in London, had chronic injuries involving the epiphyseal and apophyseal growth plates and articular cartilage.
If you are in any doubt about how to manage your child’s injuries then seek advice from your doctor or contact us at The Physiotherapy Clinic. Identifying areas of diminished flexibility and working through a stretching programme can help to overcome these problems. If you are training without your coach make sure you include a proper of warm up of 5-10 minutes before playing. This should involve light cardiovascular exercise which will warm up your body to a light sweat and de stiffen the muscles, tendons and joints. Static stretches of up to two minutes duration on specific muscles after training will help to lengthen tight muscles.
The Physiotherapy Clinic on 01707 329910