Beware football strains
I TRUST that you are enjoying the World Cup. The skill, the vitality and the sheer physicality of it all. It makes you want to get out and have a good kick around, doesn't it? Well, if you haven't played for a while, just be careful how you go. It is easy to strain a muscle.
The two commonest muscle injuries in football are hamstring and groin strains. Both can pull you up short and even make walking difficult for a while. Hamstring strains are the commonest.
The hamstrings are the name given to three muscles which form the back of the thigh. They attach at the pelvis and run down to attach to the tibia and fibula, the two lower leg or shin bones. Their purpose is to extend the hip, or draw it back. They also flex or bend the knee. They can become strained when the muscles are operating at speed, such as during a rapid sprint. Exactly the sort of running that you do in football.
Groin injuries occur when the adductor muscles at the front of the leg, are strained. These run from the front of the pelvis and are inserted into various points on the front of the leg. Their purpose is to adduct the leg, which means to bring it back towards the midline. They can also be damaged during running, usually when changing direction, or when kicking with the side of the foot, or perhaps most commonly, when the foot is forced outwards by a tackle.
These strains are most likely to occur with increasing age and with lack of use, which is why you shouldn't just go out on a pitch and start sprinting. You need to get fit, always warm up and do stretches. Lack of flexibility especially in the hamstrings is more likely to result in injury. Some people just have tighter hamstrings.
Both injuries will make you hobble. The first aid treatment for them is contained in the word RICE. That is, Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate.
Hamstring strains need this rest for a couple of days until the pain goes, after which some stretching should be undertaken. And if it is not settling, then seek a medical or a sports specialist opinion.
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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