June 25 (Reuters) – Pro soccer players are much more likely
to suffer ankle sprains when one foot is stronger than the
other, according to a Greek study.
Ankle sprains occur when a ligament in the joint is over
stretched or torn, often from a sudden twist or awkward landing.
They are among the most common injuries in soccer and can lead
to pain and stability problems lasting months or even years for
some.
Though there have been a number of studies into why athletes
suffer sprains, few have focused on soccer players, said George
Vagenas, from the University of Athens and lead researcher, and
colleagues, who published their findings in the American Journal
of Sports Medicine.
The researchers did pre-season tests of ankle strength and
stability in 100 players from four professional soccer teams in
Greece, then followed the players over the next 10 months to see
who would get hurt on the field.
Seventeen players suffered one or more non-contact sprains
during the season. Those with considerable strength differences
between their left and right ankles were nine times as likely to
suffer sprains as those whose ankles were about the same
strength.
When a player cuts or lands from a jump, it’s important to
have symmetrical activation of the two sets of ankle muscles to
help the joints absorb the impact and prevent damage, Vagenas
told Reuters Health by email.
“All soccer players, professionals or not, must be evaluated
during the pre-seasonal period by sports specialists for
verification of potential functional asymmetry of the ankle
joint,” he said.
Sports medicine experts said the report has an important
message for amateur athletes as well.
“This study does suggest that if soccer players want to
lower their risk of suffering ankle sprains, then they should
strengthen their ankle musculature evenly, so that they have a
good balance between both legs,” said Erik Wikstrom, an expert
in ankle sprains at the University of North Carolina at
Charlotte.
“Proper balance between the lower extremities is very
important.”
Earlier studies have shown that both lace-up ankle braces
and balance training on a “wobble board” can help stave off
injuries to the joint.
“I tell people to go ahead and balance on one leg, then the
other for two to three minutes,” said Timothy McGuine, a sports
medicine specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who
added that two to three times a week is a good start.
The Greek researchers also found that heavy players were
more prone to sprains, which makes sense given the extra force
their ankles have to absorb when they land or cut.
Apart from keeping a healthy weight, McGuine told Reuters
Health that it’s important to learn how to land properly too.
“Don’t land stiff legged. We want a soft foot strike.”
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/MoUQb5
(Reporting from New York by Frederik Joelving at Reuters
Health; Editing by Elaine Lies and Ed Lane)
