SUNDAY, Sept. 5, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- Whether you're a weekend warrior with a passion for touch football or the starting left tackle on your high school team, here are some tips on surviving the season without being blindsided by injury.
Football is a game that requires strength, speed, agility and endurance. You can reduce or prevent injuries by doing proper conditioning, using good equipment, and getting medical attention for painful, persistent problems, said Dr. Fred Cushner, an orthopedic surgeon at the Insall Scott Kelly Institute for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine in New York City.
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are unfortunately common in football. The ACL is the knee's primary stabilizer, and it can be torn or injured when a player is hit from behind or the side. Stretching and exercise can help make your knees more flexible and better able to handle that stress.
Exercises that strengthen your knees and upper leg muscles can also protect against ACL injuries. Also, wearing shoes with shorter cleats allow your knees to rotate and move more freely, Cushner said.
Ankle sprains are another frequent injury. Ankle flexibility and stabilizing exercises can help protect them, and so can exercises that strengthen your calf muscles.
Make sure you warm up properly before practices and games to help avoid hamstring and quadricep muscle strains, Cushner said. Those injuries are often overuse injuries caused by repetitive movements or by not giving the muscles enough time to rest.
A good warm-up includes stretching and jogging until you break a sweat. And always drink enough fluids to keep sufficiently hydrated. It could help prevent fatigue and injury.
More information
The importance of proper conditioning for any sport is detailed at the Yale Sports Medicine Center.
