THURSDAY, Jan. 14 (HealthDay News) -- A simple preventive training program may significantly reduce knee injuries in teenaged girls who play soccer, according to a study in the Jan. 11 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Ashkan Kiani, M.D., of Uppsala Primary Care in Sweden, and colleagues randomly assigned 1,506 female soccer players aged 13 to 19 years from 97 teams to either a preventive program aimed at improving motor skills, body control, and muscle activation or to no intervention.
The researchers found that the preventive program was associated with significant reductions in knee injuries and non-contact knee injuries (77 and 90 percent, respectively).
"Because the specificity of the exercises facilitates incorporation into the regular practice, little extra time is spent on additional training, which ensures the program will be well-received by coaches and players," the authors write. "This may explain the high compliance rates reported in our study; only three teams reported compliance of less than 75 percent."
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
