Injury prevention strategies take place on and off the field. So, acknowledging the importance of a well-rounded approach that encompasses physical conditioning, mental health, proper technique, and a supportive athletic community is essential.

Here are some injury prevention strategies that can be implemented:

Rest and Recovery

Recognize that rest and recovery are integral components of a comprehensive training regimen. The body needs time to repair and rebuild as athletes push their limits during practices and games. Provide and schedule sufficient rest periods between rigorous practices and games for physical and mental recuperation.

Adequate recovery time is essential for preventing overuse injuries and optimizing performance. Be vigilant in monitoring players for signs of fatigue. Persistent fatigue can compromise decision-making coordination and increase the likelihood of injuries. A proactive approach to recognizing and addressing fatigue is essential in maintaining player well-being.

By prioritizing rest and recovery, high school football programs enhance players’ careers’ longevity and instill a culture of health and self-care crucial for winning and consistency. This emphasis on recovery is a testament to the commitment to the holistic development of athletes, recognizing that success on the field is inseparable from the well-being of those who pursue it.

Educate Coaches and Players

Provide education on the importance of injury prevention within the high school football community. Establish a unified understanding among coaches, players, and parents about the shared responsibility in creating a safe, fun, and nurturing environment for athletes. Ensure open lines of communication to foster a supportive network where concerns and observations can be shared freely. Transparency strengthens the collaboration needed to address potential issues proactively before they happen.

Educate the Parents

Recognize that having more eyes watching extends beyond the field. Encourage coaches, players, and parents to be vigilant and observant off the field. Awareness beyond the game environment can uncover factors that might contribute to injury risks, leading to a more practical and effective approach to prevention.

Monitoring Workload

Manage players’ training workload to avoid overtraining and fatigue. The LA Rams, a team renowned for its commitment to player well-being, employs cutting-edge technology to monitor training load effectively. Using advanced tracking devices, they meticulously measure steps, intensity, and exertion during practices and workouts.

This data-driven approach allows coaches to gain insights into individual players’ physical thresholds, helping them tailor practice and training regimens to specific needs. By embracing similar technology at the high school level, coaches can ensure that each player’s workload is optimized for performance gains without risking burnout or injury. The ability to track and adjust intensity appropriately enhances player safety and contributes to long-term athletic success.

Mental Health Support

In high school football’s dynamic and demanding world, where physical and mental resilience go hand in hand, prioritizing mental health support is non-negotiable. The competitive nature of sports introduces unique pressures that can significantly impact players’ psychological well-being. Coaches and staff, as mentors and guides, must remain attuned to subtle signs of stress, anxiety, or depression among their athletes. These slight issues are signs of bigger things to happen.

• Establishing an open line of communication where players feel comfortable discussing their issues is essential. Creating an environment that destigmatizes mental health challenges encourages players to seek support when needed, fostering a culture of trust and understanding.

• Providing appropriate support entails not only recognizing signs but also having resources and mechanisms in place to address mental health concerns. Coaches should be equipped to guide players towards professional help if necessary, reinforcing the commitment to the athlete’s overall health.

• By integrating mental health support into the fabric of a high school football program, coaches contribute to developing it as an essential part of the program. This approach not only enhances the players’ ability to cope with the demands of the game but also prepares them for the challenges and triumphs that extend beyond the football field.

Schools, coaches, and parents need to work together to prioritize the safety and well-being of high school football players. Regularly reviewing and updating safety protocols can contribute to a safer playing environment. Indeed, some considerations might not be immediately apparent but are essential for high school football injury prevention.

Here are a few additional points to consider.

1. Proper Warm-up and Stretching

Ensure that players engage in a thorough warm-up before practice or games. It is often pushed aside. Include dynamic stretches to increase flexibility and blood flow. Create team jogs around the field before practice begins.

2. Strength and Conditioning

Implement a structured strength and conditioning program to enhance players’ physical fitness and overall strength. Focus on exercises that are specific to a player’s position. For example, quarterbacks ensure training for the shoulder joint and arm. And for linemen, make sure they are powerful, strong, and explosive. Each position should have its own strength training specific to movement to prevent injury.

Furthermore, ensure you have a pre-season physical fitness test to determine readiness on the field.

3. Skill Development

Emphasize and teach proper technique and form during drills and practice sessions. Coaches should provide feedback to correct any improper techniques to avoid injury promptly.

4. Appropriate Equipment

Ensure that players wear well-fitted and properly maintained protective equipment, including helmets, pads, and mouthguards. Regularly inspect and replace any damaged or outdated equipment.

5. Hydration and Nutrition

Encourage players to stay hydrated before, during, and after practices and games. Promote a balanced diet to support overall health, energy, and recovery. If you are not eating well, your muscles are more prone to injury, and your energy will be sluggish.

6. Individualized Training Plans

Recognize that each player is unique regarding physical condition, injury history, and developmental stage. Coaches should consider individualized training plans to accommodate these differences.

7. Post-Injury Rehabilitation

Ensure that players receive proper rehabilitation after injuries. Rushing players back into action before fully recovering can increase re-injury risk.

Be the Jerry Maguire in the football community. Emphasize safety, something coaches rarely do or lose perspective of in the football community. Make it a part of football culture. Educating and involving coaches, players, and parents strengthens the foundation upon which high school football stands. A player’s good health reflects his performance. A foundation rooted in health and well-being optimizes safety and resilience.

By acknowledging concern for your players, football becomes fun, motivating, and inspiring and not a fearful game of walking on eggshells.

By embracing these strategies, your athletes can thrive and excel while minimizing the inherent risks associated with the sport they love to play. Don’t overlook their health for personal gain to win. Preventing injuries for your players is crucial for their well-being so they can create a legacy, now and in the future.

Check out my INSTANT STRENGTH book for total strength, speed, and power programs.

To maximize stability, mobility, and flexibility, check out my book, THE BALANCED BODY.

To see great exercises, methods, and techniques videos, subscribe to my YouTube channel, BALANCED BODY.

The Recovery Gap

When you train hard, you set off a chain reaction of bodily transformation. You tear muscle fibers, and they reknit, building size and strength. You stimulate bone growth through weight bearing and impact exercises. You alter your metabolism. And while these changes are triggered by exercise, they’re ultimately completed during the recovery period.

The problem is that there just isn’t sufficient recovery time between intense training sessions. Pair that with such factors as low bone density or hormonal changes in female athletes, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. This is why proper nutrition, appropriate shoes and allowing for rest and recovery periods are all so important for athletes.

Trouble Spots

Not all stress fractures are created equal. In addition to having varied causes, different exercises cause different types of fractures. The most common ones occur in the legs and feet, which makes sense when you consider the type of repeat impacts these extremities are subject to in runners. Those that happen in the lower leg bones, and similar cumulative stress injuries, are so common that we even have a colloquial term for them—shin splints.

Other stress fractures fall into the category of injuries we don’t think about much. That persistent back pain some athletes struggle with despite excellent core strength and posture? For some, the source is lumbar disc degeneration, but in gymnasts, divers and weightlifters, the source may actually be a stress fracture in the spine, known as spondylolysis, and can require significant rehab and even surgery.

Similarly, in long-distance runners, doctors occasionally see pelvic stress fractures. These are quite uncommon but have increased with the popularity of marathon running. They can occur at several different points along the bone and can also manifest as back pain. Additionally, teens may suffer this injury if they undertake a strenuous training practice and their pelvic growth plates have not yet closed.

Prevention

Though there’s no foolproof way to prevent stress fractures in serious athletes, there are several things you can do to reduce the likelihood and severity of such injuries.

First, be mindful of how your diet interacts with bone strength. In general, impact and weight bearing are good for long-term bone strength because they generate increased bone growth. For this to work, however, your body needs to have access to all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Calcium alone isn’t enough. Our bodies also need vitamin D and a mineral mix including iron, zinc, potassium and others. Athletes should also avoid smoking and consuming too much caffeine, both of which can deplete mineral stores and impact bone strength.

As mentioned above, women need to be especially careful. That’s because women are more prone to osteoporosis, a loss of bone density. Additionally, serious female athletes often experience variation in their menstrual cycles, which can result in hormonal imbalances and lead to a higher rate of bone loss and difficulty forming new bone. If your periods become irregular, see a doctor, increase your caloric intake, and consider slowing down your training.

Treatment

Stress fractures can be especially difficult to diagnose. They’re rarely visible on x-rays because of the low level of radiation, so many doctors will recommend a more expensive MRI. It’s important to properly diagnose a stress fracture because they can take quite a while to heal, and confirmation of the injury can help affected athletes properly address such fractures.

After sustaining a stress fracture, most athletes need to stop training and rest the injured body part for at least 4 to 6 weeks. During this time, you can attend physical therapy and perform stretches or do yoga to maintain core strength and flexibility.

Non-athletes may view it as an overreaction, but many athletes experience grief, depression or anger while recovering from a stress fracture. This is normal; your usual outlet for stress management has been taken away, you’re in pain, and you’re worried about losing training momentum. Just remember: this is a bump in the road. Rest now, take care of your body, and focus on factors like flexibility, nutrition and recovery planning. You’ll be back to your usual routine before you know it.

READ MORE:

• Why Your Shin Splints Aren’t Really Shin Splints
• Symptoms and Treatment of Stress Fractures
• How the Female Athlete Triad Can Ruin Your Sports Performance

1. Fractures

Fractures are common in sports, particularly in the hands, feet and collarbones. According to the Sports Injury Clinic, they are likely to be easy to identify due to the noticeable pain they cause. Fractures are severe injuries in which a crack or split develops in a bone. They cause intense pain, redness and swelling. Stress fractures can be caused by repeated motions, such as in volleyball or tennis, and acute fractures can come from sudden trauma, like being tackled in football.

Athletes who suspect they have a fracture should seek immediate treatment in an urgent or emergency care clinic. They should get an X-ray to confirm the injury, and if a fracture is confirmed, they will likely receive a cast and be instructed to not use or aggravate the broken limb for four to eight weeks.

2. Shin Splints

Shin splints are common, particularly among track runners. They are an inflammation of the tendons, most commonly in the calf. They’re common among athletes who frequently run on hard surfaces for extended periods of time, and are a stress injury. Stressing the muscles around the tibia bone can cause inflammation, causing pain.

Shin splints typically heal on their own with a combination of rest, anti-inflammatory meds and alternating hot and cold treatments; but make sure to follow a proper treatment guide if you attempt to do this yourself. Athletes should visit a doctor if the pain does not subside within two or three days, because it may be a more serious condition.

3. Dislocated joint

Dislocations are common in sudden traumatic events like being tackled in football or soccer. Although they typically affect the hands and fingers, dislocations can also happen in the knees, hips, elbows and shoulders. A dislocated joint may produce a numb or tingly feeling, intense pain, swollen skin and visible deformity. Dislocations are serious injuries and should be treated immediately in an urgent care or emergency care facility. The dislocated joint will be forced back into place by a medical professional, who will possibly numb or sedate you before the procedure. The injury takes approximately 12 weeks to heal.

4. Sprains and strains

Sprained ligaments are a common injury caused by minor trauma, usually to the ankles or wrists. According to the Massachusetts General Hospital, they are a strain or tear of a ligament. Strains are a tear to the tendons or muscles. Sprains are typically a relatively minor injury, but a severe strain or sprain can result in a complete tear of a tendon or ligament. The injuries can be identified by mild pain, tenderness and the inability to put weight or pressure on the injured ligament or tendon. Treatment includes taking anti-inflammatories and resting the injured limb.

5. Knee injuries

Knee injuries are the most common sports injury, according to the Arkansas Surgical Hospital. They’re caused by stress to the joints, kneecap or muscles around the knee. Major injuries can cause permanent damage and take months to heal, possibly requiring multiple surgeries. Minor injuries can be treated with physical therapy and rest. Symptoms range from severe pain and inflammation to instability, and the inability to put pressure on the injured knee.

Most sports injuries get better with rest, but if an injury doesn’t appear to improve after a couple of days, athletes should consider seeking a professional opinion. Sports injuries that require treatment will get worse over time if they are not treated, leading to permanent damage.

RELATED: 

• What Is My Ankle Sprain Recovery Time?
• Why Your Shin Splints Aren’t Really Shin Splints
• Symptoms and Treatment of Stress Fractures

But now, thanks to a revolutionary new surgical procedure that’s gained favor in European soccer leagues, recovery and rehabilitation from ACL surgery could be possible in as little as four-and-a-half months. The concept, devised by Scottish orthopedic surgeon Gordon Mackay, uses what’s known as an internal brace (IB) to help repair and augment the injured ligament. That technique is in direct contrast to the traditional ACL repair and reconstruction approach which took a ligament from the patient’s hamstring to replace the injured knee ligament.

The upside to using the IB method, Mackay says, is that it protects the damaged ligament and allows it to heal without further weakening the knee joint. That’s important since the ACL is the main ligament through the center of the knee which serves to stabilize the joint. And, by protecting and reinforcing the damaged ligament and allowing it to heal, the IB procedure minimizes atrophy, speeds up early-phase recovery time, and significantly reduces the chances for re-injury.

The inspiration for the IB concept came from the external braces Mackay had noticed athletes wearing to protect their knees during games and to help stabilize them during recovery from injury. And it isn’t just for ACL injuries. IB surgery got former Saints quarterback Drew Brees back on the field just five weeks after tearing a thumb ligament in 2019 and allowed golfer Brooks Koepka to compete at The Masters in 2021 just four weeks after he’d dislocated his kneecap and damaged ligaments in his knee.

Though the IB was developed by Mackay in conjunction with American medical device manufacturer Arthrex – and it’s been adapted for use with 17 different body parts – its use for ACL repair has largely been confined to European footballers. And, while more surgeons are adopting the technique and there are over 200 academic papers on its effectiveness, Mackay cautions new ideas can often be slow to take hold.

“It is a big step forward and is transforming sports surgery around the world. I believe it is going to have a big impact on world football too,” Mackay told The Athletic. “It takes time to change approaches and attitudes, but the evidence is building.”

In addition to athletes, the use of the IB has been embraced by the United States military special forces to speed recovery from paratroopers suffering ligament damage in their ankles. However, while the IB has been applied successfully in other joints in the United States, it’s important to note that every ACL injury is different, and American football players face different stresses (think 300 lb. linemen) than European soccer players. Hence, more time and research may be needed before the use of the IB procedure for ACL repair is fully embraced in America.

Until then, Mackay intends to continue working toward even better ways to apply the IB procedure to ACL repair and other applications. That research has already led to the discovery that a second internal brace placed on the outside of the knee can potentially reduce the risk of reinjury even further.

Hopefully, you’ll never suffer an ACL injury, or any other ligament injury, in whatever sport you play. But if you do, as the IB procedure demonstrates, it’s no longer a career ender and you may not need a long, grueling recovery and rehabilitation to get back to 100%. And for that, you can thank Dr. Gordon Mackay.

1. Ramp up slowly and warm up properly

The data on youth baseball injuries are limited, but studies of MLB players indicate that injuries are more likely to happen at the beginning of the season than at the end. One such study suggested that players were 10 times more likely to get hurt in the month of April than in September.

Why?

First, many players go too hard too soon at the start of spring training. This is especially true of young players, many of whom have not picked up a baseball in months. Baseball is a power sport that involves explosive movements. Adding too much volume to these movements at the start of practices can lead to a variety of overload injuries. Coaches need to gradually increase the number of repetitions that players perform during early-season practices.

Second, the weather is cold in most of the country at the beginning of baseball season, and lower temperatures make it harder to get the body loose and stay warm throughout a game or practice. Coaches should mandate a thorough warm-up before any team activity and spend extra time warming up when the temperature drops.

2. Monitor pitching quantity

One of the easiest ways to get injured in baseball is by pitching too much. Every year, as more kids play year round and play more games, the number of pitching-related injuries rises.

RELATED: How Baseball Players Can Prevent Hamstring Injuries

A 2012 study titled Prevention of Elbow Injuries in Youth Baseball conveys some alarming statistics and provides guidelines to avoid pitching-related arm injuries. According to the study, kids who:

• Pitched more than 100 innings per year were three times more likely to need surgery
• Threw 80-plus pitches per game were four times more likely to need surgery
• Pitched competitively for 8-plus months per year were five times more likely to need surgery
• Pitched regularly with arm fatigue were 36 times more likely to need surgery
• Pitched and played catch increased their risk of injury due to increased throwing volume

Simply put, throwing a baseball is incredibly taxing on the arm, so monitoring pitching quantity can go a long way toward preventing injury. In addition, as pitch counts rise, coaches should monitor throwing mechanics and look for signs of fatigue. Players should communicate with their coaches when their arms are tired or they begin to feel pain.

3. Maintain strength and mobility

Throwing, hitting, running and pitching are all powerful, explosive movements that require a great deal of strength and coordination. For example, throwing a baseball requires incredible contributions from the lower body to generate force; a strong, stable core to transfer force; and a mobile shoulder joint and strong scapular stabilizers to move the arm to throw the ball. If any link in the chain loses strength, mobility or stability, the whole movement is affected.

If strength, stability or mobility suffer, mechanics will change—which is a leading cause of injury. A study done at Northwestern University showed that pitchers who had more muscular strength placed less stress on their elbows when pitching. Their muscles were better able to protect their elbow joint.

Baseball is unique in that games are played often with few off days. During the season, players should strength train 2-3 times per week to maintain their strength. Workouts should be shorter than off-season workouts and should focus on the entire body. Below is a sample in-season workout:

• Deadlifts – 2-3 x 5-8
• Push-Ups – 2-3 x 10-15
• Walking Lunges – 2-3 x 10/side
• Dumbbell Rows – 2-3 x 10/side
• Planks – 2-3 x 30 seconds

Along with maintaining strength, baseball players need to work on mobility as the season wears on. They should spend time foam rolling the major muscles of their upper and lower body to keep their muscle tissue functioning optimally. In addition, they should focus on the areas of the arm that take much of the stress during the throwing motion: the posterior shoulder; the biceps; and the inside of the  elbow, below the joint. It is well known that throwers lose internal rotation of the shoulder and elbow extension over the course of the season, leading to more stress being placed on the shoulder and elbow. Doing soft tissue work on these three areas can go a long way to helping them maintain mobility and lower their injury risk.

Try this:

Posterior Shoulder

• Place a lacrosse ball on back of shoulder.
• Cross arm over chest.
• Roll muscles in the back of the shoulder for 1 minute.

Biceps

• Place a lacrosse ball on biceps.
• Roll ball over length of muscle moving up and down for 1 minute.

Inside of elbow, below joint

• Place a lacrosse ball on inside of elbow just below the elbow joint.
• Roll area for 1 minute making sure to not roll on the bone.

RELATED: 

• Prevent Baseball Injuries With This 10-Minute Warm-Up 
• 5 Bodyweight Exercises to Prevent Baseball Injuries

FUNCTIONAL HAMSTRING ANATOMY

The Hamstring Complex consists of 4 primary muscles that are for the most part bi-articular. Meaning they cross and operate at both the knee and hip. The hamstring originates at or near the Ischial Tuberosity and then inserts at various points along the tibia and fibula, respectively.

*Concentrically these muscles can extend the hip and flex the knee through acceleration, with accessory motions involving either external or internal rotation depending on the muscle in question.

Eccentrically the hamstrings decelerate both hip flexion and knee extension with either external rotation or internal rotation.

Now that you have a basic understanding of hamstring anatomy, let’s dive into some uncommon reasons why this particular group of muscles becomes injured:

Potential Hamstring Injury Causes:

#1-Distal Deceleration

#2-Psoas Weakness

#3-Anterior Core Deficiency

#4-Talocrural Immobility

Distal Deceleration

It’s pretty well documented and understood what the hamstring’s role is in injury prevention and function at the hip. But what isn’t so often discussed is the powerful role the hamstrings play at the knee (distally) during sprinting. Research years back showed that hamstring activity was at its highest just before and immediately after ground contact. What this means is that the hamstrings have to slow down knee extension in the swing leg, and then be able to quickly turn around and reverse motion to help propel us forward at push-off. Unfortunately, when you break this situation down, you’ll quickly realize it can be a silent issue that not many recognize. And if you aren’t training deceleration at the knee, along with straight knee hip extension work, then injury becomes much more likely. Below is a short list of drills you can do to train the hamstrings to learn to decelerate the knee effectively during sprinting

Eccentric Knee Work:

*GHR’s

*Slide board Leg Curls

*Val slide Leg Curls

Psoas Weakness

Check out the “Sway-back” posture from the image above. You’ll notice just how far forward the hips are displaced. What occurs here is that your hamstrings become overly active (synergistic dominance) as the glutes fail to maintain a neutral position of the femoral head in the acetabulum. Moreover, the Psoas muscle group and hip flexors become very weak which can further overload the hamstrings over time since the hip flexors lose optimal muscle length and strength capacity. Your best bet here is to prescribe psoas progressions starting from a supine position (ie. Dead-bugs), then progressing to a prone (i.e. mountain climber variations), and eventually operating from a standing position (i.e. Marching).

Anterior Core Weakness

Just like with your deep hip flexors being weak, any core or abdominal weakness, or even overactivity of certain abdominals can lead to an overused, burned-out hamstring complex. This is why it’s so vital to lift heavy with your squat, deadlift, and single-leg progressions week and week out. This will guarantee that your deep abdominals become and remain very strong to help keep your lumbar spine stiff. As a result, you will experience improved posture and muscle balance throughout your hips and lower extremities, and your hamstrings will thank you for it.

Ankle Mobility Issues

I would like you to visualize this scenario for a moment if you will. Tilt your pelvis backward, and shift weight into your forefoot. You will instantly notice that in this position your ankle is locked and your calves are perpetually turned on. What’s one of the most common postures that everyone would agree on? Anterior pelvic tilt should have been your answer! This posture is a direct reflection of what happens in your distant lower body when your calves are tight. Just like the examples above, increased anterior pelvic tilt, knee hyperextension, and calf tightness cause restrictions in the ankle that will inevitably overload your hamstrings. Credit to world-renowned track and field coach Boo Schexnayder for bringing this injury factor to light years ago.

85% percent of all ankle sprains fall into the category of lateral ankle sprains, 10-14% are medial ankle sprains, and the remaining 1% consist of syndesmotic or high ankle sprains. There are also three different grades of ankle sprains, which refers to the actual severity of the sprain. Each grade has its own set of drawbacks and its own recovery period.

The type and grade of ankle sprain you suffer can tell you a lot about how long you might be sidelined by this injury. Obviously, an in-person examination with a certified medical professional can give you the best info for your specific injury, but this guide can help you get a general idea of the type of ankle sprain you might be dealing with.

Grade 1 Ankle Sprain

This is the mildest degree of sprain, where there is minimal damage to the ligaments. The ankle is stable and should recover in seven to 10 days. The symptoms of a Grade 1 sprain tend to be limited to minor pain and swelling. Most athletes can walk without crutches but are unable to jog, jump or change direction.

When most people say they “sprained an ankle”, odds are they suffered a Grade 1 lateral ankle sprain.

“If you see someone that comes back in a week, they had a Grade 1 sprain,” says New York-based orthopedic radiologist Barry Katz. “A sprain is the tearing of the ligaments, like a rubber band. It can scar, but they will never be the same.” In this case, only stretching and microscopic tearing of the ligament fibers occurs, so the chances of the injury becoming a long-term issue are minimal.

Treated by rest, ice and elevation, athletes should be able to return from a Grade 1 sprain relatively quickly. Dr. Katz enumerates four signs that indicate you are ready to come back from an ankle injury:

1. The swelling goes down
2. You are able to put weight on the injured ankle
3. You have full range of motion in the ankle
4. You are able to participate in light physical activity—like running, jumping and cutting—and you can gradually engage in more intense activity

Grade 2 Ankle Sprain

Grade 2 ankle sprains involve a partial tear of the ligaments. They usually cause significant swelling and bruising from bleeding under the skin.

Dr. Katz says Grade 2 ankle sprains can keep you out at least a month, if not longer. He says, “They’re often associated with large amounts of swelling and even bleeding in the joint. You have instability. If someone is out at least three weeks, you can be pretty sure that they have a Grade 2 sprain.”

While most people with a Grade 1 ankle sprain can still put weight on the foot and may even be able to walk quite normally, this is not usually the case with a Grade 2 ankle sprain.

According to TeensHealth, those with a grade 2 sprain will often “benefit from wearing an elastic bandage or an air splint (a cushioned plastic brace).”

Grade 3 Ankle Sprain

A Grade 3 sprain involves torn ligaments—often more than one. You may hear or feel a “pop” at the moment of incident with this type of ankle sprain.

Injuries of this magnitude are quite painful, and walking can be difficult. There is often a lot of swelling and bruising involved.

Dr. Katz says, “The hallmark of a Grade 3 is the joint is unstable, and as a doctor, you can move the bones around in your hand. [A Grade 3 sprain] is a serious problem, and it causes a lot of swelling and bleeding in the joint. If there is too much instability, you may need surgery.” This type of injury can cause you to be out for months, and it makes it more likely you will re-injure your ankle down the line. Recovery from a Grade 3 ankle sprain usually requires a cast, brace or splint that will immobilize the ankle.

Dr. Katz estimates that 30 to 60 percent of people he sees will re-sprain the same ankle at some point; and each time it happens, the likelihood of re-injury increases. As for rehab, Katz recommends physical therapy and ultrasounds to get the joint moving, reduce inflammation and increase mobility.

Decrease your risk of sprained ankles becoming a short and/or long-term problem in your athletic life by following an ankle-strengthening program.

Photo Credit: helovi/iStock

READ MORE:

• Why Ankle Mobility Training is a Must
• Why Elite Pro Athletes Warm Up Without Shoes (And Why You Should Too)

Anything that can be done to reduce the chance of this injury occurring should be incorporated into an athlete’s training program, especially for female athletes. Female high school soccer players are three times more likely than their male counterparts to suffer an ACL injury.

Advice on the prevention of ACL injuries varies; it includes:

• · Nothing (!): Carrying on as normal and blaming injuries on ‘bad luck.’
• · Warming up before practice and matches that include: light jogging and stretches for the hips, knees, and ankles. This is a bit vague and lacks evidence to support it as a method for reducing the risk of ACL injuries.
• · A multi-dimensional movement and strength warm-up: including leg exercises such as lunges, knee dips as well as change of direction exercises. This requires thought and planning and teaching of the exercises: when done well, it works.

Whilst coaches and trainers rightly focus on knee strength and control in their multi-dimensional warm-up, core training can also help reduce the chance of suffering from this injury.

How does core control help knee control?

One of the risk factors for ACL injuries is poor knee control. When an athlete bends their knee and drops inwards towards the other knee, it is known as knee valgus. The higher the knee valgus (measured as an angle) the higher the risk of injury. When athletes land on one leg or change direction by planting and cutting that leg, if the knee lacks control, excess valgus occurs, and injury is more likely.

You can see this yourself by standing on one leg in front of a mirror and slowly bending the supporting leg. Does your knee move forward as you dip, or does it turn or sag inwards?

Improving the core strength and endurance of an athlete helps them control their hips, especially internal hip rotation. Again, stand on one leg and slowly turn the hip inwards. Do you notice your knee turn in too?

When moving fast and changing direction fast, the muscles need to anticipate and work together to prepare and conduct the movement. If the muscles are too slow to act, they can not control the hip or knee, and injuries are more likely.

In order to prepare for the game, common movements such as side stepping must be practiced with good form and at speed. The core training will supplement the game skill. Some of the core movements should also be done fast because that is the speed they need to move at in the game.

Some useful exercises

Here are some exercises that I use with athletes to help reduce the chances of them hurting their ACLs in non-contact situations. They progress from simple, foundation exercises to loaded exercises to specific and technical activities.

1. Prone series. This series of exercises require some upper body strength and mobility. You can do them separately to start, then put them together. The arm and leg movements make bracing and control harder than if you stayed in a static position

2. Medicine Ball walks. You can use any weighted object instead of a medicine ball. The core muscles don’t just run up and down the trunk; they cross it diagonally. This sequence challenges the coordination of the athlete. It can be done in a field setting with a soccer ball or football.

3. Dynamic core training. Using a soccer player as an example, this sequence and progression of exercises use both drills on the field and in the gym. They are fast, dynamic, and mostly done upright (like you play in the game). They require practice, but they are fun to do, and soccer players see the benefit immediately.

Or when muscles break down, they produce microtears on your muscles that produce inflammation caused by your training. The inflammation created acts as a signal to release hormones that rebuild muscles. Again, this is a perfectly normal post-training workout response.

Pro-inflammatory Training Effects

The inflammation process is how your muscles repair. For example, when you work out, you create micro-tears in your muscles, stimulating and activating the inflammatory process. This inflammation is good. It is pro-inflammatory. Importantly, this inflammation signals the release of growth hormone, testosterone, and protein synthesis. These two hormones are responsible for repairing your muscles. And protein synthesis uses amino acids to rebuild them.

• Growth hormone hits a peak about 15-20 minutes after exercise.
• Testosterone peaks in a more extended range of 15-60 minutes.
• Protein synthesis is elevated at 50% in the first 4 hours post-training. And spikes up to 109% in 24 hours. After 24 hours, it begins to reduce and stop within 36-48 hours.

Because these hormones are highly sensitive in the first hours of post-training, it is best not to interrupt the process. So, avoid painkillers like ibuprofen, as well as eating vegetables.

Vegetables Are Great for Reducing Inflammation

So nutritionally speaking, consuming protein and carbs like granola immediately following exercise is the best option. It helps with protein synthesis for muscles to rebuild and replenish energy in a big way. But hold off on the veggie consumption for now. Antioxidants are present in vegetables. And antioxidants are also anti-inflammatories.

So, after a workout, avoid eating vegetables for a few hours so it does not interfere with the muscle’s pro-inflammatory response. Wait until lunch or dinner so they can help naturally reduce and clear the inflammation after the hormonal release is finished. Inflammation tends to linger, and veggies are a great way to flush it out.

Chronic Inflammation and Stress

Let’s make it easy to understand and put it into one category. Stress is stress. The body determines it by what is happening inside. Acute inflammation is a positive thing. The problem is when inflammation becomes chronic and does not subside. When inflammation lingers too long, or you’re experiencing too much of it, it makes it more difficult for muscles to repair, grow, become stronger, and function well.

For example:

• Working out too much. Working out too much stresses muscles more without being repaired first. And produces more inflammation.
• Poor nutrition to repair muscles. When muscles don’t have protein to rebuild muscles, inflammation remains constant.
• Not waiting for muscles to recover. When muscles remain sore, the inflammation process continues without residing because you keep micro-tearing them.
• Stressful life conditions. Systemic stress affects your nervous, musculoskeletal, and cardiovascular systems.

The production of growth hormone and testosterone is suppressed when the body is under constant stress. Additionally, protein synthesis is inhibited. As a result, the body’s ability to repair and rebuild are diminished; therefore, muscles aren’t entirely recovered and restored. In turn, this causes your muscles to feel exhausted, weak, and prone to injury.

Exercise and training are powerful inflammatory stimulants. However, inflammation is a bit of a double-edged sword. You need it to grow and signal the proper process to make you stronger. But on the other hand, constant inflammation is detrimental. You want the inflammatory process to do its job and not get out of control to be a problem.

So, if you understand how inflammation works, you can use it to your advantage to recover faster and become stronger.

Injuries in Youth Sports

Recently, the injury prevention rate in young athletes playing sports, looking to go pro, or participating in sports out of their coaches’ demands and parents’ obligations, has resulted in more than 3.5 million injuries yearly. When researched additional methods, more significant injuries are concussions, sprains, and strains from recreational sports (https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=sports-injury-statistics-90-P02787); unfortunately, some injuries require surgery. Also, when considering long-term sports involvement, young athletes have undergone years of intensive Training by qualified and unqualified pro sports athletes and parents. This has led to positive gains but harmful, repetitive micro-traumatic effects.

How to Develop an Injury Prevention Plan

To prevent the effects mentioned above, qualified professionals, well-read parents, and athletes should agree with and participate in an Injury Prevention Strategy Plan or template to put a band-aid on this drastic cut. This guidance will aid in reducing the athlete’s risk of injury, limiting prolonged exposure to the physical stress of Training and practicing a sport, which is an integral part of injury prevention training.

When developing an Injury Prevention program, the nature of the warm-up specific to the sport should be considered, which involves quick and twisting motions that stress joints; target specific imbalances, loosen the tightness of highly-trained muscles, and develop the flexibility to prevent the overuse of the muscles.

Strategies for Developing Injury Prevention Techniques

Additionally, the below guidelines should be used when analyzing strategies to develop injury prevention techniques.

• Proper screening. The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) does not work for every athlete or their sport;
• Identifying the risk of activity and developing protective factors;
• Make a note of preseason, in-season, and post-season techniques and considerations;
• Increasing external means of temperature through passive stretching;
• Increasing temperature by working the body parts similar to activity;
• Increase muscle and tendon suppleness that stimulates blood flow and coordinates athletic movements;
• Improves nervous system function and oxygen utilization;
• Increases the dynamic, static, and PNF methods of stretching;
• Develop a training program that maximizes strength and targets specific muscle groups;
• Stay hydrated to prevent dehydration;
• Focus on balance techniques;
• Focus on education;
• Focus on sport-specific skills, which allows qualified individuals to develop well-thought plans;
• Ensure there is correct supervision for the specific activity;
• Target past injuries to prevent future reoccurrence;
• Include data collection methods;
• Include weekly reporting forms to monitor numbers of injuries along with practice and games injuries;
• Qualified athletic trainers are a priority;
• Proprioceptive Training – improving motor function of movements and increasing proprioceptive and sensorimotor information through activities such as the dead bug, bird dog, cone pick-ups, planks, bear crawls, and balanced activities.
• Maintaining a practical management load perspective by analyzing the athlete’s training, practice, and games workload that elicits a physiological response due to the external risk factors, fatigue, and fitness adaptations based on training events.
• Make sure coach, parent, trainers, and athletes are all on the same page;
• Analyze injuries by gender, and develop a plan to prevent those injuries.

How an Injury Prevention Plan Can Help You

Research has proven that an effective injury prevention plan and techniques can significantly improve performance in athletic events. An injury prevention plan should address vital mechanical stresses to the musculoskeletal system imposed by an athlete’s activities. Parents should remain knowledgeable on injury prevention techniques, but they should also be aware that when their child participates in additional sports and does not take time off, they are at an even greater risk of injury. Therefore, parents should work with qualified trainers, coaches, and their kids to use the tips above for a well-rounded injury prevention program.