Causes of Soccer Injuries

Soccer is an excellent way to improve your speed and agility, build endurance and remain fit. However, soccer being a 'collision sport', it can give rise to a number of injuries. While some of these injuries may be minor and can heal automatically, some can be quite severe and in some cases, even life-threatening. On the whole, soccer injuries can be of two types: acute/traumatic injuries and cumulative/overuse injuries. Let us delve further into the common injuries involved with soccer and how to avoid them.

Common Soccer Injuries

Most soccer injuries are associated with the ankle, knees and hip region. Soccer players also tend to injure the lower leg, upper leg and head quite often. Some of the common soccer injuries are:

• Sprains
• Fractures
• Muscle-tendon injuries
• Bruises
• Abrasions
• Knee injuries
• Meniscus tears
• Concussion
• Muscle cramps
• Achilles tendonitis
• Ligament tears
• Iliotibial band syndrome
• Muscular strains

Causes of Soccer Injuries

Overuse and Collision: Overuse injuries are due to cumulative stress on the muscles, joints and soft tissues. These injuries start as a small, but continuous pain and may result in serious injuries later on. Since in soccer, body-to-body contact with other players is unavoidable, there may be lower leg and other collision injuries too.

Heading: Some of the major causes of soccer injuries are head-to-head contact with another player, heading the ball, being struck by a ball, falls and overuse. Head injuries are quite serious and include eye injury, dental injury and brain injury. Concussions can occur due to repetitive heading of the ball and/or collision with another player or a goal post. Repeated heading of the ball may cause chronic brain injury.

Strain: Muscle strains are another very common form of soccer injuries. They mainly affect hamstrings, groin muscles and quadriceps. Strains are due to constant stop-and-go movements or due to long strides.

Abrupt Movements: Sprains can occur due to sudden stops or an abrupt change in body direction during the course of game. Soccer players generally fall prey to fractures in the lower extremities. Fractures can be caused due to contact with other players or falls. Knee injuries can also occur due to sudden starts and stops while playing.

Field Condition: The condition of the field where the sport is played can also be responsible for injuries. The field includes a surface of gravel, grass or artificial turf. If the playground has holes, then it can lead to fall injuries. Playing on wet fields can cause a leather ball to get waterlogged and heavy, which in turn can increase the risk of injuries.

How to Prevent Soccer Injuries

Soccer injuries can be really serious at times, as a result of which the player may have to face long-term consequences. Hence precautions to prevent soccer injuries should be taken. Some of these are given below.

• Warming up before the begin of play is important to avoid unnecessary strain.
• Warm-up increases your body temperature and prepares your body for physical activity.
• Stretching exercises are very important for your thighs, knees, hips and calves, so that the muscles feel loose and relaxed before you start playing.
• Enough knowledge of basic first aid is also a must.
• Be appropriately prepared and equipped for emergency situations.
• Wear shin guards to protect your lower legs.

These were just some precautionary measures that you can take to reduce the chances of getting injured while you enjoy your game. Remember, if you feel pain in any part of your body, don't neglect it. Instead of playing, take some rest and seek proper medical attention so that it does not culminate into something very serious.