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Proprioceptive training reduces injury rates and recovery time in female soccer players
Proprioceptive exercise training has been shown in several studies to reduce soccer injury rates. Unstable surfaces such as Thera-Band® Stability Trainers, Stability Discs, and balance boards can be part of an effective proprioceptive training program. Several studies have shown reductions in ACL tears and ankle sprains which are considered “non-contact” injuries. German researchers hypothesized that the same preventive effects of proprioceptive training may apply to other lower extremity injuries, namely hamstring, patellar tendon, and Achilles tendon injuries. They implemented a multi-station soccer-specific exercise program involving jumps and balance training on a wobble board with the Premier League female soccer team, Bayern Muenchen. Their results were published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.
At the end of the 3 year intervention, non-contact hamstring injury rates were significantly reduced 64%, from 22.4 to 8.2. Patella tendon injuries were reduced by 67% (3 vs. 1) and achilles injuries reduced by 100% (1.5 to 0). The mean time lost to injury for the players also significantly decreased from 14.4 days to 1.5 days. In addition, the researchers identified a dose-effect of the training: the more time spent balance training, the lower the rate of injuries.
This study suggests that implementing soccer-specific proprioceptive training can reduce non-contact and overuse injuries as well as recovery time after injury. The Thera-Band family of progressive balance training can easily be implemented as part of a sports team warm-up to reduce injuries.
REFERENCE: Kraemer R, Knobloch K.. 2009. A soccer-specific balance training program for hamstring muscle and patellar and achilles tendon injuries: an intervention study in premier league female soccer. Am J Sports Med. Jul;37(7):1384-93.
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Related posts:
- Neuromuscular training program reduces injury and improves performance in female athletes
- Another review supports proprioceptive training to prevent sports injuries
- Balance Training Reduces Ankle Re-Injury
- Proprioceptive Exercises: Are they effective?
- Researchers encourage proprioceptive exercises for shoulder rehabilitation
| Print article | This entry was posted by Dr. Phil Page on October 28, 2010 at 6:27 am, and is filed under Balance Boards, Balance Products, Research Updates, Stability Trainer. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site. |
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