Can Motor Control Training Lower the Risk of Injury for Professional Football Players?
The incidence and prevalence of lower limb injuries is high in Australian Football. Previous research has found a relationship between deficits in muscles in the lumbopelvic region and lower limb injuries during the pre-season. The objective of this study was 1) to confirm if this relationship is also present during playing season and 2) to determine if motor control training (MCT) could reduce lower limb injuries. A total of 46 elite players were divided in 3 groups. Each group received the MCT during the season, although in a different sequence. Injuries were recorded by the club’s medical staff.
The results showed that a smaller size of the multifidii (MF) or quadratus lumborum (QL) (determined by MRI) were predictive of lower limb injury at the point players hadn’t done MCT. The players who received MCT had a lower risk of severe injury. This study suggests that MCT could be a useful part of a injury prevention program in elite Australian Football players > from Hides et al., Med Sci Sports Exerc. (2013) (Epub ahead of print). All rights reserved to the American College of Sports Medicine.
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