Preventing ACL injuries in female athletes
July 16, 2008
COMPLIMENTARY SPORTS INJURY PREVENTION PAMPHLET FOR WOMEN
(Click here to request a Knee Injury Prevention pamphlet)
It’s estimated that more than 1.4 million women tear an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) every year. That’s double the number from a decade ago. Responding to a recent increase in sports injuries among female athletes, the Neurologic & Orthopedic Hospital has introduced a new informational pamphlet for female athletes. The pamphlet, entitled “Leveling the Playing Field: Knee Injury Prevention Strategies for Female Athletes, “ includes tips for reducing an individual’s risk of injuries and strengthening exercises for improving balance, coordination, power, strength and speed.
Preston Wolin, M.D., director of the Sports Medicine Program at the Neurologic & Orthopedic Hospital of Chicago believes a general naivety about good strengthening and conditioning practices is a major reason young women are injuring themselves far too frequently in competitive sports.
The pamphlet makes the following key points:
- One in 10 female collegiate athletes suffer a knee injury each year
- One in 100 female high school athletes suffer a knee injury each year
- Women experience four to eight times more knee injuries than men
- Knee injuries are just as common in non-contact sports as in contact sports, due to cutting, planting, pivoting, and changing direction
These shocking statistics were in part the impetus for offering this brochure as a public service for women who participate in competitive sports,” says Dr. Wolin.
Dr. Wolin remarks that women overwork their quadriceps muscles more than men and tend to land more flat-footed as well. This compounds the problem and leads to more knee injuries for women. He advises adding more stretching, strengthening, and sport-specific workouts to an athlete’s routine in order to prevent injury. Plyometrics, which are exercises designed to build explosive power, strength, and speed in the legs should be incorporated in order to help facilitate proper jumping technique.
The prevention strategies pamphlet explains why women tend to injure themselves more often, what to do if injury does occur, and what can be done to avoid injury on the playing field. It outlines seven different and unique strengthening exercises and shows how to perform them properly. All exercises can be done at home or the gym, making them quite accessible and easy to do.
The pamphlet can be obtained by calling 773 250-1009 or ordering it online at www.neuro-ortho.org
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5 Responses to “Preventing ACL injuries in female athletes”
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Can you e-mail a copy of the ‘preventing acl injuries in female atheletes’ phamplet to me? My daughter is a 16 year old soccer (and tennis) player. I’ve heard there are physical therapy type strengthening she can do to lessen the acl tear risk.
thanks,
It is wonderful to have a booklet to assist in conditioning, but remember for your daughter it is helpful to have both a sports physical as they have at many school prior to the sports session; and a screening from a physical therapist if she has some specific complaints. Problems with shin splints; foot pain; hip or low back problems in teens should be addressed to insure they don’t become lifelong problems. CINN can perform sports screens in any of their locations.
[...] Click here for information on knee injury prevention. [...]
For those of you interested in reading more about injuries in female athletes there was an interesting article in the August 24th Chicago Tribune Magazine.
Please email a copy of the sports injury prevention pamphlet for women to me. It would be a useful resource for me as a physical therapist. Thank you.
Krissy Mansell, DPT