I think this article could belong here.... It's very interesting..... Thursday, October 20, 2022 Can soccer back up the claim that its rules contribute to the safety and welfare of players? by Paul Gardner
“A major study of former Scottish international rugby union players found they were more than twice as likely to get dementia, and had a 15-fold increased risk of motor neurone disease [i.e. ALS, MS]. The retired sportsmen were also roughly 3 times more likely to get Parkinson's, according to the largest ever analysis of rugby players and brain health.” https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/...ICE-likely-dementia-landmark-study-warns.html
The Athletic has an article on Liverpool's 23 yo Darwin Nunez and his many injuries, such as an ACL at age 17. These quotes from British knee surgeon Andy Williams “For a serious young footballer, the big problem is they miss a season and never catch up with their colleagues,” says Williams. “When I operate on them, they all get back to playing just about, and everyone is happy with the surgery and with me, but they rarely get a contract. "The average return to play for a footballer who ruptures an ACL is around 8 months, though it is usually longer if other structures within the knee have also been damaged. And for a younger player, Williams says research he published last year on 232 professional footballers whose ACLs he repaired shows that recovery can take longer. “We found the under-25s had a couple of months longer recovery. Maybe that’s because it’s a shock to them — there’s a big psychological element to it and they are frightened, while the older players have had more injuries so are more ‘get up and go’. “Or it might partly be because medical staff are worried about them because there is a much higher re-rupture rate, particularly in the under-20s. Re-rupture is a disaster. [Later he says it usually occurs in the first 2 years.] If you miss a second season at that age, that’s probably the end of your career. If you’re really senior, a club will wait for you — they’ve invested so much in you, everyone knows you’re good and proven.
A few years back, I was part of a running club where recurring injuries were a big problem due to outdated treatment methods. It made me realize how crucial up-to-date care really is. I ended up diving into research on different types of supportive tapes and bandages to see if I could help our club out. I started using the right kind of tape for my knee issues, and it made a significant difference in managing my pain and improving my performance.
Thanks for the information! Go Dortmund! I got to watch them play at their stadium way back in 2001? against Hansa Rostock. Dortmund prevailed 3-0.
I've found KT tape to be the only one that consistently works while under stress. However, in my experience it is only good for muscle strains - it does nothing for joint injuries. I can have a pulled hammie or calf and the KT makes me good to go (well, better than nothing!) Didn't do squat for my f-d up shoulder - only surgery fixed that - or when I have a sore knee.
Here's an interesting input on the mental health side of pro sports. I'm catching up on the Julian Gressel Player Manager podcast. At around the last 20' of this May-7-2024 episode, Gressel shares how he has been getting therapy for several months. It sounds like the many trades, Crew not extending his contract, and his new role at Miami led him to seek help. It's commendable that Gressell is so open about this. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podca...-other-important/id1733316694?i=1000654914136
Hey everybody, Competitive Edge Physical Therapy is opening a satellite office in Santa Clara and having an open house on Wed Oct-16-2024 @ 6:00-8:00. Register here if you want to drop by and learn about their services. They specialize in athletes and do high tech stuff including gait analysis and help Quakes players with recovery. They also treat old former athletes like me. The new location is 2318 Walsh Ave, Suite D, Santa Clara CA 95051
Competitive Edge has special treadmill, video cameras, and strain gauge sensors. So they can show you the pressure points on your feet as your run/walk. My PT just showed me these Strength test numbers to balance for example glute and quad. I’m supposed to get glute and quad to be 1:1 but I’m only in the 200 range, whereas the Quakes players are supposed to be in the 400:400 range.
Science! This stuff gets better all the time, even when it’s called by the same name. Loads of medical advances! Helps keep me young, or at least not so freaking old! Go Quakesfans!!
Where do you think all of the Para Olympians are getting all of the stuff from? While still in school at CSU Dominquez Hills for her Orthotics and Prosthetics she worked with one who was a track and field athlete.
I was just trying to point out, people around here don’t have to be pro soccer players or para olympians to get the same kind of neuromuscular analysis that will improve sports as well as everyday living. They can go to Competitive Edge, which is now conveniently located in Santa Clara, so to speak.
A few days ago I had a chance to ask Shea Salinas a few questions and he gave me some food for thought. I asked him about the long MLS season and how that affected players. I said that to fans, it sometimes looks like some or all of the EQ players sort of fade by the end of the season. I think he initially thought I was l just looking to explain team results; his first reply was simply that whether or not players are tiring out, that is no excuse for losing because the opposing teams are in the same boat. As we talked a little more, he then said that during the Stahre year (I think he may have also referred to it as the 4 win season) he said that they had almost no preseason, and by the summer time that had really showed as player performance dropped. And to contrast that, he said that with Almeyda they were in super condition, but that during the summer he kept doing the difficult physical training; and that wore the players out and it showed a by the end of the season. So in one case, very little physical conditioning led to poor performance, and in another too much training hurt performance. (So I guess finding the "Goldilocks zone" is not something all coached can do). He also added over a season there are almost no players who are actually uninjured; he used himself as an example. While he never had a real serious injury, he had several different ailments during almost every season, such as tendonitis in several different places that required constant trainer care to keep him playing. He said that the players have the mindset to just keep on going, playing through the minor injuries.