Injury Prevention Programs/Performance Enhancement Programs: Secrets To Their Success.

It is well established that "Injury Prevention Programs" reduce ACL injury and all knee injuries by 50%, ankle injuries by 40% and all lower limb injuries by 22% (Finch et al, 2016, Grimm et al, 2016, Donnell-Fink et al, 2015). However, what is it that makes them successful? 

Here are just a few reasons:

VOLUME: 

Injury Prevention Programs administered to reduce ACL injury in female athletes were more likely to do so when they were carried out >30mins p/wk (⬇68% chance) vs 15-30mins p/wk (⬇54% chance) vs <15mins p/wk (⬇34% chance) - Sugimoto et al (2014).

PERCEPTION/ADHERENCE:

An ACL Injury Prevention Program in a group of teenage girls was more likely to be adhered to if research proved they would have fewer injury risk factors, and less likely to sustain an ACL injury by performing the program - Martinez et al (2017).

CONTENT:

Injury prevention programs decreased overall youth sports injury risk by 46%. However, those that include PLYOMETRICS decreased risk by 55% vs 26% that didn't - Butler et al (2016). 

Furthermore an Injury Prevention Program that included AGILITY, BALANCE and JUMPING in female youth soccer players reduced injuries by 38% v a standard warm up that consisted of static stretches only. The researchers found that this injury reduction resulted in a $2.7M healthcare saving over 1 year! - Marshall et al (2016).

Take home message:

We know Injury Prevention Programs work but getting buy-in is CRUCIAL! This leads to better compliance rates and overall success of the program. Content is also important with dynamic activities showing superior results to static exercise.

For more information on this topic feel free to contact me at www.mickhughes.physio 

Research Links: 1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3969416/ 

2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26637173

3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27605687

4) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26399611

5) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27544657

6) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27034127