The game of football is also known as soccer in USA. Football or soccer has been played on open ground since 15th centuries. Nowadays rough ground are leveled and covered by artificial or real grass to prevent football injuries. In the past football injuries were caused by falling down over uneven surface resulting in skin laceration, cuts and bruises. Football or Soccer as a sport has become were competitive in recent time. The players are always eager to score goal or prevent opposition from scoring goal. The large number of spectator wants the home team to win. During international tournament the entire nation supports the home team to win the elimination round and championship. The astronomical high expectations sometime forces players to outperform their ability. Football players or soccer players often get hurt while over performing during tournaments.
Professional soccer games became popular during last quarter century in USA. Financial benefits to franchise and players slowly started ballooning in late 19th century and early 20th century. The little league tournaments are created for elementary and middle school children. The high school teams were divided in varsity and junior varsity team. Tensed parents and recruiters for college team are regular spectators at school and college football tournaments. Athletes want to do best to get scholarship and recruited by professional team. Professional career is a ticket to fortune and luxury life if one does not get injured.
Football injuries sustained during football or soccer game are either minor or major injuries. Football injuries sustained by children and adult are similar depending on cause of injury. The ball control and ball strike involves footwork and balancing of upper body. Fall resulting in football injury is often caused by push or pull by the players of opposite team or tripping while running. While playing football, players use arms mostly to prevent head injury and upper body injury. Football player has to cover the entire ground, which is of length of 100 meter and width of 60 meter. The game is divided in 2 halves of 45 minutes with 15 minutes break after continuous 45 minutes of play. Football injury is observed when participant is not physically fit and not concentrating on game.
List of Most Common Football Injuries-
- Brain Concussion
- Neck Sprain
- Rib Injury
- Joint Sprain
- Wrist Joint Sprain
- Ankle Joint Injury
- Knee Joint Injury
Brain Concussion Caused By Football Injury
- Concussion is caused when brain is shaken within close skull.
- Mild to moderate concussion may cause temporary brain injury, which may not present any symptoms or sign.
- Severe concussion may be presented as confusion, headache, unable to concentrate, loss of memory and dizziness.
- Concussion may not cause any visible injury to brain like brain contusion or brain laceration
- Repeated concussion may lead to brain contusion or laceration. Brain contusion or laceration may cause permanent disability and irreversible changes in brain.
Neck Sprain Caused By Football Injury
- Neck sprain while playing soccer or football may cause a partial or complete tear of ligaments in the neck.
- Neck is supported by 7 cervical vertebrae and acts as a fulcrum between head and upper chest.
- During fall or forceful push neck gets whiplash with head moving in rapid acceleration resulting in injury of ligaments, tendon and cartilage.
- Rarely during group collision head may be stuck under fellow player and chest is violently twisted by a group collision, which may result in fracture or dislocation of vertebral joint.
- Neck sprain caused by ligament, tendon and muscle sprain or tear recovers with least complications.
Rib Trauma Caused By Football Injury
- Intercostal Muscle Spasm
- Side bow or elbowing often causes rib injury.
- Players can continue participating in game with mild to moderate pain.
- Intercostal muscle spasm is one of the most common injuries among chest injury.
- Rib Contusion
- Rib gets contused when struck by severe blow.
- Contusion is associated with subcutaneous bleeding and/or rib laceration.
- Less common injury then intercostal muscle sprain.
Joint Trauma Caused by Football Injury
- Wrist Joint Sprain
- Ligament and tendon laceration or partial tear causes severe pain.
- Joint swelling is observed because of soft tissue swelling and subcutaneous bleeding.
- Ankle Joint Injury
- Most common ankle joint injury during football game is ankle joint sprain.
- Football injury causes ligament and tendon laceration or tear.
- Knee Joint Injury
- Most common knee joint injury is ligament or cartilage tear.
- Football injury rarely causes dislocation or fracture.
List of Less Common Football Injuries –
- Skin Trauma Caused by Football Injury
- Bruises-
- Purple painful discoloration observed under the intact skin.
- Bruising is caused by rupture of small blood vessels or capillaries under the skin
- Laceration-
- Laceration is superficial or deep painful cut in the skin
- Skin discoloration is because of bleeding underneath the skin
- Skin layer is intact but separated by cut.
- Skin Abrasion-
- Skin abrasion is scrapping of the superficial layer of the skin.
- Extremely painful condition as pain receptor is exposed to the atmosphere.
- Deep Penetrating Injury-
- Fall over the uneven ground may result in stone or sharp object penetrating through skin.
- Injury may cause severe bleeding and pain.
- Bruises-
- Head Trauma Caused By Football Injury
- Skin bruises, laceration or abrasion.
- Skull Fracture.
- Cerebral Hemorrhage.
- Brain Concussion, contusion or laceration.
- Neck Trauma Caused By Football Injury
- Ligament Sprain
- Disc bulge or Disc Herniation
- Fracture of Vertebra
- Chest Injury Caused by Football Injury
- Rib Fracture
- Intercostal Muscle Tear
- Lower Back Trauma Caused by Football Injury
- Back Muscle Spasm
- Back Muscle Tear
- Disc Bulge or Disc Herniation
- Extremity Trauma Caused by Football Injury
- Ligament Injury-
- Sprain
- Tear
- Partial
- Complete
- Tendon Injury –
- Partial
- Complete
- Muscle Injury-
- Spasm
- Tear
- Bones-
- Contusion
- Fracture
- Joint-
- Subluxation
- Dislocation.
- Ligament Injury-
List Of Recent Soccer Injuries Observed In 2014 FIFA World Cup Are As Follows:
- Steve Von Bergen of Switzerland got a kick on his face and had a broken facial bone in their match against France.
- Thomas Mueller of Germany got a cut on his face around his eyes and required few stitches in their match against Ghana.
- Clint Dempsey of USA suffered a broken nose after getting kicked on his face in their match against Ghana
- Bruno Martin Indi of Netherlands suffered from concussion in their match against Australia.
- Chrithian Noboa of Ecuador suffered head injury in their match against France.
- Jozy Altidore of USA suffered from Hamstring Injury in their match against Ghana.
- Michael Babatunde of Nigeria broke his wrist in their match against Argentina.
- Sofiane Feghouli of Algeria suffered from head injury in their match against Russia.
- Giorgio Chiellini of Italy suffered from bite mark on his shoulder in their match against Uruguay.
- Jermaine Jones and Alejandro Bedoya, both players from USA suffered from head and facial injuries in a collision.
- Fabio Coentrao of Portugal suffered from tear of the abductor longus muscle in the right thigh.
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