Football Season is
here, and so are their injuries! A great study to read regarding
management of football injuries. A sport that results in common
musculoskeletal injuries managed efficiently by chiropractic
from The American Journal of Sports Medicine current
issue by Mall, N. A., Buchowski, J., Zebala, L., Wright,
R. W., Matava, M. J.
Background:
The majority of
previous literature focusing on spinal injuries in American football players is
centered around catastrophic injuries; however, this may underestimate the true
number of these injuries in this athletic cohort.
Purpose:
The goals of this
study were to (1) report the incidence of spinal and axial skeleton injuries,
both minor and severe, in the National Football League (NFL) over an 11-year
period; (2) determine the incidence of spinal injury by injury type, anatomic
location, player position, mechanism of injury, and type of exposure (practice
vs game); and (3) determine the average number of practices and days missed
because of injury for each injury type.
Study Design:
Descriptive
epidemiological study.
Methods:
All documented
injuries to the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine; pelvis; ribs; and spinal
cord were retrospectively analyzed using the NFL’s injury surveillance database
over a period of 11 seasons from 2000 through 2010. The data were analyzed by
the number of injuries per athlete-exposure, the anatomic location and type of
injury, player position, mechanism of injury, and number of days missed per
injury.
Results:
A total of 2208
injuries occurred to the spine or axial skeleton over an 11-season interval in
the NFL, with a mean loss of 25.7 days per injury. This represented 7% of the
total injuries during this time period. Of these 2208 injuries, 987 (44.7%)
occurred in the cervical spine. Time missed from play was greatest for thoracic
disc herniations (189 days/injury). Other injuries that had a mean time missed
greater than 30 days included (in descending order) cervical fracture (120
days/injury), cervical disc degeneration/herniation (85 days/injury), spinal
cord injury (77 days/injury), lumbar disc degeneration/herniation (52
days/injury), thoracic fracture (34 days/injury), and thoracic nerve injury (30
days/injury). Offensive linemen were the most likely to suffer a spinal injury,
followed by defensive backs, defensive linemen, and linebackers. Blocking and
tackling were the 2 most frequent injury mechanisms reported.
Conclusion:
Spinal and axial
skeleton injuries occur frequently in the NFL and can result in significant
time missed from practices and games. Tackling and blocking result in the
greatest number of injuries, and players performing these activities are the
most likely to sustain a spinal injury. The results of this study may be used
as an impetus to formulate strategies to prevent spinal injuries in American
football players.
Joshua M. Brooks, D.C.
For more information and articles on chiropractic care, health tips and wellness please visit our website at www.rosachiropracticfairfax.com.
Dr. Joshua Brooks is a graduate of New York Chiropractic College, where he was an honors student throughout his career and the recipient of the Distinguished Service and Alumni Service awards. He also holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Health and Exercise Science from Syracuse University with a concentration in Pre-Medicine and Nutrition. While at Syracuse, Dr. Brooks was a non-scholarship athlete on the basketball team for three years, including the 2003 National Championship season. He is currently a member of the American Chiropractic Association Sports Council and manages a First Aid/CPR/AED Training Center through the American Safety and Health Institute. Dr. Brooks is experienced in treating a variety of neuromusculoskeletal conditions, with a particular interest in sports related injuries.
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