Written by: Allison Scheller, PT, DPT
Physical therapy can help when you are injured, but we can also help prevent injuries, especially when it comes to young female athletes. Female athletes are more susceptible to injuries, such as ACL injuries, ankle sprains, and concussions. They also are at risk for developing female athlete triad. It is important to screen these athletes for strength imbalances that may cause these individuals to be more at risk for developing these injuries. Some other contributing factors to increased injury rate includes:
- Wider pelvis- which increases the angle from the pelvis to knee causing increased stress on the ACL
- More lax ligaments- females typically have more “give” to their ligaments compared to males, which combined with increased flexibility creates more instability to the joints
- Hormones- estrogen has been researched to also be a contributing factor to ACL tears
- Larger quadriceps to hamstring ratio- females typically have stronger quadriceps compared to hamstring muscles leading to increased stress placed on the ACL
- The intercondylar notch- this is the groove in the femur where the ACL passes. It is naturally smaller in women than in men. The ACL itself in females is also smaller, making it more prone to injury
Although there are several risk factors females have to developing various injuries, there are several ways to prevent these injuries and limit time away from sports. Some tips for injury prevention include:
- Avoid overuse injuries
- Completing thorough dynamic warm-up before practice and games
- Appropriate recovery and rest between practices and games
- Wearing appropriate protective equipment
- Maintain appropriate hydration before, during, and after sport
- Ensure appropriate strength and endurance training throughout the season and pre-season
- Get screened or schedule a physical therapy evaluation with an FX Doctor of Physical Therapy to assess body mechanics, strength imbalances, and appropriate form before an injury occurs
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