Wayne Diesel, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, UK

Injury is caused by alterations to the muscular, nervous or articular systems.  Pre-season screening uses two movement patterns: overhead squat and single leg squat to assess movement dysfunction.  Movement dysfunctions must then be broken down to investigate problems in the muscular, nervous or articular systems.  The dynamic movement assesssment is also used in pre & post intervention assessment.

Need to follow corrective exercise continuum based on dynamic movement screening: inhibiy, lengthen,  activate, integrate.

1. Inhibit overactive muscles – self myofascial release with foam roller
2. Lengthen overactive muscles – stretching
3. Active underactive muscles – isolated strengthening
4. Integrate into dynamic movement pattern – low load then progress

Take home messages

• Dynamic compliment screening should compliment isolated joint muscle screening
• generic injury prevention programme do work
• corrective exercise continuum used to re-establish normal movement patterns
• self directed

View abstract on conference website

Abstract

Traditionally pre-season physiotherapy screening exams of footballers have in the main revolved around joint specific clinical tests.  However, more recently medical staff at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club has started looking at screening tools that are functional; require little or no equipment; don’t take long to complete and hopefully prevent either the onset or recurrence of intrinsic injuries.  The National Academy of Sports Medicine’s [NASM] approach to functional screening met all of these objectives. The functional movements used include an Overhead Squat [OHS] and Single–Legged Squat [SLS]; requires only a postural grid; digital camera and can be completed inside of 15 minutes.

Overactive muscle groups that require inhibition and lengthening as well as underactive muscle groups that need isolated strengthening can then easily be identified and incorporated into the player’s individual Injury Prevention [IP] programmes. Historically all players, irrespective of differing movement dysfunction patterns, participated in identical IP programmes.

Finally, in the event of injury thought to result from dysfunction in their movement patterns, the restoration of correct movement patterns will follow a specific sequence of events. The NASM have developed a Corrective Exercise Strategy that will be discussed during the presentation.

Wayne Diesel. Pre-Season Screening of Professional Footballers – The Role Of Movement Assessment Manual Therapy, 2009 Oct; 14(5):S1-S54