Soccer is by far the most popular sport in the world. According to FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, over 240 million worldwide play soccer. Billions more watch the game. In the USA, youth soccer is very popular, with over 2.3 million young people participating.
Soccer is known as “football” in most of the world. In fact, the term “soccer” was coined in 1895 and is derived from the formal name of the game, “association football”. Games similar to modern soccer have been played around the world since ancient times.
The injury rate in soccer is only 1/5th that of American football. About 60% of soccer injuries involve the lower extremity, of which 25% involve the foot or ankle. Common injuries include ankle sprains, foot fractures, Achilles tendinitis, Achilles tendon rupture, stress fractures, plantar fasciitis, and muscle strain.
Most soccer injuries are due to overuse, overtraining, poor conditioning, or lack of proper warm-up. Prevention involves use of proper protective equipment, proper hydration and nutrition, adequate warm-up, proper training, and allowance of adequate time for recovery after injury.
The physicians of Melbourne Podiatry Associates have expertise in the treatment of lower extremity soccer injuries. If you or a family member or friend have a soccer injury, don’t hesitate to call our offices for an appointment.