With the Cardiff City physiotherapy team, consultant knee surgeon Mr Christopher Wilson and consultant foot and ankle surgeon Mr Rhys Thomas have been working on injury assessment and management at Cardiff City Football Club for more than 10 years
This combined approach, from the two specialist Nuffield Health consultants with club physiotherapists and conditioning coaches, is to improve muscle strength and balance.
Mr Wilson said: “There has been a significant reduction in football injuries at the higher levels through careful joint working. For example, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are frequent in a variety of sports. Only last month I performed four ACL reconstructions but the overall incidence in football is declining.”
With the club staff, the consultants look at players’ muscle groups and movement to improve flexibility and physical training to prevent ligament injuries in the ankle and knee, as well as to avoid hamstring and groin problems. The physiotherapists see players daily. Alongside physical training, they use yoga and other forms of gentle exercise.
“My colleague Rhys Thomas and I are called upon about once a fortnight for our opinions on whether surgery is required or whether a change in training is likely to resolve the issue.
Many footballers face strain on the inside of their legs which can lead potentially to an injury which may benefit from keyhole surgery,” said Mr Wilson from Nuffield Health Cardiff & Vale Hospitals.
Chris Wilson said, “Particularly Lars Engebretsen from Oslo has been working with Fifa to improve warm-up and strengthening regimes in academies and youth teams. So clubs are seeing injury reduction, whereas other sports are experiencing an increase.
