To create awareness among high school level football players about the importance of physiotherapy in preventing injuries during sports and physical activity, the Faculty of Health Sciences together with MAHSA Recreation and Sports (MARS) conducted a talk on “Physiotherapy & Football: Prevention & Management of Injuries” on the 4th September 2022.
The session started with a welcoming and introduction speech by Mr. Navarathnaraja, Head of Department, MAHSA Recreation and Sports. The speaker was our MAHSA Physiotherapy Lecturer from the Faculty of Health Sciences, Mr. Muthukumaran. Mr. Muthukumaran holds a Master’s degree in Sports Physiotherapy and a Diploma in Pharmacy with more than 16 years of experiences in Physiotherapy.
Soccer (football) is one of the most popular sports in Malaysia. However, the participation in sports and physical activity increases the risk of injury. Sports Is the second highest major cause of accidental musculoskeletal injuries ranking only behind road traffic accidents in terms of years lost due to disability and direct hospital costs. Treating sports injuries is often difficult, expensive, and time-consuming.
Mr. Muthukumaran shared his knowledge and expertise on the ways and means of preventing injuries during football. He conveyed a comprehensive injury prevention program, which includes appropriate clothing, how to pick shoes, and selection of sport-specific shoes. He stressed on the importance of staying hydrated even during cold climatic conditions to prevent dehydration and hypovolemic shock. Next, he spoke about the warm-up and cooling-down of the body for better preparation and recovery during high-intensity physical activity.
At the end of the session, he answered a few questions from the players about staying fit and also questions raised regarding the anterior cruciate ligament injuries in the knee by the participants. All in all it was a very engaging session which the students thoroughly enjoyed. FOHS looks forward to conducting more similar outreach programmes together with MARS in the near future.