Sports Injury Prevention & Screening Programs

The most effective treatment for a sports injury is the one that never has to happen. Sports injury prevention screening uses a combination of movement assessments, strength testing, and sport-specific functional tests to identify the biomechanical risk factors that are statistically associated with injury, and to address them before they produce one.

The evidence for injury prevention screening is robust across a range of sports and injury types. Hip abductor weakness and dynamic valgus on single-leg tasks are strongly associated with ITB syndrome and ACL injury. Shoulder rotator cuff strength deficits and scapular control issues are associated with impingement and rotator cuff tears in overhead athletes. Ankle dorsiflexion restriction is associated with patellofemoral pain, Achilles tendinopathy, and plantar fasciitis. Identifying these deficits before injury occurs (and addressing them with targeted exercise) is the most evidence-based injury prevention strategy available.

At this practice, screening programmes are available for individual athletes, for sports teams, and for corporate groups seeking to reduce musculoskeletal injury rates and sick leave. Each screening generates a personalised risk profile and a targeted exercise programme addressing the specific deficits identified.