Soccer, being probably the most popular sport in the world, is finally beginning to sky-rocket in popularity here in the U.S.A.  This is a sport that requires a lot of skilled co-ordination, speed and stamina.  Its also a fairly rough sport (even though it's supposed to be non-contact) and players often end up with many contusions and grass burns.  Concussions are extremely common due to the velocity at which the ball is traveling and incidental contact from athletes going for 'headers'.

Soccer players are susceptible to a variety of injuries.  With the intense amounts of running that takes place in this game, many of these problems are similar to those that a runner would suffer from.  To see our Running Injuries page click here. 

Players may also incur injuries from the quick changes in direction that they must make.  This alone or combined with contact from a misjudged slide tackle can easily lead to knee and ankle injuries.  A sprained ankle or a sprained anterior cruciate or medial collateral ligament in the knee is not uncommon. 

Muscle imbalances that commonly occur in soccer players involve the iliotibial band, the gluteus medius, the hamstrings, and the vastus lateralis muscles.  These muscles work in a highly coordinated fashion for the combination of running and quick lateral movements.  Adhesions between these muscles can lead to recurring muscle strains and impede performance.  These muscle imbalances are best corrected using Active Release Techniques.