Newswise — Hockey season is less than two months away. Now is the time for parents and coaches to think long and hard about warm-ups to prevent the possible development of osteoarthritis.
We all want our kids to play our national game but their long-term health is equally important. As Don Cherry would say, "this one's for all the kids watching at home who play hockey."
"Knee injuries are among the most common form of hockey injuries. A single knee injury as a teenager or young adult can triple the risk of osteoarthritis - the most common form of arthritis - in that knee by middle age," said Dr. Cy Frank, Scientific Director, Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA) of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and an admitted hockey addict.
With 551,655 youth hockey players in Canada last year, creating and implementing a simple education program to prevent knee injuries could have a huge long-term impact on public health and health care costs, the same way that previous education programs have reduced concussions and other upper-body injuries.
"Knee injury prevention alone could reduce osteoarthritis of the knee - and its future disabling pain - by at least 20%. We know that lower body injuries, including knee injuries, account for 31% of all hockey injuries and that sprains are the most common type of hockey injury to any part of the body" says Dr. Frank.
With funding from IMHA, Dr. John M. Esdaile, Professor of Medicine at the University of British Columbia and Scientific Director of the Arthritis Research Centre of Canada in Vancouver, is leading a team of researchers that is developing and testing an osteoarthritis prevention program. The research aims to reduce the number of injuries by an estimated 25%.
"Hockey is great exercise and, given the rising incidence of obesity in Canada - another risk factor in the development of osteoarthritis - we want to encourage the type of physical activity among our youth that is both fun and will help them maintain a healthy body weight, " said Dr. Esdaile. "But we want to be sure that the physical activity of our national sport itself won't lead to osteoarthritis."
Specifically, the research team will train coaches to use proper warm-up methods targeting quadriceps/hamstring flexibility, stretching, power and agility drills, skill techniques to avoid injury and appropriate rehabilitation if injury occurs. Coupled with the efforts of the hockey community to reduce avoidable injuries, playing hockey may become a great deal safer.
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's agency for health research. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to catalyze its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 10,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada. http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca
CIHR's Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA)supports research to enhance active living, mobility and movement, and oral health. IMHA addresses causes, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation for a wide range of conditions related to bones, joints, muscles, connective tissue, skin and teeth.
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