Individuals participating in various sports either for recreation or competition are prone to injuries. Different factors such as age, musculoskeletal conditions, techniques, past injuries increase the risk of injuries. In order to prevent injuries to the lower extremities, it is important to consider the cost, grief and disabling consequences that may occur. An effective measure which is used to prevent injuries is a Pre-participation physical exam and Screening.
Pre-Participation Physical Exam (PPE) involves various tests and techniques to determine the predictive injuries that may occur at the lower extremities like the hips, knee or ankle.
Screening is similar to PPE but the techniques used to identify the conditions and predict injuries are different. Before the beginning of the sports season, every player is expected to undergo screening to reduce the risk of any kind of physical, mental or psychological injuries.
The coach of the team or player is responsible for screening the players. Various screening tests are conducted to ensure that there are minimal risk and optimal health conditions.
The screening process should start before the pre-season training. It should be designed in a way to ensure if the players are capable of withstanding the rigorous conditions of the sport. After completing the screening process by coach, more tests are conducted by physical therapists, doctors, and sports scientists.
Given Below Are The Main Aims Of Screening
- Prevent injuries
- Educate the sportsman
- Review different vaccinations and medications
- Collecting data from neuropsychological and blood tests
- Optimizing performance by recommending appropriate nutrition, biomechanics
- Ensuring better musculoskeletal health
- Developing professional relationships with the athletes
- Prevention of sudden death
- Ensuring optimal medical health like Asthma, depression, menstrual cycles, diabetes
- Assessing the various factors of the players’ lifestyle that may affect the performance
- Assessing the effectiveness of a rehabilitation program on past injuries
There are certain screening protocols that are followed to conclude a player to be fit and efficient. Some of the protocols include:
- Medical screening: The early detection of diseases and risks is possible only through the sports medical screening examination. It is clear that the examination can contribute to reducing risks such as sudden cardiac death. This protocol aims in identifying present or latent diseases that may risk the health of the player. The protocol includes a set of questions that are a part of personal medical history, orthopedic and internal examinations, family history, sporting activities.
- Cardiovascular screening: The purpose of preparticipation cardiovascular screening is to identify abnormalities that may increase the chances of disease progression or sudden death. Early identification of diseases may help the player to undergo necessary treatments and prevent death. It may sometimes involve withdrawing oneself from sports.
- Musculoskeletal screening: The player should be capable of bearing the progressive training load and competitive demands of respective sports. Musculoskeletal screening involves identifying risks associated with muscles and joints. The range of movement, strength, and proprioception are considered while evaluating the player.
- Performance screening: In performance screening, the athletic ability of a player is assessed.
The screening technique is beneficial for every sport to improve the performance and health of the players.