Challenging injuries and chronic pain in professional footballers - is there a way out?

 As I was preparing for my talk for the AFC Medical Conference, I had the opportunity to get the help of a fellow researcher and statistician from Aspetar to evaluate the data of my shockwave work in footballers. We realised that some footballers do suffer from nagging injuries which lingered on after months. Some of them continue to play but some may seek regular recovery work or rehabilitation with their medical team. Being inside and outside of the dressing room where the players prepare, it is clear that at times they would prefer to have these problems sorted out. 

From 2015-2024, we noted that such footballers were referred with the following injuries for focal shockwave therapy. These injuries include Achilles tendinopathy, ankle impingement, knee focal cartilage defect, plantar fasciopathy, patella tendinopathy and foot fracture / stress injury. Details of the findings will be available in the lecture "Pursuit for return to play with focal shockwave in challenging football injuries" on 23rd July 2025.  

Athletic Taping

Athletic Taping is a type of treatment which utilises woven fabric (rigid or elastic) to provide additional proprioceptive stimulus and additional support to enable participation in sports while limiting the risk of re-injury or further injury. It is often used in rehabilitation of muscle and tendon injuries. Athletes and coaches should be aware of various techniques of taping which could come in handy when the need arises during training or competition. Taping can provide additional stability while allowing flexibility unlike some bracing devices.

Ankle joints are most commonly taped to prevent lateral ankle sprain. Other common parts which may benefit from taping are knee, shoulder, wrist, Interphalangeal joints (fingers and toes), hamstring and quadriceps, foot and Achilles tendon.

You may contact me at draston@gmail.com if you are interested in organising a course for your athletes or coaches.

Here are some of the photos taken from the work of students in a taping workshop:-

Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

Course Description

The conference agenda is designed to promote multi-level, integrative, and translational research, and to encourage both new and established investigators to undertake research consistent with this goal. The conference program will highlight the need to investigate factors across a range of levels (i.e., biological, medical, psychological, social) that account for variations in outcomes following pediatric TBI and to translate the results of research into effective treatments and interventions.

Target Audience

Neuroscientists, Neuropsychologists, Neurologists, Neurosurgeons, Intensive Care Physicians, Physiatrists, Rehabilitation Professionals, Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows.

Objectives

Assemble the world’s leading basic scientists, clinical scientists, and clinicians to advance integrative and translational research on pediatric traumatic brain injury
Present the latest research and practice regarding pediatric traumatic brain injury from speakers who are actively advancing the field with new discoveries
Engender collaborative relationships amongst basic scientists, clinical scientists, and clinicians, to further advance the field
Encourage participation by graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and new investigators, to promote the further growth of the field
Accreditation

This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

Links you need to know:-
Official Website