People who suddenly start playing and running on weekends put their knees at risk of injury. Minor mistakes, such as sharply twisting the foot while playing football, rapidly changing direction in badminton, or sudden sprinting, can lead to serious knee injuries that can halt an athlete's career for months, or require long recovery for ordinary people.
This refers to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, which is the most common knee injury. The ACL functions to stabilize the knee; when damaged, a person experiences severe pain, swelling, and difficulty walking. If timely help is not provided, surgical intervention is required in some cases.
Experts point to many factors contributing to this injury. However, the risk increases if a person does not engage in physical activity throughout the week and then suddenly starts playing and running on the weekend. It is possible to prevent such injuries, and specialists have explained what athletes and ordinary people should do to protect against ACL injury.
Dr. Rahul Grover, an assistant professor and orthopedic surgeon from the Safdarjung Hospital Sports Injury Center, gave an interview to Aajtak.in regarding this issue.
Dr. Rahul asserts that the notion that a knee injury happens suddenly during a game is mistaken; it is not always just bad luck. Often, the cause is problems with the player's body balance. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of ACL injury cases. Although it is a common injury among athletes, it is also found among ordinary people, especially those who play football, cricket, or badminton without observing safety measures.
Many athletes regularly run and go to the gym, considering themselves fully prepared. However, simply being in good physical shape does not guarantee that the body can withstand the loads during a game. Some players may have strong muscles but weak balance. Others lift heavy weights but have difficulty stopping suddenly or changing direction while running. Therefore, it is crucial to pay attention to these aspects alongside the game itself.
Dr. Rahul notes that many children and young people are busy with studies or work throughout the week and only play on weekends. He calls such people 'weekend warriors'. Nevertheless, if a person loves sports, they should engage in them for a few hours every day during the week. This is because if the body is not in constant training and then suddenly starts running or playing intensely, the risk of injury significantly increases.
Studies have shown that young women and adolescents may have an increased risk of ACL injury. This is due not to one reason, but to an interaction of factors, including body structure and hormonal background. Girls who participate in sports such as football, basketball, badminton, and handball need specialized training.
Many consider warm-up merely a formality, but a properly conducted 15-minute warm-up can reduce the probability of ACL injury. To do this, stretching, jumping, and muscle activation exercises should be performed before starting any game. However, the benefit will only be noticeable with regular execution.