Roscoe Physiotherapy Educates Football Parents, Coaches on "The Risks of the Game" and Wha

This past weekend, members of Roscoe Physiotherapy attended a youth football camp hosted by West Middlesex High School's varsity head coach Mark Means, his coaching staff, and high school players. The event focused on the fundamentals of the game, including skills training, safety, equipment, and proper strength and conditioning programming. Team members of Roscoe Physiotherapy were glad to take the lead on an educational portion that provided information to parents of the student athletes in attendance, which included athletes from schools in the Shenango Valley, as well as the Pittsburgh area and western Ohio.

In the session, the physio team shared information on the top injuries that they see in football players, and what parents and coaching staff can do to prevent these injuries. The session wrapped up with specific warning signs that they should be looking for as the intense months of summer camp and the fall season fast approach.

Parent's in attendance expressed concerns about the safety of their children in contact sports, and said that they weren't always sure whether their child was truly suffering from an injury, or just experiencing the typical "aches and pains" of the game. They shared stories of the common complaints that they hear from their kids during the season, and were given tools to differentiate between general soreness, and the type of pain that might indicate a more serious problem.

Roscoe Physiotherapy team members empathized with the parents, saying that the information about what to do with pain and injury is not always readily available. Their goal is to spread more awareness so that parents and coaches can spot the signs of an impending injury, and know where to take their athletes when the warning signs present themselves.

"As a physical therapist, there are so many times a young athlete comes into our office and I think, 'If only we could have caught this six months ago'. On the flip side, we see athletes come in and we are so glad that they came in when they did, so that we have a chance to correct the issue before it progresses to a more serious injury", said Anthony Roscoe, Owner and Doctor of Physical Therapy at Roscoe Physiotherapy.

Some of the top warning signs that they said parents and coaches should consider "red flags" are increased complaints of soreness, increased pain, and increased fatigue that persist longer than 2-3 days. At this point, they recommend the athletes sees a physical therapist or other provider to ensure that there is not a more serious, underlying issues. At this point, a physical therapist can perform a thorough exam to determine where the pain is coming from, and what can be done to provide a long term solution, often times preventing serious injuries that may require surgery.

"The most common injuries we see in football players are knee injuries like ACL and Meniscal tears, shoulder injuries such as Labrum and Rotator Cuff Tears, and low back strains and sprains. All of these injuries are very preventable, if caught in time and taken seriously to retrain proper mechanics, create body awareness, and create a specific strengthening program that targets not only the large muscle groups, but also smaller stabilizing muscles that support our joints", Roscoe explained.

The physical therapy clinic, in its' second year at it's Hermitage location, specializes in helping members of the Shenango Valley live more active and pain free lives, even when they've been told "you just have to live with the pain".

"Our goal is to continue to educate and increase awareness on what individualized, one-on-one physical therapy can do for people struggling with constant pain, or who simply want to be proactive in preventing a future of pain medications, injections, or surgery", added Marissa Jovenall, Manager at the outpatient clinic. "Our opportunity to speak at the youth football camp supports our mission to empower, educate, and provide solutions where people feel lost, confused, or hopeless about their health."

To read the complete presentation on injury prevention and warning signs for football players, visit the article on their website at this link: https://bit.ly/2XtvTnm