Netball is the number one team based sport in Australia for women and girls. Anyone who has played or watched the sport will know that netball requires lots of sudden stopping and change of direction as well as repetitive jumping and landing. These activities place athletes at high risk of injury, with knees and ankles as the most commonly injured body parts, accounting for 85% of all injuries (Netball Australia National Insurance Data).
One of the more serious injuries seen in netball is to one of the major stabilisers of the knee, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). ACL injuries account for 25% of all serious injuries in netball (Netball Australia National Insurance Data).
Research shows the majority of injuries occur with landing, change of direction and deceleration. These activities are solo tasks, independent of contact from opposition. Therefore, good technique is critical to help reduce the risk of injury. As we know, prevention is always easier than treatment!
The KNEE program has recently been developed by Alanna Antcliff, Diamonds Head Physiotherapist, in collaboration with Leigh Smith, Steve Hawkins and Dr Sophie Armstrong. It is designed to be used as a 10-12 minute on court warm up, aimed at enhancing movement efficiency and reducing risk of injury. The KNEE program targets 3 groups of players – junior, recreational, and elite. It is a digital resource that can be easily accessed by any coach, player or manager. To learn more, head to the KNEE program website http://knee.netball.com.au/
Alternatively we have Accredited Netball Australia KNEE providers across all our practice locations and we could guide your club or association through this program.
Stephanie Randall works full-time at our Penrith rooms. Stephanie coordinates our Hydrotherapy service and our GLAD Australia program (exercise program for knee and hip osteoarthritis). Stephanie’s special interest areas include: sports injuries, vestibular physiotherapy and the management of osteoarthritis through exercise.
