Sensorimotor training for injury prevention in collegiate soccer players: An experimental study.

OBJECTIVES

Deliver a sensorimotor training intervention; quantify the change in clinical measurements of sensorimotor control; and compare injury rate to a historical control.

DESIGN

One-arm experimental pilot; Level 3.

SETTING

NCAA Division II university athletic facilities.

PARTICIPANTS

75 collegiate soccer players (38 males; 37 females) were enrolled, including 30 (40%) with history of concussion, and participated in eight training sessions.

OUTCOMES: Change in pre-to post-intervention for: static balance on the Sway app, near-point convergence, self-reported symptoms on the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale, cervical flexor neuromotor control/endurance, measured by the Cranial-Cervical Flexion Test and Joint Position Error test, and gaze stability on the Dynamic Visual Acuity Test. Injury incidence rate in 2018 was calculated using the number of traumatic injuries across the season and athlete exposure counts, as compared to a historical control.

RESULTS

Significant improvements were obtained in static balance, cervical flexor neuromotor control/endurance, and near-point convergence (p-values<0.01-0.03). Increases in symptom report (p = 0.02) and a decline in dynamic gaze stability (p < 0.01) were observed. There were 11.8 injuries/1000 athlete exposures in 2017 and 8.9 injuries/1000 athlete exposures in 2018 after the treatment (p = 0.18).

CONCLUSION

This intervention holds promise as a preventive strategy for sports-injury as a comprehensive population-based intervention.