PROPRIOCEPTION TRACK FOR PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF SPORTIVE LESIONS

Abstract

Prevention programs can help the sport practice to enhance their benefits to the athletes' health and minimize the occurrence of lesions (ELLENBECKER, 1992; WILK et al, 1993). Preventing knee and ankle lesions through proprioception is the issue of this research. This is a field research within two steps: the first a transversal and the other longitudinal. In the first 26 volleyball athletes hurt during an international championship held annually by the Curitibano Club, Curitiba - Paraná, were evaluated in order to check the most common lesions into competition. The second step stated from the physiotherapeutic evaluation of 12 juvenile male volleyball athletes of the Curitibano Club, over juvenile Paranaense selection season, that took part in as a control group. From this data survey a proprioception track for knee and ankle was elaborated. The proprioception track has been used for two years, twice a week, for ten minutes. The athletes were reevaluated by the T Student test, for the comparisons between the lesions reported at the first and the second evaluation. At the transversal step, one noticed that the major lesions (65%) were on inferior limbs 38% knee and 27% ankle. So it has been made a bibliographic survey based on scientific evidences for building the proprioception track. That track owns ten steps with different stimuli. Steps sequence: eversion ramp, inversion ramp, box with rubbers, foam degrees, dorsi-flexion ramp, planti-flexion ramp, circular balance board, foam alternated track, ankle swing, and elastic platform. After two years of use of the proprioception track there were 50% of meaningful reduction (p<0.008) of the inferior limbs lesions. The track acts making the proprioceptive neuromuscular reprogramation, which acts as reflexive training increasing the quality and speed of muscle protection, diminishing the lesions signs of knee and ankle.