ELCHE (ALICANTE), Nov. 8 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Active Physiotherapy, Manual Therapy and Image Analysis research group of the CEU Cardenal Herrera University in Elche (Alicante) has started a study with athletes to prevent and avoid injuries using imaging techniques such as thermography and Doppler ultrasound.
Until now, injury prevention was mainly focused on measuring the internal training load and therefore these experts have explored other preventive actions.
“Infrared thermography is a safe, harmless and non-invasive imaging technique that allows us to record the body’s infrared radiation and translate it into temperature. Thanks to its high sensitivity we can observe minimal thermal changes that alert us to incipient pathophysiological processes that can be the prelude to an injury,” warned one of the experts.
Therefore, with this technique they can anticipate the appearance of the injury and be able to act prematurely. “On the other hand, Doppler ultrasound allows us to analyze the tendon from an unusual perspective, such as the vascular one, which informs us about the state of the tissue throughout the sports season, warning us of possible changes,” he added.
From here is where the study focuses on joining the information from these two imaging techniques, together with the data on the injuries that occurred during the season. “With the aim of being able to establish preventive measures that alert us to the possible appearance of an injury and to be able to anticipate it,” he indicated.
BENEFITS FOR THE ATHLETE AND THE CLUBS
The researchers are working with the Almoradí Volleyball Club, which competes in the Men’s Volleyball Super League 2, where they are leaders of their group. “We have opted for volleyball due to its high prevalence of patellar tendinopathy. It is a jumping sport with a high demand for this tendon, which makes it ideal for this study,” said one of the analysts.
With the players of this team they are carrying out the measurements that will allow them to establish guidelines and prevention measures, beneficial for the athletes and the clubs, because “the number of injuries can be reduced,” he assured. “We must bear in mind that injuries are not only a health problem, but also a factor that reduces individual and team performance, and that it also translates into economic losses. The great teams of different disciplines already have realized these benefits and more and more are incorporating this technology into their prevention plan,” he said.
This study is part of a pre-competitive project awarded by the San Pablo CEU University Foundation with a duration of 2 years, led by Jesús Sánchez Mas. The research group is made up of CEU UCH professors Cristina Orts Ruiz, Cristina Salar Andreu, José Martín Botella Rico, Sergio Montero Navarro, Javier Molina Payá and Sonia del Río Medina.