Kinesitherapy in rehabilitation of Achilles tendon rupture and tendinopathy in football players

Cilj ovog rada je opisati i objasniti uzroke i mehanizme nastanka sindroma prenaprezanja i rupture Ahilove tetive u nogometu te objasniti važnost kineziterapije u njezinoj rehabilitaciji. Također je u interesu ovog rada opisati primjer kineziterapijskog programa vježbanja u funkcionalnim fazama rehabilitacije za obje ozljede. Ozljede Ahilove tetive često su praćene sa pojavom boli, oteklinom, i osjećajem ukočenosti. Nerijetko se pojavljuje kod rekreativaca starije životne dobi, ali se javlja i kod sportaša i to češće kod profesionalnih sportaša nego kod igrača iz omladinskog pogona. Neki od rizičnih čimbenika ozljeđivanja tetive jesu: dob, spol, prijašnje ozljede, stil igre, osjećaj umora i krutosti mišića i dr. Ozljede Ahilove tetive mogu se podijeliti na dva osnovna tipa: rupturu i tendinopatiju. Rupture se dijele na parcijalne i potpune, dok se tendinopatija dijeli prema mjestu patologije te može biti insercijska ili neinsercijska. Nakon dijagnosticiranja o kojoj se vrsti ozljede radi odabiru se dvije metode liječenja: operacijsko liječenje ili ne operacijsko odnosno konzervativno liječenje. Osnovni cilj operacijskog liječenja je spajanje tetive, dok je kod neoperacijskog liječenja osnovni cilj smanjenje boli. Nakon odabira metode liječenja, i prema smjernicama terapije izrađuje se plan i program rehabilitacije prema individualnim karakteristikama nogometaša. Posebno mjesto rehabilitacijskog plana zauzimaju terapijske vježbe. Znanstveno je dokazano da se primjenom fizikalne terapije, i terapijskih vježbi postižu najbolji rezultati oporavka. Kontrola opterećenja te praćenje osjeta boli od velikog su značaja pri oporavku nogometaša.The aim of this paper is to describe and explain the causes and mechanisms of overexertion syndrome and Achilles tendon rupture in football and to explain the importance of kinesitherapy in its rehabilitation. It is also in the interest of this paper to describe an example of a kinesitherapy exercise program in the functional stages of rehabilitation for both injuries. Achilles tendon injuries are often accompanied by the apperance of pain, swelling and a felling of stiffness in the tendon. It occurs more often in older recreationist, but it also occurs in the athletes, and more often in professional athletes than in players from the youth drive. Some of the risk factors for tendon injury are: age, gender, previous injuries, style of play, feeling of fatigue and muscle stiffness, etc. Achilles tendon injuries can be divided into two basic types: rupture and tendinopathy. Ruptures are divided into partial and complete, while tendinopathy is divided according to the site of pathology and can be insertional or non-insertional. After diagnosing the type of injury, two methods of treatment are selected: surgical treatment and non-surgical or conservative treatment. The main goal of surgical treatment is tendon fusion, while in non-surgical treatment the main goal is to reduce pain. After selecting the method of treatment, a rehabilitation plan and program is developed according to the individual characteristics of the football players and therapy guidelines A special place in the rehabilitation plan is occupied by therapeutic exercises. It has been scientifically proven that the application of physical therapy and therapeutic exercises achieve the best results in recovery. Load control and monitoring of pain sensation is of great importance in the recovery of football player