It is very important to be physically active, whether recreationally or for sport, but it is also important to prevent injury and incorporate the appropriate treatment and rehabilitation programs to maintain and achieve optimal health so that the benefits of activity can be enjoyed over the course of a person’s life. Research and injury prevention programs to lessen impact of musculoskeletal injuries and their related costs—physical, emotional and monetary—is critical now more than ever. If we remain on our current course, musculoskeletal disabilities are predicted to increase dramatically over the next 20 years. It is not too late to change this.
Research is one of the primary ways that we increase our knowledge and develop preventative programs that can make a real difference in people’s lives. Studying the biomechanical, biological, environmental, and psychological factors that play roles in musculoskeletal injury will help us develop prevention programs that appropriately target the root causes of injuries. Some of this research is underway at institutes, universities, and laboratories around the country. However, injury prevention cannot be something that is entirely created in a laboratory. It is equally important that people are aware of the magnitude of the problem and the potential long-term implications of musculoskeletal injury. With more knowledge comes more power to make changes needed to lessen musculoskeletal injuries and create optimal health, mobility, and quality of life for ourselves and our society.
Jenna Craft is a member of the Class of 2009 at Pinckney Community High School. She first tore her ACL at the age of 12 playing basketball for a community league team. Following 15 months of surgery and rehabilitation, she went back to sports, this time girls' soccer, only to tear the ACL in her other knee. Yet another round of surgery and rehabilitation ensued. Today, she devotes her time to studies and soccer as a forward on the Lady Pirates.
