THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CORE STRENGTHENING EXERCISES IN THE REHABILITATION AND PREVENTION OF SPORTS INJURIES IN FOOTBALL PLAYERS

E. Rexha¹ and K. Kapedani²

¹PhD Student, Sports Department, Faculty Movement Sciences, Sports University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania;
²Associate Professor, Sports Department, Faculty Movement Sciences, Sports University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania

Correspondence to:
Kapedani Kujtim, Ass. Professor,
Sports Department,
Faculty Movement Sciences,
Sports University of Tirana,
Tirana, Albania
e-mail: kujtimkapedani@yahoo.com

Received:  03 February 2022 Accepted: 01 March 2022

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ABSTRACT

This article highlights the global importance of core training in sports physiotherapy, focusing on improving performance and minimizing injuries. The core, encompassing regions from the scapula to the gluteals, plays a crucial role in athletic performance and injury prevention. The concept of the core has been at the center of attention in many media and scientific journals from the end of the last decade to the present. Since the core is the area that connects the upper and lower limbs, control of core strength, balance, and movement can optimize the entire kinetic chain, which includes isolated athletic gestures of both the upper and lower limbs. Several studies have shown that excellent core stability is associated with better physical performance across all sports. A strong and stable core enhances mobility, speed, and the performance of the lower limbs in athletes. The aim of this article is to highlight the literature examining whether postural variations and core stability are functionally related to performance in sports that require body balance and proper posture, identify gaps and deficiencies in the literature, and suggest further reviews in this area. The literature for this article is based on scientific sources such as MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library. It is supplemented by Google Scholar, Springer Link, and Elsevier. A total of 27 publications were reviewed. This article underscores the importance of a comprehensive approach to core training in sports physiotherapy for improving athletic performance and reducing injuries. The results and recommendations presented contribute to advancing knowledge in sports physiotherapy and provide a valuable resource for professionals working with athletes at all levels.

KEYWORDS: core training, physiotherapy, prevention, rehabilitation, stability, posture