Publications by authors named "Michael Hetherington"
Objectives: To describe the incidence, severity, burden and sport specific characteristics of injuries reported in elite diving athletes.
Design: Descriptive epidemiology study.
Methods: Medical attention and time-loss injuries from 63 (43 female, 20 male) Australian national diving programme athletes were prospectively collected over four seasons (September 2018-August 2022).
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the types and frequency of health problems, particularly injuries, among competitive diving athletes, focusing on the common occurrence of lumbar spine injuries.
- After reviewing 2554 articles, 28 studies met the criteria, revealing an injury incidence range from 2.1% to 22.2%, with shoulder and lower back injuries being the most common.
- The research highlights a significant prevalence of low back pain in divers, along with various illnesses, suggesting that up to 1 in 5 athletes may experience injuries or health issues during competition.