Injury Prevention
As doctors for the pros, our physicians work closely not only with athletes on the Buffalo Sabres, Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Bandits, but also with other medical experts across the National Football League and National Hockey League to establish best practices for care. We also work to develop standards not only to treat injuries, but to prevent them in the first place.
The information below can benefit players at all levels of athletic competition – from youth, high school and college to semi-pro and professional – and help prevent injuries. Get information on choosing the right protective equipment, how to adjust to play on different surfaces and much more.
State-of-the-Art Injury Prevention Checklist
State-of-the-art approach to safe, high-performance field and court athletes – IT’S EASY!!
State-of-the-Art Injury Prevention Checklist
State-of-the-art approach to safe, high-performance field and court athletes – IT’S EASY!!
All players incorporate a lower extremity injury prevention program into their strength and conditioning program, starting six weeks before season starts, three to four times per week, 10-15 minutes per session
Ensure that all participating players do FIFA 11+ warm-up drills before every game and practice session, and when possible, warm up on the surface they’ll be playing their games on
Players and parents are provided information about helmets if their children play football, and about shoe-wear and cleat patterns for field sports, especially if playing on artificial turf
Football coaches eliminate the Oklahoma Drill, and coaches of all sports limit full-squad live scrimmages only to those absolutely necessary, and scrimmage on natural grass whenever possible
Helmet Performance & Decreasing Concussion Risk
Our physicians are affiliated with the National Football League and NFL Players Association which thoroughly tested a range of football helmets to determine which designs offered the greatest protection and reduction in head impact severity at the professional level. Choosing the right helmet can help decrease concussion risk after a severe head impact.
Cleat Patterns and Performance on Synthetic Turf
Our physicians are affiliated with the National Football League and NFL Players association which researched and tested a number of common cleats available for players to use and assessed their performance on artificial (synthetic) turf. This can help players identify the right footwear for use on these surfaces to help prevent lower body injuries.
Exterior Skate Protector Puck Impact Testing
Our physicians are affiliated with the National Hockey League and the NHL Players’ Association which performed laboratory testing to assess the force reduction afforded by exterior skate protectors and how they may help protect injury to the front and sides of the foot and ankle from frozen pucks during the normal course of gameplay.
PEP Program – Prevent Injury and Enhance Performance
Through the Santa Monica Sports Medicine Research Foundation comes the PEP Program designed to emphasize the importance of warm-ups, stretching, strengthening and more to prevent ACL and other knee injuries.
Cut Resistant Products for Hockey Players
The NHL, in collaboration with the NHLPA, has conducted research on what protective equipment offers the greatest level of protection from lacerations during gameplay. The research evaluated arm/wrist gear, base layer wear, patches and panels, neck guards and foot/leg protection and graded equipment on an A1 to A9 scale for cut resistance.
You should consult your physician or other health care professional before starting this or any other fitness program to determine if it is right for your needs. This is particularly true if you (or your family) have a history of high blood pressure or heart disease, or if you have ever experienced chest pain when exercising or have experienced chest pain in the past month when not engaged in physical activity, smoke, have high cholesterol, are obese, or have a bone or joint problem that could be made worse by a change in physical activity. Do not start this fitness program if your physician or health care provider advises against it. If you experience faintness, dizziness, pain or shortness of breath at any time while exercising you should stop immediately and seek medical assistance.
This site offers health and fitness information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical- or health-related advice from your health care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this site is solely at your own risk. You should understand that when participating in any exercise or exercise program, there is the possibility of physical injury. If you engage in this exercise or exercise program, you agree that you do so at your own risk, are voluntarily participating in these activities, assume all risk of injury to yourself, and agree to release and discharge us from any and all claims or causes of action, known or unknown, arising out of our actions.
Developments in medical research may impact the health and fitness advice that appears here. No assurance can be given that the advice contained in this site will always include the most recent findings or developments with respect to the particular material.