A major international sports and exercise medicine conference which will examine the increasing incidence of hip, groin and hamstring injuries in sports players, opens in Dublin today.

This joint event incorporates the 11th Annual Scientific Conference of the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine (Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) and the World Federation of Athletic Training and Therapy (WFATT) World Congress 2014 and is co-hosted by Athletic Rehabilitation and Therapy Ireland (ARTI). The conference is supported by Dublin City University (DCU), under the 3U Partnership.

The three-day event taking place at The Helix, DCU, will be opened this evening by Paul Kimmage, investigative sports journalist, former professional cyclist and award-winner author of ‘Rough Ride’.

The theme of the conference is ‘The Sporting Hip, Groin and Hamstring: A Complete Picture’. There has been a marked rise in hip, groin and hamstring injuries in field sports players in recent years, making them the most common group of injuries in field sports. It has been proposed that the rise is due to increased levels of training, incorrect training techniques, and inadequate prevention or rehabilitation.

International experts in this field will explore the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of these injuries including: Professor Per Hölmich, Copenhagen University Hospital; Professor Lyle Micheli, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School; Dr Amy Silder, Stanford University; and Dr Geoffrey Verrall, SPORTSMED.SA, Adelaide.

The conference will also explore topical sports medicine updates covering the latest development in areas of sports medicine including: 

• Mental health issues in sport, Dr Abbie Lane, University College Dublin
• Exercise in chronic illness, Dr Noel McCaffrey, DCU
• Concussion and CTE (caused by repetitive brain trauma), Dr Jason Mihalik, University of North Carolina 
• Anti-doping: The Athlete Biological Passport, Una May Irish Sports Council Anti-Doping Unit

Dr Nick Mahony, Conference Co-Chairman and Board Member of the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine (RCPI and RCSI), said: “The Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine are delighted to partner our annual conference with the World Federation of Athletic Training and Therapy World Congress supported by Athletic Rehabilitation and Therapy Ireland to bring this prestigious event to Dublin for the first time. The high-calibre international line-up of speakers ably supported by our home grown experts will give both an Irish and global perspective on problems affecting field sport player world-wide.”

More than 300 delegates are expected to attend the comprehensive three-day programme. Later this evening, Honorary Fellowships of the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine will be awarded to Professor Per Hölmich, Professor Lyle Micheli, Mr Bernard Donne and Dr Ken Kennedy.