SPORTS INJURIES

WHAT IS A SPORTS INJURY?

• Sports injuries refer to the kinds of injuries that occur during sports or exercise.

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• An injury is damage to your body. It can refer to harm caused by accidents, falls, hits, etc.

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TWO KINDS OF SPORTS INJURY

• Acute injuries are the result of a sudden stress on the body.

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• Example: A dislocated finger joint caused by a netball striking the finger.

TWO KINDS OF SPORTS INJURY

• Chronic or overuse injuries are caused by:
• Overtraining
• Insufficient recovery time
• Poor technique
• Badly designed footwear or equipment

Example: Tennis elbow (a painful condition in tendons in the elbow)

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PREVENTING INJURY

• There are many different steps we can take to try to prevent injuries from happening when we are exercising and playing sports. We must follow these recommendations to be safe and healthy.

HOW TO AVOID ACUTE INJURY

1. Consider your body

• Make sure you have practiced the skills needed for the sport.
• Know how to look after yourself while playing.
• Make sure you are fit for the activity. Do not play if you are ill/injured.
• Warm up correctly so you have less risk of muscle and joint injuries.
• Cool down correctly so you prevent stiffness and soreness.

HOW TO AVOID ACUTE INJURY

2. Consider the event itself

• Make sure you play at the right level for you.
• Know the rules of the sport and obey the rules.
• Pay attention to advice or warnings given by coaches, referees and other officials.

HOW TO AVOID ACUTE INJURY

3. Consider equipment

• Make sure you are wearing the right equipment and footwear.
• Don’t forget your mouth guard or shin guards if your sport requires them.
• Don’t wear jewelry or watches. Tie back long hair and keep your fingernails short.
• Make sure the equipment is in good condition.
• Use good techniques when lifting heavy objects.

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HOW TO AVOID ACUTE INJURY

4. Consider the environment

• Watch out for hazards in the playing area, such as broken glass or wet patches on the floor.
• Take special care in hazardous weather (snow, storms, etc.). An event should be postponed if conditions are too dangerous.

HOW TO AVOID CHRONIC INJURY

1. Make sure you develop the right techniques.
2. Choose equipment carefully, especially footwear.
3. Follow heavy training days with light days.
4. Even during hard training, take one day’s rest a week.
5. Allow enough time for full recovery between training sessions and events.

P.E. AND THE LAW

• Schools have a duty to ensure safe practice in P.E. and sport, under the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974. They must make sure that:
• Safety equipment is available and working
• First aid is available and emergency procedures are planned and followed
• Events and training sessions are properly planned and supervised
• The group size suits the activity and the space available
• The ability of the group matches the event

BONE AND JOINT INJURIES

• FRACTURED BONES
• A fracture is a break or crack in a bone.
• Bones contain nerves and blood vessels, so a fracture causes pain and bleeding. This leads to swelling and bruising.

FRACTURED BONES

• SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:
• You may hear or feel a snap
• Pain and tenderness around the injury
• You can’t move the injured part normally
• Swelling and bruising
• The limb may look deformed and twisted

• TREATMENT:
• Dial 911 for an ambulance
• Do not move the injured person and do not try to straighten the fractured limb
• Support the limb at each side of the fracture using cushions or clothing
• A sling made from a towel or bandage can be used to support a fractured arm bone
• A fractured leg bone can be tied gently to a splint to stop movement

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SLING

CAST

SPLINT

BANDAGE

BRACE

BAND-AID

JOINT INJURIES

1. Dislocation

A bone that is pulled out of position at a joint. It happens most often at the shoulder, elbow, finger and thumb joints.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:

• Severe pain at or near the joint
• The joint appears deformed, and you can’t move it
• Swelling around the joint, followed by bruising

TREATMENT:

• Dial 911 for an ambulance
• Support the injured part using clothing or towels
• Use slings or bandages for elbow and finger joints

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JOINT INJURIES

2. Sprain

A ligament at a joint gets stretched and torn. For example, twisting your foot when running can cause a sprained ankle.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:

• Pain and tenderness around the joint
• Movement makes the pain worse
• Swelling occurs, followed by bruising

TREATMENT:

• If in doubt, treat as a fracture
• For minor sprains follow the RICE routine (rest, ice, compression, elevation)

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JOINT INJURIES

3. Torn knee cartilage

There are two curved pads of cartilage at the knee joint. These may tear if the knee is twisted violently.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:

• Pain on one side of the knee joint
• The joint may lock and not straighten fully for some time
• It may swell

TREATMENT:

• Use an icepack for the swelling
• Go to the doctor
• This injury may need surgery

INJURY TO MUSCLES

1. Tennis or golfer’s elbow

The area around the elbow is inflamed, tender and sore. This is caused by overuse of muscles in the lower arm.

TREATMENT:

• The elbow must be rested until it recovers
• It may need therapy and injections of a steroid into the muscle

INJURY TO MUSCLES

2. Strain or Pull

A tear in a muscle or tendon due to violent over-stretching.

The hamstrings and calf muscles are at a special risk if you don’t warm-up properly. The Achilles tendon of the calf muscle can tear completely.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:

• A sudden sharp pain at the tear
• Swelling, stiffness and sometimes cramping
• A person with a torn Achilles tendon collapses and cannot stand up

TREATMENT:

• For minor strains follow the RICE routine (rest, ice, compression, elevation)
• For serious strains, go to the hospital

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INJURY TO SKIN

1. Cuts

Cuts are when the skin and blood vessels get damaged, so blood flows out of the body. The aim of treatment is to stop the bleeding as quickly as possible.

TREATMENT:

• Remove and splinters or bits of glass with tweezers
• Cover the cut with a clean pad or cloth. Press down to stop the bleeding
• Lie down and raise the injured part to reduce blood flow
• Use a bandage or band-aids
• For severe bleeding, call 911 for an ambulance. You may need stitches.

INJURY TO SKIN

2. Bruises

Bruising is a sign that blood is leaking from damaged blood vessels under the skin. First, you will have pain and swelling, and then the skin will turn blue, black and yellow.

TREATMENT:

• Use part of the RICE routine
• Apply an icepack or cold compress to the bruised area to reduce the blood leakage
• For serious bruising, compression with a bandage will help

INJURY TO SKIN

3. Abrasions or grazes

This is when skin is scraped off your body, for example during a sliding tackle on a hard pitch.

TREATMENT:

• Clean the wound gently with water
• If it is bleeding, let the blood clot
• Let the wound dry naturally if possible
• If there is danger of infection, cover it with a band-aid

ACTIVITIES