Sporting injuries - treating them
exercise; sport; sporting; injury; injuries; RICE; concussion; blood; strain; sprain; fracture; stress; first aid; bone; steroids;
Contents
If you play a sport then you know that injuries can happen. If you play in an organised team, then your coach will have some level of first aid training - but here is some information that anyone playing sport needs to know.
Any injury should be treated properly to prevent any further harm.
- This means looking after the injury by thinking 'RICE' immediately the injury happens.
- It also means letting the injury completely heal before returning to play. Use 'MSA' to help you remember what to do.
It is important to treat any injury as soon as possible. If it is obvious that a bone is broken, if the injured area swells rapidly or if the area below the injury goes white, cold or numb, you need to seek medical treatment immediately.
Less severe injuries including minor sprains and strains should be treated straight away, using the R.I.C.E method of treatment.
R.I.C.E.
R: Rest
Rest from activity. You might have to take the weight off your foot or leg or support your arm or shoulder in a sling, depending on the injury. Keep the weight off an injured joint for at least 24-48 hours.
I: Ice
Put ice or cold pack on the bruise (20 minutes on and 20 minutes off). Wrap the ice in a damp cloth rather than putting it straight onto your skin or it might stick to you! (Frozen peas in a plastic bag make a good ice pack). Do not apply heat to a fresh injury! This would increase swelling!
C: Compression
Firmly wrap the injured area, using an elastic bandage. This will support the joint and also help to reduce any swelling.
- Don't wrap the bandage too tight!
- Don't try to use the injured area just because it is bandaged. The injury will need rest for 1-2 days.
E: Elevation
Try to keep the injured area elevated above the level of the heart when ever you are sitting or lying down.
If an injury is still painful, you should see a doctor to make sure that the injury is not more serious than you first thought. Your doctor may need to prescribe 'anti-inflammatory' medication, or want to send you for x-rays to find out the extent of the damage.
M.S.A
After a joint or muscle group has had time to heal, you need to help it recover fully.
M: Movement
After 1-2 days of rest, begin moving the injured joint (without putting weight on it). If the movement really hurts, the joint will require more rest. Moving the joint as soon as possible will prevent scar tissue from building up around the joint, which would make it harder harder to move freely later on.
S: Strength
Once the injury has healed and a full range of motion is possible, you may need to do some special exercises to strengthen the muscles that have been weakened by the injury and resting. Your doctor, physiotherapist, trainer or coach should be able to advise you about what is needed.
A: Alternate activities
Having an injury doesn't mean an end to your exercise program. It is possible to work 'around' an injury so that you can maintain overall fitness while still allowing the injury time to heal. For example, if you have injured a knee or ankle, you could do upper body work in the gym, or even swimming. If you have injured an arm or shoulder, you could still ride an exercise bike, walk or do weight training for the lower body.
Concussion
Concussion is when a person loses consciousness after a blow to the head. The brain is able to move a small amount inside the skull, and a blow to the head can cause bruising as the soft brain hits the hard skull. If the person is unconscious for a few minutes or more, that person usually needs care in a hospital. There may be other problems such as a skull fracture as well as concussion. Even for 'mild' concussion you should be seen by a doctor.
Mild head injuries causing unconsciousness for a few seconds usually do not leave any lasting problems, but for a while after the injury (hours to days), the person can have a bad headache. You may not cope well with school work or other tasks which require good concentration for a few days.
More severe concussion can cause dizziness, confusion, difficulty with remembering things and restlessness that can last weeks or more. There can also be a long lasting headache. If any of these happen, it is important to check with a doctor. Extra help may be needed, including time off work or school.
Anyone who is concussed needs to rest, and should not play on.
Your doctor will be able to give advice about how long you should rest before playing sport or exercising again.
The 'blood rule'
The 'blood rule' is being used in sports to protect other players against Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. Any player who is bleeding from an injury must come off, have the injury cleaned (gloves are worn by the person cleaning the injury) and then a waterproof dressing is applied before the player can return. This also protects other players against HIV, but HIV is not as likely to be transmitted as Hep B or Hep C.
Word meanings
Strain: A 'strain' is the word used to describe an injury that happens when a muscle is damaged by being 'over stretched'. You have probably heard of football players who miss games because of 'hamstring' or 'groin' injuries. These are usually 'strain' injuries caused by a movement or action that stretched a particular muscle further than it was able to go without being damaged.
Sprain: The word 'sprain' is used to describe an injury to the muscles, tendons and ligaments surrounding a joint such as an ankle or wrist. This type of injury can be caused by an awkward fall or landing, where the joint is 'forced' past its usual range of movement. Part of the muscle, tendon or ligaments is torn and the injury takes longer than a strain to heal.
Fracture (broken bone): Broken bones are usually the result of some kind of impact. This could include being hit or kicked by an opponent, or be caused by a combination of momentum (the force caused by movement) and your own body weight during a fall.
Stress fracture: Stress fractures are tiny cracks or weak spots in bones, often in the feet or lower legs. Stress fractures are most common in people who perform 'high impact' sporting activities that involve a lot of running or jumping on hard surfaces. Your muscles usually absorb 'shock' when you move, like shock absorbers on a car. If you run, jump or exercise for too long or too often, your muscles become tired and are unable to absorb as much impact. This exposes the bones to increased stress, and fine cracks begin to appear in the surface of the bone.
Warning:
In some sports, someone may encourage you to try steroids to help your injury heal faster. Steroids are dangerous and can cause heart failure and damage to other organs. Do not allow anyone to talk you into using steroids for any reason.
First aid training
Have you done any basic first aid training? As a teenager you have more freedom to move around outside the home and away from adults, so it is a good idea for you to know what to do if you or one of your friends is hurt when you are out and about.
Maybe you could ask at your sports club, school or college for information on when and where you could train.
The Red Cross or St John's websites both give information on training courses, or you may be able to do a first aid course at school.
Resources
Australia
International
The information on this site should not be used as an alternative to professional care. If you have a particular problem, see a doctor, or ring the Youth Healthline on 1300 13 17 19 (local call cost from anywhere in South Australia).