Sports Injuries
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
If you play or train for any sport, you are, one day, likely to get injured. Even Tiddly Wink enthusiasts may get sprained playing fingers.
Injuries can be anything from a bruised muscle to a broken bone, with lots in between.
If you have been injured it is important to assess the damage.
If you are at all concerned, were un-concious for any period of time, or there is immediate swelling, pain etc, then get to a hospital as soon as possible. To delay treatment can mean, if nothing else, that the injury will heal slower.
If you feel confident in treating it yourself, or you consider the injury to be sufficiently minor to not warrant sitting in Accident and Emergency for several hours, then there is a basic recipe, called RICE, to follow.
Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.
Rest: Rest the injury, to allow it to start healing.
Ice: Place ice, or cold packs (frozen peas are good) onto the injury to help reduce the swelling and lower the pain. If you use ice, or any other freezing material, always cover with a thin towel to stop the skin being damaged by the low temperature. Ice can be applied for up to 20 minutes every four hours until the swelling is reduced.
Compression: Compression can be used to hold the ice pack onto the skin, as well as immobilise the injured site, preventing further injury. Elastic bandages, or crepe banadages around the site can work, as long as they are loosened regularly to allow proper circulation.
Elevation. Lift the injured area to above heart level to help the blood flow away from the site more easily, speeding up the healing process.
If there is no sign in the injury improving after a few days, or the pain has not subsided, then seek medical attention.
Once the injury has started healing, then a second procedure, MICE can be started.
This is similar to the above RICE procedure, except that, instead of resting the injury, you can begin gentle mobilisation exercises to help speed the healing process (M being Mobilise).
It is a good idea to seek the help of a physiotherapist, professional sports therapist, or other registered sports practitioner when you are recovering from an injury, as they can help by providing specialised treatments, specific exercises to help mobilise the injury and advice on how to avoid injuring that area again (some injuries are caused by muscular or skeletal imbalances). Choose a chartered practitioner that has been recommended to you, or contact the registering bodies for people in your area.
Remember:
RICE, followed by MICE, with professional help, gets you up and at them again!
Once you feel the injury has recovered, don't jump straight back into training and playing again, since you may have lost some fitness and could end up injuring yourself again. Instead, start slowly and work up to your previous levels before moving on.
Play hard!
If in any doubt, ALWAYS seek medical attention.
Injuries can be anything from a bruised muscle to a broken bone, with lots in between.
If you have been injured it is important to assess the damage.
If you are at all concerned, were un-concious for any period of time, or there is immediate swelling, pain etc, then get to a hospital as soon as possible. To delay treatment can mean, if nothing else, that the injury will heal slower.
If you feel confident in treating it yourself, or you consider the injury to be sufficiently minor to not warrant sitting in Accident and Emergency for several hours, then there is a basic recipe, called RICE, to follow.
Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.
Rest: Rest the injury, to allow it to start healing.
Ice: Place ice, or cold packs (frozen peas are good) onto the injury to help reduce the swelling and lower the pain. If you use ice, or any other freezing material, always cover with a thin towel to stop the skin being damaged by the low temperature. Ice can be applied for up to 20 minutes every four hours until the swelling is reduced.
Compression: Compression can be used to hold the ice pack onto the skin, as well as immobilise the injured site, preventing further injury. Elastic bandages, or crepe banadages around the site can work, as long as they are loosened regularly to allow proper circulation.
Elevation. Lift the injured area to above heart level to help the blood flow away from the site more easily, speeding up the healing process.
If there is no sign in the injury improving after a few days, or the pain has not subsided, then seek medical attention.
Once the injury has started healing, then a second procedure, MICE can be started.
This is similar to the above RICE procedure, except that, instead of resting the injury, you can begin gentle mobilisation exercises to help speed the healing process (M being Mobilise).
It is a good idea to seek the help of a physiotherapist, professional sports therapist, or other registered sports practitioner when you are recovering from an injury, as they can help by providing specialised treatments, specific exercises to help mobilise the injury and advice on how to avoid injuring that area again (some injuries are caused by muscular or skeletal imbalances). Choose a chartered practitioner that has been recommended to you, or contact the registering bodies for people in your area.
Remember:
RICE, followed by MICE, with professional help, gets you up and at them again!
Once you feel the injury has recovered, don't jump straight back into training and playing again, since you may have lost some fitness and could end up injuring yourself again. Instead, start slowly and work up to your previous levels before moving on.
Play hard!
If in any doubt, ALWAYS seek medical attention.
