By: Jessie Geist Registered Massage Therapist Self Care in Sports By: Jessie Geist Registered Massage Therapist

What is My goal Make athletes aware that injuries occur more often then you think (minor injuries) Let Coaches and coaching staff know that concussion shouldn’t be a “forbidden” word Let Parents understand that minor and major injuries should be addressed Prevention is everything

What do you see here? Neck Back Shoulder Possible concussion When will these things be felt? 24hrs after Immediately after 2hrs after 3 days after All the Above

Here? Neck Back Hips Shoulders Cervical Spine Maybe even Wrist and elbow Concussion, more then likely

What about this guy? Knee Hip Ribs or mid back Shoulder It all will get worse if the guy lands on him!

CONCUSSION! What is it? A Traumatic Brain injury caused by a bump, blow or jolt that will cause the brain to move in the skull rapidly back and forth In the Canadian Medical Association Journal, between 1997 & 2004 the NHL had a total of: 559 Concussions for regular season games 20% had Amnesia 11% of the 529 cases, players kept playing because they experienced symptoms later Centers are 2x more likely to get a concussion then any other player on the team KNOW THE SYMPTOMS! : Headache or “pressure” in head. Nausea or vomiting. Balance problems or dizziness, or double or blurry vision. Bothered by light or noise. Feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy, or groggy. Confusion, or concentration or memory problems. Just not “feeling right,” or “feeling down”.

Concussion Cont’d The CDC (Center for Disease Control) say that 1.6 million – 3.8 million concussions occur each year 5-10% of athletes will get a concussion Less then 10% will have a loss in consciousness Football has a 7% chance of concussion in males 50% of females have a chance of getting a concussion in soccer

Minor Injuries Major Injuries “Overuse injuries account for more then half of the sports injuries in middle school students” Minor injuries are things that hurt but don’t take you our of your sport Minor injuries accumulate and cause a problem over time They should be addressed at the start when it happens Major Injuries Major injuries are things that take you out of the game weather it is the rest of the game or for a few games Concussions are one of the things that should be addressed with any head contact no matter if it is with another player or an object Dislocation- A complete separation of a joint in the joint capsule Severe pain

No No I am FINE! Note: YOU are NOT a PRINCESS if something HURTS! Why do things hurt? It is your bodies way of telling you that you need to be aware that something is not right and you need to either A) be careful OR B) STOP PLAYING! These are protective things that your body is doing Even if it is minor it should be looked at by a Healthcare Professional Want to play with an injury? You can play with a minor injury for sure, Just be aware that the longer you play on it the worse it will get

Prevention The CDC says that “62% of sport injuries occur during practice” They also say that “HALF of sports injuries could have been prevented” How do I prevent myself from getting hurt?! STRETCH! After your warm up, after the game or practice Hold for 30 secs 3x Or you could do Hold and Relax “Gentle” workouts between games and practices 70% effort compared to how much effort you do during practices and games Your body will be better adaptable this way

Prevention Cont’d Manuel Therapies Proper Nutrition Massage Therapy, Chiropractor, Physiotherapy etc. Manuel therapies are amazing for athletes because any minor injuries and some major injuries can be addressed during the treatment Proper Nutrition Protein, carbs and fat Barely any sugar and processed foods

YOU are not a PRINCESS because you are HURT! Remember YOU are not a PRINCESS because you are HURT!