Lesson Five: Introduction to Injury Prevention Unit One: Tissue Response to Injury

Tell me what you know… Think of an injury you have witnessed. On a sheet of paper describe the injury and answer the following questions… How did the injury occur? What do you think caused the injury? Could the injury have been prevented?

By the end of this lesson… Define Terms: Sport Injuries, Injury Prevention & Injury Mechanism, List ways to prevent injury

Definitions Sport Injuries: Result from acute trauma or repetitive stress associated with athletic injuries. They can effect bones or soft tissues Injury Prevention: Action taken to prevent injuries resulting from activity. Injury Mechanism: Specific cause of injury

How can we prevent? How can we keep the athlete’s from getting hurt? If you were an athletic trainer, what methods would YOU use to decrease the number of injuries?

Ways to Prevent Injuries Physical Conditioning Weight lifting Running drills Sport Specific exercises

Ways to prevent… Appropriate Training Methods Improper Technique = INJURY!!! Create series of SPECIFIC repetitive & progressive exercises EX: Leg Press for football lineman…3 sets, 10 reps, high weight

Ways to prevent… Rest and Recovery Without recovery, over-use injuries occur Athlete must get proper amount of rest This includes sleep, breaks between workouts, days off practice, etc.

What sports would have to use regulated equipment? Ways to prevent… Appropriate Equipment NOCSAE certified equipment (National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment) Helmets: Football, baseball, softball, etc.. Football shoulder pads, girdle, thigh pads… Properly fitted shoes What sports would have to use regulated equipment?

Ways to prevent… Psychological Effects There is a positive relationship between negative stress and injury Injured athletes have to re-train mentally to return to sport You must “sell” prevention to your athlete, & after injury you must “sell” that their sport is safe!

Ways to Prevent… Training in extreme weather conditions Temperature  hot or cold High Humidity  dehydration through sweat Altitude  Oxygen uptake reduced Jet Lag  alteration to circadian rhythm Need to provide ample time to adjust otherwise athlete could become ill: Headaches, fatigue, disorientation…

Discussion… Think about our current season of sports… What specific ways could sports medicine professionals help prevent sport injury? What ways do we already prevent injury for our athletes?

Injury Prevention Methods List ways ways injuries prevented Specifically there are 6…

Pre-Participation Physical The “Physical” is an evaluation tool used to screen athletes prior to an athletic season It evaluates the body from head to toe & prior injury to current problems What kind of potential problems for athletes could we find from a physical?

Pre-Season Strength & Conditioning Program This time before season begins is important To improve in strength and condition you must work harder than accustomed What does this mean for athletes?

Flexibility Programs Lack of flexibility can result in injury How? Types of Stretching Static Dynamic Ballistic

Proper use of Protective Equipment Improper use of equipment can result in injury Equipment managers are integral to a team If there is not an equipment manager, sometimes the ATC must fit equipment to ensure safety. Besides football, what other sports would need to be fitted for special equipment?

Facility & Field Inspection Inspection of fields, courts & other areas of play is important to keep unnecessary injuries down. What kinds of field problems could cause injury?

Hydration & Nutrition Nutrition & Hydration is the fuel for athletes What injuries could an athlete suffer from by not being well nourished? If an athlete is not hydrated, what happens to their performance?

Recap… So what are our 6 methods of Injury Prevention? Pre-Participation Physicals Pre-Season strength & conditioning programs Flexibility Proper use of protective equipment Facility & Field Inspection Hydration & Nutrition

Mini Project Each student will be assigned a Injury Prevention Method You will produce a poster Defining the Method The “Do’s” and “Dont’s” of this method You will share with the class your poster project