Sports Injuries and Prevention What you need to know…

Sport Injury Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QTCBrefXso

What are sports injuries? The term sports injury, in the broadest sense, refers to the kinds of injuries that most commonly occur during sports or exercise. Some sports injuries result from accidents while others are due to poor training practices, improper equipment, lack of conditioning or insufficient warm up and stretching. This term is usually reserved for injuries that involve the musculoskeletal system, which includes the muscles, bones and associated tissues like cartilage.

Important Anatomical Terms Medial – toward the midline of the body Lateral – away from the midline of the body Anterior – front Posterior - back

Types of Injuries Sprain Strain Acute Fracture Stress Fracture Bruise Dislocation Concussion

Sprain A sprain is a stretch or tear of a ligament, the band of connective tissue that joins the end of one bone with another. Sprains are caused by trauma such as a fall or blow to the body that knocks a joint out of position and in the worst case ruptures the supporting ligaments. Sprains can range from the first degree (minimally stretched ligament) to third degree (a complete tear). Areas of the body most vulnerable to sprains are ankles, knees and wrists. Signs of a sprain include varying degrees of tenderness or pain, bruising, inflammation, swelling, inability to move a limb or joint, joint looseness or instability.

Strain A strain is a twist, pull or tear of a muscle or tendon, a cord of tissue connecting muscle to bone. It is an acute, non-contact injury that results from over stretching or over contraction. Symptoms of a strain include pain, muscle spasm, and loss of strength. Severe strains not treated can cause damage and loss of function.

Acute Fracture A break in the bone that occurs from a quick, one time injury to the bone. Simple – clean break with little tissue damage Compound – a break in which the bone pierces the skin. Most acute fractures are emergencies. One that breaks the skin is especially dangerous because there is a high risk of infection

Stress Fracture Stress fractures occur largely in the feet and legs and are common in sports that require repetitive impact, primarily jumping and running sports such as gymnastics and track and field. Running creates forces 2-3 times a person’s body weight on the lower limbs The most common symptom of a stress fracture is pain at the site that worsens with weight bearing activity. Tenderness and swelling often accompany the pain.

Bruise A bruise or muscle contusion, can result from a fall or from contact with a hard surface, a piece of equipment, or another player while participating in sports. A bruise results when muscle fiber and connective tissue are crushed and torn blood vessels may cause a bluish appearance. Most bruises are minor but some can cause more extensive damage and complications

Dislocation When the two bones that come together to form a joint become separated, the joint is described as being dislocated. High impact sports cause the majority of dislocations. Pain and tenderness at the site of the injury are most common symptoms along with the inability to move the joint through it’s normal range of motion. A dislocation is an emergency situation that requires immediate medical treatment.

Concussion Concussions are caused by a blow to the head; this injury causes some level of impairment of brain functions. Symptoms of a concussion may include confusion, short term memory problems, and loss of consciousness. Medical advice should be sought

What’s the difference between acute and chronic injuries? Acute injuries occur suddenly. For example: a sprained ankle, strained back or fractured hand. Symptoms include Sudden severe pain Swelling Inability to place weight on a lower limb Extreme tenderness in an upper limb Inability to move a joint through it’s full range of motion Extreme limb weakness Visible dislocation or break of a bone

What’s the difference between acute and chronic injuries? Chronic injuries usually result from overusing one area of the body while playing a sport or exercising over a long period. Signs of a chronic injury: Pain when performing an activity A dull ache when at rest Swelling

The body’s healing process: From the moment of injury, your body goes to work to repair the damage. At the moment of injury, chemicals are released from damaged cells, triggering a process called inflammation. Blood vessels at the injury site become dilated, blood flow increases to carry nutrients to the site of tissue damage.

The body’s healing process: Within hours of injury, white blood cells travel to the injury site to tear down and remove damaged tissue, allowing other specialized cells to start developing scar tissue. Within days of injury, scar tissue forms on the skin inside the body. The damaged area will increase in strength as scar tissue continues to form.

The body’s healing process: Within a month of injury, scar tissue may start to shrink, bringing damaged torn or separated tissues back together. However it may be several months before the injury is completely healed.

RICER To care for an injury, use RICER: Rest (don’t put weight on the injured limb) Ice (15 minutes on, 15 minutes off) Compression (to push out swelling) Elevation (raising the injured limb higher than your heart) Referral (see a qualified professional to assess the injury)

HARM Avoid these HARM-ful factors for 72 hours after the injury: Heat – increases bleeding Alcohol – delays healing, masks pain and severity of the injury Running – causes further damage Massage – increases bleeding and swelling

Manage an injury with TOTAPS

Talk Ask the player what happened. “Where does it hurt?” “What kind of pain is it?”

Observe Look at the affected area for redness and swelling. Is the injured side different from the other side?

Touch Touch will indicate warmth for inflammation. Touch also assesses pain.

Active Movement Ask the injured player to move the injured part without any help

Passive Movement If the player can move the injured part, carefully try to move it yourself through it’s full range of motion. Do not continue if extreme pain is experienced with this movement.

Skill Test Did the active and passive movement produce pain? If no, can the player stand and demonstrate some of the skills of the game carefully? If an injury is identified, remove the player from the activity immediately.

How can injury be prevented? Sports injuries can be prevented by looking at the following 3 categories: The environment of a particular sport Fitness levels Protective wear

What’s in the news? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OtKo0wSgKM Concussions CTE - Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is a disease of the brain believed to be caused by repeated head trauma resulting in large accumulations of tau proteins, killing cells in regions responsible for mood, emotions, and executive functioning. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OtKo0wSgKM