sport injury

acute injury definition

sudden injuries usually associated with a traumatic event such as clashing into another player during sports, or a fall from a bike. pain and loss of movement is immediate

overuse/chronic injuries

caused by overuse of a particular part of your body either through sports or exercise. they develop slowly and last a long time. they are usually less painful than an acute injury

acute injury example

• fracture

• dislocation

• sprain

• concussion

• ACL rupture

• (some strains)

overuse injury

• tendonitis

• shin splints

• tennis elbow

• stress fracture

• (some strains)

intrinsic risk factors

• gender

• age (increase injury risk as bone tissue loses strength)

• body mass and body composition

• muscle balance/imbalance

• joint flexibility (lack of)

• orthopaedic and skeletal feautres

• conditioning

extrinsic risk factors

• training volume, overtraining

• sport technique

• playing surfaces

• equipment difficulties e.g. getting the right ski boots and poles

• clothing/footwear/equipment

• environmental conditions

RICE

• Rest the injured area for 48 hours

• Ice for 20 mins at a time 4 - 8 times per day

• Compress to help reduce swelling

• Elevate the injured limp 6-10 inches above the heart

P in POLICE

• Protection: protecting the injury from further damage. A short period of rest immediately after an injury is helpful to (unload) the injured area but total rest should be limited and combined with optimal loading

OL in POLICE

• Optimal loading: early activity encourage early recovery. Progressive loading of the injury can help optimal healing> it can prevent delays in returning to normal that may develop with prolonged rest such as joint and muscle tightness or wastage

I in POLICE

• Ice: applying ice may help manage swelling around the injured area, and can help reduce acute pain. Every few hours for up to 20 minutes is great for the first few days

C in POLICE

• using a compression bandage, applied evenly to the area may help reduce any swelling. this can be combined with ice

E in POLICE

• elevating the area during periods of rest can help reduce swelling and reduce pain. The injured area should be elevated above the heart

body’s response to being injured - the inflammatory process

• inflammatory stage: last for 3-5 days. Inflammation is a local response to cell damage within a tissue and is a chain of events that helps the body repair, reform, or form new scar tissue

• 1. Pain: due to n increase in pressure in the injured area and damage that has been caused to local nerve fibres form the swelling

• 2. Swelling: due to the bleeding from the blood vessels and tissues fluid leaving the cells surrounding the injury

• 3. redness/discolouration: due to the vasodilation of nearby undamaged blood vessels

• 4. Heat: due to the dilation of blood vessels, and thus local area circulation, around the injury site

• 5. Loss of function: due to the pain and swelling caused by the injury. Function maybe reduced or lost totally, including the inability to bear any weight on injured limbs

What is cruciate ligament damage

• ACL or PCL

• when the ligament is stretched or torn

what is soft tissue damage

• rupture of muscles fibres

• damage of muscles, ligaments or tendons

• cuts, abrasions, lacerations

what is an acute sprain

• stretching or tearing of a ligament

what is an achilles tendon injury

• a tear or rupture to the achilles tendon

what is a fracture

• a crack or a break to the bone

• can be complete or partial

what is a dislocation

• when the ball and socket joint is separated from its normal position

what is a concussion

• a traumatic brain injury that affects brain function usually caused bya blow to the head

characteristics of overuse injuries

• more common in sports than acute injuries

• subtle and occur over time, making them challenging to diagnose and treat

• characterised by slow sustained development, and are the result of repetitive micro-trauma tendons, bones, and joints which results in a painful, inflammatory condition

causes of chronic injuries

• overuse

• overtraining

• poor technique

• inappropriate kit/footwear

what are chronic strains

a muscle tear

what are shin splints (periostitis)

• aches of pain across shin bone from repeated stress of bones, muscles, joints

what is tendonitis (tennis or golfers elbow)

inflammation of the tendons

what is a stress fracture

• fracture of the bone caused by repeated stress

progressive stages for injury prevention

1. analyse the athletes current risk of injury in relation to their current level of development, previous history and demands of the sport

2. select and plan activities, information and advice that will help the athletes minimise the risk of injury

3. where necessary, seek support of other specialists

4. ensure that the strategy for injury prevention effectively supports and integrates with other training programme components

5. provide planned activities, with information an advice on minimising injury risk

6. evaluate and review the success of the strategy for injury prevention

7. monitor and refine the strategy for injury prevention as part of the athletes programme