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Sports Injuries, Treatment, and Precautions

Learning Objectives

• To understand safety measures in physical activities and sports injuries

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Explain factors leading to sports injuries
• Describe the symptoms, causes, and treatment of common sports injuries
• Take safety measures to reduce the risk of sports injuries
• Show confidence in the initial care of injuries in sporting situations

Glossary of Terms

• Abrasion: A scrape with minimal bleeding, but possibly intense pain
• Avulsion Fracture: A small bone portion with attached ligament/tendon, pulled from the main bone segment
• Capillary: The smallest blood vessel that allows material exchange
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): A method of artificial breathing and circulation when natural processes stop
• Cardiorespiratory System: The blood circulatory and respiratory systems working together to transport oxygen
• Contusion: An injury from impact/pressure with no apparent wound but with internal bleeding
• Epiphyseal Plate: Cartilage between epiphysis and long bone shaft, where growth occurs
• Inflammatory Response: Immune system's reaction to injury or abnormal stimulation
• Ligament: Connects bone to bone or cartilage to bone, supports, and strengthens joints
• Local Tissue Damage: Tissue damage near the original injury
• Metabolism: All energy released from chemical reactions
• Muscle Fibre: A single muscle cell that contains contractile units, and can reach 35 cm in length
• Muscle Tissue: Cells capable of contraction, abundant in animals
• Peripheral Structure: Located on/near the body's outer part
• Residual Swelling: Post-recovery swelling that can last months
• Splint: A rigid support to immobilize injured/inflamed body parts
• Stress Fracture: Weak spots/cracks in bone from overuse
• Tendon: A fibrous cord connects muscle to bone
• Torsion: Twisting-caused strain results in ligament and synovial cavity tears

Factors Leading to Sports Injuries

• Potential risks are inherent and involves the muscular-skeletal system
• Familiarity can aid in prevention

Environmental Factors

• Potential risk inducing factors during activities such as weather and equipment
• High temperature/humidity hinders heat dissipation, causing cramps and heatstroke.
• Cold may lead to hypothermia
• Air pollution stress is higher for those with respiratory or cardiovascular diseases
• It's important to consult the Air Quality Health Index, along with guidelines from the Environmental Protection Department, before deciding whether to continue with outdoor physical activities.

Facilities and Equipment

• Appropriate facilities, adequate space, floor material, and activity sequence are needed
• Sports facilities and goals should undergo regular checks

Sports Grounds

• Proper environments reduce injury risks
• Maintenance ensures safety
• Remove hazards such as obstacles and slick floors
• Athletics track curbs should be an appropriate height

Equipment

• Equipment should be checked and well maintained
• Proper clothing and well-fitted shoes prevent injuries

Protective Equipment and Devices

• Devices like helmets, goggles, etc., can decrease injury risk
• Equipment should be designed for the specific sport
• Knee and ankle guards stabilize and support

Level of Skill

• Inadequate skills or knowledge increase injury risk
• Awareness of injury prevention helps

Level of Fitness

• Knowledge, skills, and fitness are important
• Low flexibility easily causes muscle strain

Physical Limitations

• Required physical abilities need to be present
• Insoles can help with high arches or flat feet
• Proper eyesight prevents misjudgments

Nature of the Sport

• Boxing has a higher injury risk and participants should take extra precautions
• Climbing needs physical fitness and expertise

Level of Contact

• Higher contact raises injury likelihood
• Protective measures exist to minimize injuries

Matching of Players

• Matches should occur with fair capacity and ability
• School competitions are usually categorized by age

Common Sports Injuries

Bleeding

• Can be caused by blood vessel rupture
• External hemorrhage: occurs when skin is cut, punctured, or scraped
• Internal hemorrhage: bleeding from organs with no skin breakage

Abrasion

• Rubbing/scraping away skin
• Areas with firm underlying tissue are more susceptible
• Main concern is to avoid infection

Contusion

• Soft tissue injury, caused by blunt force without skin breakage
• Capillaries rupture, which causes bleeding, inflammation, and swelling

Dislocation

• Bone displacement at a joint caused by a violent movement
• May involve damage to surrounding tissues
• Can cause swelling, pain, or immobility with physical rehabilitation to regain joint stability

Fracture

• A bone break caused by impact, compression, or twisting
• Can be classified based on skin condition:
  • Closed Fracture: Doesn't pierce skin, reduced infection risk, but can cause noticeable deformity
    • Direct Trauma: Break by direct impact
  • Avulsion Fracture: A sprained ligament pulls off a piece of the bone. It can be "open" if skin is broken.
  • Stress Fracture: Develops from prolonged excessive pressure causing the bone to weaken and break
  • Open Fracture: Bone pierces skin, high infection risk

Pulled/Strained Muscle

• Caused by muscle forcefully stretched, leading to tearing
• Causes inflammation, swelling, pain, tenderness, occurs followed by a bruise, and is classified into 3 grades of severity

Sprain

• Ligament stretching/tearing (twisting)
• Minor sprains cause minimal swelling without affecting mobility, severe ones cause tears, with extreme pain and swelling with 6-12 weeks heal time. Like strains, it is classified on a scale grading severity.

Heat and Cold Injuries

• Heat-related occur when the body struggles to cool in high temperatures/humidity due to heat injuries

Heat Cramps

• Caused by dehydration, electrolyte loss, and decreased blood flow
• Often leads to spasms often after heavy and extended sweating where athletes should not resume without pain or spasms

Heat Exhaustion

• The most common form of heat illness
• A functional illness, caused by dehydration and may include headaches, nausea, dizziness, and chills where athletes should not resume activity without a doctors permission after and examination

Heatstroke

• A life-threatening condition
• Body temperature rises to dangerous levels due to malfunction of the temperature center
• Includes dehydration signs, fever, confusion, vomiting, and rapid pulse/breathing where athletes should not return to activity without a doctor

Frostbite

• Due to cold, the body cuts off the blood flow to periphery, it can lead to skin tissue damages as 3 stages ranging from numbness to black blistering.

Hypothermia

• A life-threatening condition
• Occurs when body temperature drops below 95°F (35°C), and is caused by wet, windy and cold environments where athletes should not return to the sport after getting checked and getting the doctors permission

Wind Chill

• Moving air carries away the heat so you can feel colder than what the temp measures
• It depends on wind and humidity

Overuse Injuries

• Repetitive impact injuries such as tennis and golfer's elbow
• Prevents by increasing flexibility and power

Treatment

General First Aid Principles

• Immediate treatment is important
• Ensure a safe environment
• Provide supplies such as bandages, gauze, etc
• Use basic first aid before assistance arrives

PRICE Principles

• Protection: Prevent further harm by avoiding movement and keeping aware of hazards
• Rest: Immobilize limb with splint/stabilizer, return should be careful with no pain
• Ice: Reduce pain/swelling with ice first 72 hours, up to 20 minute intervals per hour
• Compression: Elastic wraps can reduce swelling
• Elevation: Elevating injured limb above heart helps to reduce bleeding

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

• An emergency procedure for cardiac arrest
• Done by a person that's trained or performed by trained personnel
• Requires the chest compressions and rescue breaths, lung ventilation

Automatic External Defibrillator (AED)

• Examines a patient's condition by electrical shock.

Prevention of Sports Injuries

Risk Assessment

• Consider potential risks, including environmental, player-related, and sport-related risks

Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire

• PAR-Q helps the public decide if they should check with a doctor before physical activity
• Contains seven questions on cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems

Qualifications Of Activity Coaches/Managers

• Unqualified instructors raise participation risk
• Teachers/coaches should be properly trained

Equipment and Facilities

• Substandard equipment increases risk
• Adequate safety facilities lower the risks of participation

Potentially Dangerous Activities

• Assess potentially risky activity based on personal skill and knowledge levels

Safety Measures to Implement when Participating

• Raise awareness of sport injury prevention
• Enforce safety among each other
• Plan gradual progress and correct techniques.
• Maintain and strengthen injury prone segments of body

Conduct Safety Inspections

• Dress in correct appropriate clothing
• Tie up loose clothing, long hair, and trim fingernails

Thoroughly Warmup

• Know physical capabilities
• Examine health conditions and seek quick help for illness symptoms

Check Venue

• Venue inspection for hazards

Handle Equipment with Care

• Raise awareness of weather
• Avoid activity if conditions are not scheduled

Air Quality Health Index (AQHI)

• Reduce exertion if moderate to heavy traffic is apparent.

Ultra Violet Radiation Exposure

• Take protective measures when risk of UV is at 6, wear long sleeved clothing and use sun screen materials

Hot and Humid Conditions

• Acclimitize to conditions where needed by the use of light clothing and porus cotton materials while staying properly hydrated for lost fluids

Warm Up and Cool Down

• Adjust systems to adapt to demand by exercise and rest

Warm Up Effects

• Increases blood flow and reduces viscosity

Cool Down Effects

• Aids in the removal of lactic acid to encourage rate return to resting state

Warm Up Activities

• Conduct light joint movements and static stretch

Specific Warm Up

• Conduct same sports movements that entail use in ensuing exercise

Cool Down

• Conduct light cool down, similar to warm ups