Injury
The best way to deal with injuries is to avoid them. Warming up and cooling down are good prevention techniques. The hamstrings, quadriceps, ligaments and tendons (especially the Achilles tendon) are very susceptible to injury, so it is important to take time to warm up these areas. Other prevention techniques are to always land with your knees bent after jumping but avoid bending the knees more than 90 degrees. Also, do not twist your knees. Keep your feet flat on the ground.
The most common way that athletes are injured is simply by over-exerting their bodies, so don’t over do it. Never try to exercise through pain. If you feel pain then stop and rest even if it seems like it is not that serious. Continuing to exercise through pain could make pain turn into a serious injury. Cooling down will also help you avoid injury.
The surface you exercise on is also a factor. It is much better to exercise on soft surfaces instead of asphalt or concrete if possible. If you must exercise on asphalt or concrete then make sure you have comfortable, properly supported shoes, with sufficiently padded soles.
However, even the most careful athlete is capable of accidents. The most common injuries are strains and sprains. A strain is a twist, pull, or tear of a muscle or tendon. Symptoms include pain, muscle spasms, and loss of strength. A sprain occurs when a ligament is stretched or torn, often when a fall or blow knocks a joint out of position. Pain, bruising, inflammation, swelling, and/or inability to move a joint with stability are all symptoms of a sprain. Most sprains are due to over stretching and can be healed at home, but a torn ligament is a serious condition that may need professional assistance.
The term shin splint refers to any pain along the tibia or shin bone. It is a common injury of runners when the runner runs incorrectly, for too long, or too much on hard surfaces. It also occurs if a runner neglects warming up properly. A person with flat feet is more susceptible to shin splints.
A bruise is a muscle contusion that occurs when muscles or blood vessels are crushed or torn. This happens if your body falls or collides with a hard surface and it can be healed quickly with proper treatment. Arnica is an excellent salve for healing bruises.
For most of these simple injuries you can heal yourself. At the moment of an injury your body begins to heal. First, there is a chemical that is released that causes inflammation. This causes pain and also protects the area of injury from further damage. The blood vessels dilate and blood flow increases to carry nutrients to the damaged tissue. Then, within hours, your white blood cells go to the injury and remove the damaged tissue, replacing the void with special cells that make scar tissue. The healing process continues in the days and months following. Scar tissue will come and go. Most injuries can heal in a few months.
Despite your body’s amazing ability to heal, there are ways to help the healing process along. The R.I.C.E. method or “Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation” will help your body heal faster. Rest is important whether your have an injury or not. If you have a minor injury that is swollen, then ice, compression, and elevation will help reduce swelling, which reduces pain. Ice can be applied as soon as possible after the injury occurs. Apply ice for 10 minutes or 15 minutes but no more than 20 minutes four to eight times a day or every 2 hours. If you do not have an ice pack then you can just put ice in a plastic bag and place a thick cloth, like a towel, between the skin and the bag of ice. Compression is the act of wrapping the injury. Usually this is done with an elastic bandage but there are also special boots, air casts, and splints that can be used. Immobilization is also important for some injuries. Therefore, a sling, splint, or cast may be needed. Elevation is the last important step and can be easily done while you are resting. Make sure you elevate the injury above your heart height.
After 48 hours, do not use ice any more. At this point you can change to using heat. A hot bath, hot tub, hot pad, steam bath, or sauna can be help relieve tension and let you relax. However, heat is not recommended at first, only after the healing process is well on its way. As your body rehabilitates it is important to exercise lightly. Avoid pain, but stretch the healing area daily. Regular, light, simple exercises will help your body heal with the same amount of flexibility and strength as you had before the injury.
More serious injuries include dislocated joints and fractured bones. Acute and chronic injuries can also be serious. Some serious chronic injuries can happen over a period of time. These type of injuries may need professional attention from your doctor. If you think you might have a serious injury then seek professional help. This course is in not way a substitute for medical attention.
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