SPORTS

INJURIES
SPORTS INJURIES
- injuries that most commonly occur during sports or
exercise

- some sports injuries result from accidents, others due

to poor training practices, improper equipment or
insufficient warm-up or stretching
ACUTE INJURIES
These occur when the body experiences sudden
stress.

Three main causes:

1. Collisions with opponents or obstacles.

2. Being struck by an object.
3. Falling from a height or at speed.
CHRONIC INJURIES
- Caused by continuous stress on a body part over a long
time.

- Caused by too much training, not allowing time for

recovery, poor footwear and bad technique.

- Also occurs due to repeated powerful muscle movements.

 THE DIFFERENCE
CHRONIC ACUTE
- Pain when performing - Sudden severe pain
an activity - Swelling
- A dull ache when at rest - Inability to place weight on a
- Swelling lower limb
- Extreme tenderness in an upper
limb
- Inability to move a joint through
its range of motion
- Extreme limb weakness
 TISSUE INJURIES
HARD SOFT
- Hard tissue injuries are - Soft tissue injuries involve
bone injuries. damage to skin, muscles, tendons,
ligaments or cartilage.
 SOFT TISSUE INJURIES
OPEN CLOSED
- the skin has been broken- - occurs beneath the skin-- and
- and blood usually escapes there is no external bleeding

- also includes cuts, grazes, - closed injuries include bruising,

blisters and chafing pulls, strains, and sprains.
OPEN INJURIES
- Cuts require immediate attention to stop bleeding
and allow the blood to clot.

- Grazes or abrasions is where the skin is scraped off

the body, and this needs to be cleaned carefully.
OPEN INJURIES
- Blisters are caused by the skin rubbing on other
surfaces.

- Chafing is caused by ill-fitting clothing or materials.

CLOSED INJURIES
- Bruises occur when small blood vessels are damaged
by an impact or sudden wrenching movement.
- Sprains occur when ligaments at joints get stretched
and torn.
- Strained muscles result from muscles being suddenly
and forcefully overstretched.
MANAGING A MINOR ACUTE INJURY
R.I.C.E is an acronym many sports trainers and
athletes use to treat a minor acute injury. It
stands for Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate.

REST - Resting is one of the most effective ways

to start your healing process.
ICE- helps reduce swelling and inflammation.
COMPRESS- will help reduce the swelling
ELEVATE- this will minimize swelling by
allowing fluid to drain away from the area.
-
HARD TISSUE INJURIES
- include fractures and dislocations

- a fracture is a technical term for a broken bone

- a dislocation is is an injury to a joint (a place where

two or more bones come together) in which the ends of
your bones are forced from their normal positions

RISK FACTORS:
- susceptibility to falls
- heredity
- sports participation
- accidents
MANAGING HARD TISSUE INJURIES
- IMMOBILISATION makes sure that the injured site does
not move and cause further injury

- with a dislocation, fracture or any hard tissue damage

in general, preventing further injury is the main priority.
UNCONSCIOUSNESS
- concussions are common causes of unconsciousness
during sports participation

CAUSES:
- fainting
- head injury
- heart attack/stroke
- asphyxia
- shock
D.R.A.B.C. MANAGEMENT
DANGER
RESPONSE
AIRWAY
BREATHING
CIRCULATION
DEHYDRATION
- When athletes engage in sport, they will lose a
percentage of body weight through water loss.

- When sweat loss exceeds fluid intake, athletes

become dehydrated during activity.

- These levels of dehydration are common in

sports and can occur in just an hour of exercise
or even more rapidly if the athlete is dehydrated
before exercising or participating in a sports
activity.
PREVENTION OF INJURIES
- Train and compete in appropriate venues and surfaces with appropriate clothing,
footwear and protective equipment if necessary.

- Correct poor technique when performing skills in training.

- Strengthen muscles by doing conditioning exercises. Alternate exercising different

muscle groups and exercise every other day.

- Increase flexibility by doing stretching exercises before and after trainings or

competitions.

- Remember that rest is still important. Avoid exercise when you are tired or in
pain.

- Cool down properly after exercise or sports. It should take 2 times as

long as your warm ups.