Common sports injuries that can be treated without a physician, saving you time and money.
Self Treatment For Common Sports Injuries
As any medical doctor or sports trainer will tell you, the best thing in most sports injuries is to rest, ice, compress and elevate the injury site. If nothing else is possible, 'Icing' will work wonders. A detailed explanation of these four steps follows below:
PROBLEMS
Leg Cramps
POSSIBLE CAUSES
Excessive sweating which results in loss of water, salts and potassium. An unusual amount of exertion which will result in strained muscles.
SYMPTOMS
A sudden spasm of the muscles which causes intense pain.
TREATMENT
Gently stretch the cramped muscle by walking around for a while and then massage or knead the affected area lightly.
CRAMPS IN THE CALF: Grab behind the toes with the palm of your hands and the finger tips resting on the balls of the feet, with the other hand grab and squeeze your calf.
CRAMPS IN THE BACK OF THE TIGHS: Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out infront of you, press on the knee while stretching your hamstring. Massage the hamstring gently.
CRAMPS IN THE FOOT: Sit down and pull your toes, with your hand, towards the shin. Massage the muscle while stetching.
PREVENTION
Do not stretch excessively and drink plenty of water or fluids to replace all the salt and potassium that is lost from excessive sweating. Bananas and oranges a good source of potassium - try eating these fruits in particular.
PROBLEM
Shin splints
POSSIBLE CAUSES
Jumping and running continuously on a hard surface.
SYMPTOMS
Muscle around the shin will be painful.
TREATMENT
REST: Take a break from any exercise or movements which may aggravate or cause more stress to the injured area. Rest periods differ from one to two days for minor injuries to several days to weeks for more serious injuries. Starting to exercise too soon will only aggravate the injury and cause it to worsen.
ICE: Place ice packs wrapped in a towel on the affected area to encourage quick healing, it helps to reduce the pain and controls the swelling and bleeding.
COMPRESS: Wrap a stretch bandage just tight enough to support the injured area.
ELEVATE: The limb should be elevated higher than the heart, if possible, if not than at least higher than the hips. This aids in limiting the swelling and will prevent unneccessary movement of the limb and thereby reducing the strain on the limb.
PREVENTION
Avoid running on very hard surfaces especially hills, wearing shoes with shock absorbers and good heel and support will help the problem.
PROBLEM
Sore Muscles
POSSIBLE CAUSES
Overdoing strenuous exercises, especially if you are just starting an exercise routine or you haven't been doing physical training for a while.
SYMPTOMS
Sore, aching muscles with the pain developing the next day or two after commencing the exercise routine.
TREATMENT
Always take a few minute to warm up the body by stretching before beginning the exercise session.
PREVENTION
Continue with the exercise routine at a more moderate pace rate than opting for total in activity, as the exercise will aid in reducing the soreness and boost the circulation at the same time.
PROBLEM
Sprains
POSSIBLE CAUSES
An injury to the ligament or tendons around a joint caused by a sudden, wrenching movement.
SYMPTOMS
Joint pain and swelling, bruising and tenderness which in serious cases can be disabling.
TREATMENT
REST: Take a break from any exercise or movements which may aggravate or cause more stress to the injured area. Rest periods differ from one to two days for minor injuries to several days to weeks for more serious injuries. Starting to exercise too soon will only aggravate the injury and cause it to worsen.
ICE: Place ice packs wrapped in a towel on the affected area to encourages quick healing, it helps to reduce the pain and controls the swelling and bleeding.
COMPRESS: Wrap a stretch bandage just tight enough to support the injured area. Apply cold compresses over the bandage to the affected area several times a day for 15 to 20 minutes at a time during the first 48 hours.
ELEVATE: The limb should be elevated higher than the heart, if possible, if not than atleast higher than the hips. This aids in limiting the swelling and will prevent unneccessary movement of the limb and thereby reducing the strain on the limb.
PREVENTION
Bandage joint when resuming exercise routine to prevent reinjury. Resistance exercises will help strengthen the joints.
PROBLEM
Strains
POSSIBLE CAUSES
Muscle fibres which pull or tear due to being overexerted from falling or lifting something incorrectly.
SYMPTOMS
Loss of power and motion which are accompanied by sudden, sharp pain, discolouration and swelling. Pain diminishes completely within a day or two.
TREATMENT
REST: Take a break from any exercise or movements which may aggravate or cause more stress to the injured area. Rest periods differ from one to two days for minor injuries to several days to weeks for more serious injuries. Starting to exercise too soon will only aggravate the injury and cause it to worsen.
ICE: Place ice packs wrapped in a towel on the affected area to encourages quick healing, it helps to reduce the pain and controls the swelling and bleeding.
COMPRESS: Wrap a stretch bandage just tight enough to support the injured area. Donot wrap too tightly as the muscle may swell and if the bandage is too tight it may cut off circulation.
ELEVATE: The limb should be elevated higher than the heart, if possible, if not than atleast higher than the hips. This aids in limiting the swelling and will prevent unneccessary movement of the limb and thereby reducing the strain on the limb.
PREVENTION
Prevent exercising when muscles are tired or not warmed up and stiff.
PROBLEM
Tennis elbow
Which can be caused by playing tennis, canoeing or even bowling.
POSSIBLE CAUSES
Gripping and rotating motions caused by excessive strain on the muscles of the forearm.
SYMPTOMS
Tenderness below the outer part of the elbow with pain radiating to the forearm.
TREATMENT
REST: Take a break from any exercise or movements which may aggravate or cause more stress to the injured area. Rest periods differ from one to two days for minor injuries to several days to weeks for more serious injuries. Starting to exercise too soon will only aggravate the injury and cause it to worsen.
ICE: Place ice packs wrapped in a towel on the affected area to encourages quick healing, it helps to reduce the pain and controls the swelling and bleeding.
COMPRESS: Wrap a stretch bandage just tight enough to support the injured area.
ELEVATE: The limb should be elevated higher than the heart, if possible, if not than atleast higher than the hips. This aids in limiting the swelling and will prevent unneccessary movement of the limb and thereby reducing the strain on the limb.
PREVENTION
Techniques should be changed depending on the sport being played. In the case of tennis players, they could try a lighter racquet with a smaller grip.
