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by Martin Kelvin
Summer is on the doorstep and the weekend warriors are ready to move outdoors with their sports equipment. When we think of sports or any physical activity for that matter, the first thing that crosses the mind is injuries. Yes, being elders to our siblings or children, we always try to be cautious about their outdoor activities. Now, when we speak about sports injuries, not necessarily only athletes suffer from them. Our lively and energetic weekend warriors are equally prone to getting injuries while playing their favorite sport.
Athletes and young children are always hyperactive about their sports and other physical activities. Therefore, it is crucial to help them take the necessary precautions to avoid getting injuries. Sports injuries range from muscle strains & sprain to shoulder & leg injury, and musculoskeletal injuries to a concussion.
According to USA Today, “Using data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, the report focused on pediatric sports injuries related to 14 common sports activities, including football, cheerleading, soccer, and basketball. More than 46.5 million children played team sports in 2011, says the report.” If not avoided, these injuries can lead to chronic conditions that can last a lifetime.
Let us take a look at some significant ways to avoid these sports injuries.
Do Not Allow Injuries to Occur
One of the best ways to avoid sports injuries is to prevent them from occurring. Yes, you read that right. Before starting any sports activity, it is vital to have a proper warm-up exercise. You can do some exercises like jumping jacks, skipping, spot jogging, etc. before you start your main physical activity or sports. It will warm up the body and increase its flexibility. As a result, the possibilities of getting injuries will remarkably decrease.
Do Not Push Yourself Too Hard Too Quick
As we mentioned earlier, athletes and young children are hyperactive by nature, and in the heat of the moment, they easily push themselves too hard and too fast. As a result, they are highly prone to injure themselves in one or the other way.
Moreover, talking in general, if you are not used to playing any sports, and suddenly participate in a weekend football match, you are most likely to come home with an injury. Though it may seem hard to hold yourself when you are having fun, you should try not to jump in quickly.
Equip Yourself with The Right Sports Equipment
Playing any sports require to have appropriate wearable to avoid injuries. Especially, if we talk about games like basketball, then it is crucial to have the right footwear, as you will mostly use your feet to play the sports. You can consult with the relevant coach or an expert regarding the right shoes. It will save you getting foot and ankle injuries to a great extent.
Prevent Overuse Injuries
Often, injuries can occur from doing the same movement again and again. Therefore, you should be aware of these actions that can lead you to sports injuries. Repetition can build up skill and strength, but it can also lead to ankle sprain & strains, and put pressure on ligaments, tendons, and muscles.
You can incorporate cross-training into your workouts. It focuses on giving exercise to all the parts of the body and giving the much-needed rest to the others. In other words, it distributes the burden or the pressure among the areas and prevents one particular part from getting stressed.
Offer Sufficient Time to Body For Healing
When patients suffer from sports injuries, they should give adequate time to heal their bodies. If they rush into entering their field with untreated or half-treated injuries, they are highly likely to suffer from severe conditions. In this case, it is required to take more rest and take sufficient healing and recovery time.
Examine the Playing Area Thoroughly
Before you start playing the sport, it is vital to inspect the ground or the area for any debris, holes or other items that could hurt. For example, for playing soccer, the playground should be free from the things we mentioned here, or the players will end up injuring themselves.
Use Protective Equipment
Athletes need to protect themselves in every sense before entering the field. They should effectively use the relevant protective equipment required for playing the game. It helps prevent injuries again to a great extent.
Treatment
In spite of taking the much-needed care and precautions, injuries often occur. However, in the majority of the cases, the RICE comes as the first resort of treatment. It stands for Rest, Ice, and Compression. Giving ice and heat packs treatment immediately after an injury can reduce the swelling and inflammation.
If the injury doesn’t heal within two days, then it is advisable that you should consult a doctor or an expert.
According to Achieve Therapy And Fitness, “A twisted ankle or an aching back can usually be treated at home. But for those breaks and tears that call for immediate medical attention, or those pains that just aren’t going away, physical therapy is often a critical part of the healing process.”
Physical Therapy
Whether surgical or non-surgical injury, physical therapy is one of the best solutions for healing aches and injuries. Physical therapists are experts in addressing these wounds and finding the root of pain. They thoroughly examine the condition/injury and determine the cause of discomfort. A lot of physical therapy clinics offer excellent rehabilitation for sports injuries. They have highly trained professionals and certified physical therapists to help patients recover faster with effective training programs.
Sportsman and athletes should always be in high spirits, taking the required precautions to prevent injuries that can keep them from their game.