Injuries Part 2

Welcome to 5.14 Fitness,
 
I apologies for how long it has taken me to produce this post, however we are in the process of making a lot of changes to our house and this is what has occupied the majority of my free time recently. It may be another week or so until posts can become more frequent again but when we get the chance to upload we will.


Cuts 

Cuts are also a form of soft tissue skin damage these happen due to a collision with others or with sharp objects; this could happen during a tackle of if you fall over and make contact with the ground. It will leave a mark on the surface of the skin and start to bleed, the cut should be cleaned and dressed with a plaster or bandage if it seems to get infected visit the hospital or doctor. We can try to avoid these if we remove jewellery, check to make sure equipment is safe and wear protective garments. This happens in sports such as football, rugby and cricket

Bruises

Bruises are a form of soft tissue skin damage and are obtained by making contact with the ground, other players or equipment. This is likely to be by whilst making a tackle or interception (in contact sport) or getting hit by equipment (e.g. racket sports). The impact damages the blood vessels beneath the skin causing the surface to turn blue/purple to yellow/green. We can treat this by applying ice to reduce the swelling. To avoid bruises we should wear protection (e.g. shin pads) or avoid collisions but this is not always possible in sports like rugby.

Fractures

Fractures are what we commonly known as broken bones they happen when the bone is subject to a large force or impact stronger then the bone itself. There are many types of fracture including: compound, simple, greenstick and stress. You might have a fracture if you are experiencing pain, bruising and swelling. The best way to treat a fracture is using the RICEM method, however you may also need to see a doctor so they could potentially apply a cast/sling or prescribe a form of pain relief. To avoid getting a fracture you should try to make as little impact with the ground or equipment as possible, but this is often unavoidable in contact sports such as sumo wrestling, in these sports it is important to wear all the protective items encouraged by the sport.

Dislocations

Dislocations are when the bones in a joint are knocked/moved out of place, often in the shoulder and knee. This injury is caused by a fall of knock to the joint; this could be falling off a trampoline and putting your arms out in front of you to break your fall, this could dislocate your shoulder. This is a very painful injury ( other symptoms could include swelling and joints not functioning normally) and would need to be put back into place and then apply the RICE method . This type of injury is hard to avoid but you could wear protective gear on the joints to reduce the impact on the area. This happens in sports such as gymnastics, volleyball and basketball

Abrasions

Abrasions/grazes are soft tissue skin damage and are caused when skin rubs against a rough surface; this could be due to a fall or slide tackle due to the friction on the ground. The injury comes up on the surface of the skin as the top layer of skin is removed, this can be painful at the time of the injury and dirt can get into the injury causing infection. To avoid this it should be cleaned and dressed as soon as possible, and to avoid the injury all together you should wear protective gear. To reduce swelling should apply ice and compression, but if it gets serious you should go to the hospital. Could happen in hockey or tennis

Ways to prevent injury in general include allowing the body time to have rest and recover, exercising and participating with tired or aching limbs are common way to get injured as they are no longer as elastic or flexible resulting in a loss of movement. Warming up properly is another way to avoid getting injured as muscle and tendons become more flexible but you are also more focused and alert, this all leads to greater movement. Wearing incorrect clothing can also lead to injuries for example in an F1 car you could not wear just a T shirt and shorts as they do not provide much protection from the hazards of the sport. Rules are put into sports in order to protect those taking part, like in football you have to wear shin pads in order to protect your legs and in rugby you cannot jump when someone comes in to a tackle as it is seemed to be dangerous. You also have to make sure you have the correct technique in your sport otherwise you could get injured this way, if you have the wrong technique when throwing a shot putt you could pull a muscle, if you have the wrong technique in pole vaulting you could break a bone from a fall.

Things that governing bodies of the sports try to prevent injury by making the competition balanced, they do this by trying to keep people that are in the same age category, similar weight and in the same gender. They do this to ensure the competition is as fair as possible so there is less chance of the participants getting injured. Equipment has to be checked to ensure it is safe to use and limit the amount of potential injuries, this could do things like putting padding on goal posts to stop people getting hurt from running into them and making sure the studs on football boots aren’t sharp so that they do not cut the opponents. Obstacles on the pitch such as litter which can cause injuries such as cuts or bruises if the participants make a collision with them. In addition the facilities also need to be checked to made sure there safe for use, for example if there are stones or glass on a volleyball court it would be deemed unsafe for use or if a football pitch is very muddy/wet or on a slope players could slide or slip which could again lead to an injury.


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Jason