Running head: SPORTS INJURIES

Sports injuries
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SPORTS INJURIES
Introduction
During sporting activities, people engage in strenuous activity, some of which result

in an injury of the body. Regardless of the sports one engages themselves in, whether

badminton or rugby, body strain is unavoidable, (Asklinget al., 2014). The risk of injury

during sports is increased by factors such as lack of warm up exercises and failure to have a

proper diet prior to the sport. There are four common types of sports injuries including neck

injuries, acute injuries, lower back injuries and chronic overuse injuries. Wearing protective

gear is important in the prevention of injury, but it still does not guarantee lack of injury in

play. Over 20% of sports injuries are known to occur in the lower back or the neck region,

(Asklinget al., 2014). In this essay, I will be assisting the youth team physiotherapist to

design some of the treatment, prevention and rehabilitation programs for common sports

injuries.
P5- The first aid and standard procedures used for four different types of sports injury
As stated earlier, the four main types of injuries include acute, neck, lower back, and

chronic overuse injuries. Some of the hard injuries in sports entail bone breaks or bone

dislocations. Soft injuries are like tissue abrasions, strains & sprains and also hematoma,

(Arvinen-Barrow & Walker, 2013). Tissue damage mostly results in bleeding, which requires

the immediate attention of coverage of the wound and administration of clotting factors.
For the hard injuries such as bone breakage or dislocation, the immediate first aid

measures should be geared to reducing the pain impact on the patient. One such measure

should be a continual massage of the affected region. For such a bone breakage, the first aider

should also make sure that there is no wound present. If there is, they should use a sterile

bandage to apply pressure to the wound. If a bandage is not available, a clean piece of cloth

can be employed. Also, the immobilization of the affected area should be done immediately

the first aid begins(Arvinen-Barrow & Walker, 2013). To reduce swellings at the regions, ice

packs should be applied or placed in these areas. If there are no ice packs around, the
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swellings can be limited by cold water put in a plastic paper bag. The essence is to provide

that relaxed environment to the tissues surrounding the affected region.

Some of the injuries such as pain in the lower back call for immediate diagnosis of

other conditions that could be life-threatening to the patient. Where there is a lot of bleeding,

the washing of the wounds should be done carefully with clean running water. Application of

drugs on the surface should then be made before tying the wound with a clean piece of

clothing. Besides, as stated earlier, the patient can be given clotting drugs which increase the

ability of the platelets to form more clots at the site of injury and prevent further bleeding.
P6- Treatment and Rehab program for two common injuries
Sometimes, a sports injury can lead to the loss of function of the patient entirely,

(Arvinen-Barrow & Walker, 2013). A rehabilitation program is a program that enables such a

patient to regain full function by restoring his flexibility, power, and endurance. Two of the

common injuries that will be used to design a treatment and rehabilitation program are the

chronic overuse injury and bone fractures.

First, treatment of bone fractures is made by first doing an X-ray and then assessing

the exact points of breakage. The bone can then be fixed by a supportive mechanism in which

the patient is made to lie in bed for some time with supportive machines, together with drug

administration. The rehabilitation program for the same entails giving the patient food and

supplements that are rich in minerals to enhance osteoblast formation, (Arvinen-Barrowet al.,

2014). After the patient develops sufficient strength in the fractured region, he is made to

walk using supportive structures. At this time, the drugs and supplements are still being

administered. The patient eventually hardens and can walk on their own. Most of the

successful bone rehabilitation programs have been seen in children below 14.Chronic overuse

injury results from the repetitive motion of a given body part. Its treatment usually entails

chemotherapy, and its rehabilitation program involves incorporating different exercises to

avoid stress on a particular body part. Proper documentation of the rehab steps and drugs

taken should also be done well for future reference.

M3- Independent rehab programs
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The patient may not need to have the presence of a tutor for support throughout their

rehabilitation program. For our two conditions under study, there are specific rehabilitation

programs that can be applied to the patients independently. For the bone fracture, the patient

needs to have a diet rich in calcium, phosphorus and other mineral elements that are essential

for bone growth and development. The patient also needs to reduce stress on the fractured

bone and should ensure that maximum rest is given after a simple exercise (which is very

important and should be routine). The chronic overuse injury can be controlled independently

by the patient through having modified or controlled activity, (Asklinget al., 2014). Stretching

and strengthening exercises for the two injuries should be a routine procedure.
D2- Evaluation and justification of the rehab program designed
The administration of drugs and supplements that are rich in calcium and phosphorous

is paramount, not only for the injured sportsmen but also for the physically fit individuals,

(Arvinen-Barrow & Walker, 2013). This is because they contribute to the development of

very strong bones and lower susceptibility to bone injury. For an injured person, these

supplements enhance osteoblast formation, which are the mother cells of the bones. The

formation of bone material at the point of fracture is therefore triggered, hence healing. For

the chronic overuse injury, reducing activity on a stressed region that was a source of pain

creates a relaxation on that region, hence healing. Stretching exercises are imperative for the

increase in ventilation of different body parts. With increased ventilation, the body can

efficiently deliver lymphocytes, leucocytes, and oxygen to these parts and also get rid of

waste products, an activity that highly increases the healing rate, (Arvinen-Barrowet al.,

2014)
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References
Arvinen-Barrow, M., & Walker, N. (2013). The psychology of sport injury and rehabilitation.

Routledge.
Arvinen-Barrow, M., Massey, W. V., &Hemmings, B. (2014). Role of sport medicine

professionals in addressing psychosocial aspects of sport-injury rehabilitation:

professional athletes' views. Journal of athletic training, 49(6), 764-772.

Askling, C. M., Tengvar, M., Tarassova, O., &Thorstensson, A. (2014). Acute hamstring

injuries in Swedish elite sprinters and jumpers: a prospective randomised controlled

clinical trial comparing two rehabilitation protocols. British journal of sports

medicine, 48(7), 532-539.