Sports Injury More than 10 million sports injuries occur each year. Most sports injuries are due to either traumatic injury or overuse of muscles or joints. Many sports injuries can be prevented with proper conditioning and training, wearing appropriate protective gear, and using the correct equipment. 1. Wounds A wound is any break in the skin or body surface. Cuts can be caused by sharp edges such as jewellery or stones. When the skin is cut, the blood vessels at the wound edges are cut straight across, so blood loss is very likely. Grazes are wounds in which the top layers of skin are scraped off. Grazes are commonly caused by a sliding fall (trip on a running track) or friction burn (hands sliding along a rope). This information looks at how to treat cuts and grazes: Cuts Grazes Apply pressure over the cut with your hand or Clean the graze under running water. fingers, preferably over a pad or dressing. Cover the graze with a piece of gauze. Raise and support the cut limb above the level of Elevate the wound above the level of the heart and support the limb with one hand. the head. 2. Fractures A fracture is a break or crack in the bone. Bones can break when a direct impact is received (hockey stick striking the shin) or indirect force is produced by a twist or a wrench (a trip or stumble). Treating fractures o To deal with a major fracture you should keep the casualty still and call for professional medical help. All fractures should be seen by a doctor. o Never move the casualty (unless in danger) and never let the casualty eat or drink. 3. Joint/Muscle Injuries A joint is formed where two or more bones meet. A sprain is an injury to a ligament at, or near, a joint. It is often the result of a sudden or unexpected wrenching movement at the joint that pulls the bones within the joint too far apart and tears the tissues surrounding the joint. Muscle damage can occur in three ways: 1. Strain Overstretching of the muscle, which may result in a partial tearing. 2. Deep bruising (soft tissue injury) These injuries are usually accompanied by bleeding into the damaged area, which can lead to pain and swelling. 3. Rupture Complete tearing of the muscle, which may occur in the fleshy part or in the tendon. Treatment +--------------------------------------------------------+ |R|Rest the injured part. | |-+------------------------------------------------------| |I|Apply Ice to reduce the swelling for 10 minutes (max).| |-+------------------------------------------------------| |C|Compress the injury, possibly using a bandage. | |-+------------------------------------------------------| |E|Elevate the part to decrease the blood supply. | +--------------------------------------------------------+ 4. Heat Exhaustion Heat exhaustion, an advanced condition of hyperthermia, is very common in marathon runners; especially in hot, humid conditions. The body temperature rises, which makes blood rush to the skin to cool it down. This makes less blood available to the working muscles and so extreme tiredness, breathlessness and dizziness occurs. Treatment The casualty should be taken to a cool place and wrapped in cold, wet sheets. Cool water (nothing caffeinated or alcoholic) may be given slowly to the casualty. 5. Unconsciousness Unconsciousness occurs from an interruption of the brain’s activity. Treatment: When dealing with a collapsed casualty you should follow the DR ABC procedure: +------------------------------------------------------------------+ |D|Check for danger to both you and casualty. | |-+----------------------------------------------------------------| |R|Check for a response in the casualty. | |-+----------------------------------------------------------------| |A|Check the airway. Is it open and unobstructed? | |-+----------------------------------------------------------------| |B|Listen, look and feel to determine if the casualty is breathing.| |-+----------------------------------------------------------------| |C|Check circulation by feeling the pulse. Is the person bleeding? | +------------------------------------------------------------------+ Never move the casualty, unless in danger. 6. Shock The circulatory system distributes blood round the body, so that oxygen and nutrients can be fed into the tissues. When the system fails, circulatory shock will develop. If not treated immediately, vital organs such as the brain may fail. A typical cause of shock is a blow to the chest (winding). Symptoms include: cold and pale skin, shaking or chills, chest pain, a weak but rapid pulse, shallow breathing, dizziness or general weakness, vomiting, unconsciousness. Treatment 1. Lay the casualty down on his/her back 2. Raise the legs 3. Loosen tight clothing 2. Keep the casualty warm TASK Test your knowledge of injuries! Mark the following statements True (T) or False (F). 1. A first-aid provider would treat a cut by applying pressure with a pad over the wound. 2. A wound where the top layers of skin are scraped off is called a rupture. 3. If a player fractures a leg on the playing field during a match, (s)he should not be moved off the pitch. 4. R.I.C.E. stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elimination. 5. R.I.C.E. should be used to treat a fracture. 6. Hypothermia occurs when the body is exposed to excessive heat. 7. The person suffering from heat exhaustion should drink plenty of tea. 8. If a player is knocked unconscious, you should tap his/her face gently to wake them up. 9. A player who is winded and knocked to the ground could go into shock. 10. Shock occurs when blood pressure drops and the organs do not receive enough blood. VOCABULARY EXERCISE Complete the sentences with the words below. bleed scar minor pain swollen blister bruise scratched wound sprained 1. My ankle is very…………. 2. Do you ………………… easily? 3. I´ve …………………. my wrist. 4. This ……………. was caused by flying glass. 5. The ……………….will disappear in a few days. 6. The operation only left a small ………………. 7. Look where the cat …………………. me. 8. His injuries are all fairly…………………. 9. Are you in…………………….? 10. I´ve got a terrible……………………on my foot.