PREVENTING SPORTS

INJURIES

What is a sports injury?

“Sports injuries result from acute trauma or repetitive stress

associated with athletic activities. Sports injuries can

affect bones or soft tissue (ligaments, muscles, tendons).”

Sports injury statistics

There are over 22 million injuries a year and the number is climbing.

During the 2008/2009 Guinness Premiership Rugby season there

were 769 recorded injuries, an average of 2 injuries per match.

© Nuffield Foundation 2010

Sports injuries

Which sport do you think is most dangerous?

Playing sport and doing regular exercise is good for your health, but can sometimes result in injuries

Most people will only experience minor sport-related injuries such as cuts and grazes, bruises or blisters

Pain, swelling and restricted limb movements are fairly common

Affected areas can include: muscles bones ligaments (thick bands of tissue that

connect one bone to another) tendons (tough, rubbery cords that link

muscles to bones) joints – the hips, elbows, ankles and knees cartilage (tough, flexible tissue that

covers the surface of joints and allows bones to slide over one another)

WHY SPORTS INJURIES HAPPEN Sports injuries can be caused by: an accident not warming up properly before exercising using inadequate equipment or poor technique pushing yourself too hard (overtraining)

DOCTOR MAY DESCRIBE A SPORTS INJURY AS: a sudden injury – which is the result of

a sudden impact or an awkward movement

an overuse injury – which develops over time as a result of overusing certain parts of the body or poor technique

© Nuffield Foundation 2010

Which group of sports leads to most injuries?

Sports injuries

Is it the most dangerous?

SportAthleticsGymnasticsBall sport with racquet/bat/stickBall sport without bat etcCombat sportShooting/archery/dartsWheel/motor/cycle/ roller skating

Animal sport/ridingWinter sportWalking/climbing/cavingWater sportAir sportExercise/fitness/weight liftingOtherTotal

TREATING SPORTS INJURIES You can treat most minor sports injuries

yourself by resting the affected body part and using over-the-counter painkillers

More serious sports injuries, such as a broken bone, torn ligament or damaged cartilage, will require specialist advice and treatment from doctors, surgeons or physiotherapists

PREVENTING SPORTS INJURIES Not all sports injuries can be prevented, but

you can reduce your risk of getting injured by:

warming up properly not pushing your body using recommended safety equipment receiving coaching If you start a new sport or activity, get

advice and training from a qualified healthcare professional or sports coach

PREVENTION Injuries are prevented by:

Identifying risk factors Addressing risks with preventive measures

PREVENTION PROGRAM A comprehensive prevention program

includes:Pre-sports PhysicalAppropriate clothing and footwearRespecting your environmentUsing proper EquipmentProper CoachingGetting in shapeDon’t Overdo ItStructure your workout properlyLearn Proper Technique

HAVE A PRE-SPORTS PHYSICAL Performed by a qualified doctor Assess overall health Detect conditions that might cause

injury Detect conditions that may disqualify

the athlete from participation Assess fitness for chosen sport Make recommendations for the exercise

program

APPROPRIATE CLOTHING & FOOTWEAR Makes exercise safer and more

enjoyable Keeps body temp. at comfortable

level Footwear

Correct shoes for your sport/activitySocks to prevent blisters and add

support/cushion

RESPECT YOUR ENVIRONMENT Watch weather - overheating and

overcooling Athletes may become too hot or too cold

depending on temperature, humidity, and wind conditions

USE PROPER EQUIPMENT If activity requires equipment, make

sure it is in proper working order Protective equipment such as helmets,

mouth guards, shoulder pads, etc. should be used as well

GET PROPER COACHING Qualified coaches should be trained

to improve athletic skill and prevent injuries

Proper instruction is especially important in high-risk sports (e.g. gymnastics, football, etc.)Also important in lower risk activities

where improper technique could lead to overuse injuries (e.g. running, tennis, etc.)

Coaches should be certified in their sport by a national association

GET IN SHAPE Improves healthReduces the risk of injuryEnhances performance

Improves heart-lung endurance, strength, flexibility, body composition, etc.

DON’T OVERDO IT “too much too soon” is one of the main

causes of injury Injuries can develop when frequency,

duration, or intensity is suddenly increased

CASE STUDY: A CHRONIC KNEE INJURY An interesting example of this process of diagnosis

and treatment in my coaching experience comes from an athlete with a chronic knee injury. I took her to a sports-injury specialist and he diagnosed her complaint as Chrondomalacia patella, which, translated into English, means is inflammation of the underside of the patella and softening of the cartilage which causes a roughening on the underside of the knee and thus pain. The cause of the injury was pinpointed to the athlete's gait while she was running. Specifically, there was over-pronation at the foot and instability at the hip, both of which were leading to excessive internal rotation at the knee.

The physiotherapist prescribed complete rest from running and any activity that aggravated the problem. This would allow the knee to heal. In addition, orthotic inserts for the athlete's running shoes were prescribed to control the excess pronation and a strengthening programme was prescribed for her legs, hips and abdominals to help stabilize her pelvis and control the internal rotation. Thus her treatment plan and exercise programme were related to eliminating the cause of the injury.

As her coach, I supervised her strength workouts to ensure she performed the exercises correctly and increased her strength in the relevant areas over the following weeks. As I've said, injury rehabilitation training is goal-related. The physiotherapist sets the specific goals - in this case, improving leg, hip and stomach strength - but it is the coach's job to encourage the athlete to achieve the goals. Because you are still closely involved, the athlete will feel you are still the coach, even though he or she is injured. Part of a coach's job is to help his athletes recover to full fitness after injury, not simply to train them when they are 100 per cent healthy.

THE 10 PHASE APPROACH TO

REHABILITATION

THE 10 PHASE APPROACH TO REHABILITATION1. Structural Integrity2. Pain - Free Joints and Muscles3. Joint Flexibility4. Muscular Strength5. Muscular Endurance6. Muscular Speed7. Muscular Power8. Skill Patterns9. Agility10. Cardiovascular Endurance

THE 10 PHASE APPROACH TO REHABILITATIONStructural Integrity

Pain-Free

Joint Flexibility

Strength

Endurance

Speed

Power

Skill Patterns

Agility

Cardiovascular Endurance

THE 10 PHASE APPROACH TO REHABILITATION

Structural Integrity surgery immobilization rest

Pain - Free Joints and Muscles ways to diminish pain

immobilization therapeutic modalities cryotherapy graded exercise (quad sets, isometric

contractions..)

THE 10 PHASE APPROACH TO REHABILITATION Joint Flexibility

Decreased joint flexibility results from: muscle spasm, pain (Therapeutic exercise with

cold) connective tissue adhesions (Therapeutic

exercise with heat)

THE 10 PHASE APPROACH TO REHABILITATION

Muscular StrengthMust perform a progressive resistive exercise on a

regular basis. Each side of the body should be worked

independently.Once strength in the injured side is 90% of the

non-injured side, emphasis moves to the development of muscular endurance.

THE 10 PHASE APPROACH TO REHABILITATION

Muscular EnduranceStationary bikeRunning when tolerated (jog 400 meters first day

and increase by 400 meters each 1 or 2 days)When athlete can run 1 mile emphasis should

move to next phase

THE 10 PHASE APPROACH TO REHABILITATION Muscular Speed

high intense stationary bike

Cybex Muscular Power

Isokinetic deviceshigh- speed resistive work

THE 10 PHASE APPROACH TO REHABILITATION Skill Patterns

Participation in team drills at 2 speed Sport-specific skill patterns

Agility Participation in team drills at 3/4 speed to full

speed skill patterns are performed quickly and

speedily Cardiovascular Endurance

develop creative ways to maintain cardiovascular endurance throughout rehab.

THANKS