The A-Z of Contact Sports Injury and Their Prevention

A sports injury is something we are all aware of. Sometimes the injury can be so severe that it can end the professional career of a sports person. The injury is more severe in the high impact full-contact sports like ice hockey, soccer or roller derby. Players can suffer from several types of injuries involved in contact sports such as ankle sprains, fractures, dislocations, concussions, lacerations, cuts etc. You can seek advice from a Perth chiropractor on the protective measures to take for the contact sports.

What Do You Need to Know About Sports Injuries?

There are mainly two types of injuries; the acute injury and the chronic injury.The acute injury or the one-time injury occurs during full-contact sports. Fractures bones or sprained ankles are some of the common acute injuries.The chronic injury takes place due to repeated stress over a period of time. You can easily prevent the overuse injuries by stop playing when you are exhausted. Fatigue reduces the protective mechanism of your body making you more prone to injury.  The PRICE principle is of great help in treating common injuries in sports.

What is the PRICE Principle?

P- Protect:Protecting the injury with the help of pad, crutch or sprint

R-Restrict Activity: Restricting the activity would safeguard against wound worsening.

I-Apply Ice: Ice has anti-inflammatory properties and you should apply it for every 20 minutes for 1-2 hours.

C-Compression:  Compressing with the help of elastic bandage reduces swelling.

E-Elevation of the Injured Area: Reduce swelling by elevation of injured area above the position of the heart.

What are the Common Types of Sports Injuries and What You Can Do About Them?

• Ankle Sprain: Sprained ankle is a common injury faced by athletes and takes place if your toe turns inwards. This result is tearing of the ligament of the foot. The best treatment for an ankle sprain is an exerciseto regain muscle strength and flexibility. You can talk to your Perth chiropractor to suggest exercises to increase your muscle strength and thereby prevent re-injury.
• Fracture: Fractured bones are common in sports like hockey, cricket or boxing, where fracture occurs due to impact from racket, ball or repetitive force such as in boxing. Faceguards, batting helmets or mouth guards are the protective gears used in these contact sports for preventing such injuries. You can even take the advice of a Perth chiropractor as to what protective gears should be used for the various contact sports.
• Knee Injury: Sportsmen especially cricketers and runners sustain knee injuries. Athletes can face the problem of tenderness over their kneecaps, tendinitis or pain along the sides of their knees. Knee injuries are frequent in contact sports like cricket, hockey, football etc. These injuries occur due to twists and blows on the knees and even due to lack of the warming up exercises on the part of the players. Thus to prevent knee injuries proper warming up exercises should be done. Your Perth chiropractor can help you in suggesting what warm-up exercises can be done to prevent knee injuries. Cricket playersshould wear knee pads for protecting their knee joints and cartilages from injury.
• Patellofemoral Syndrome: The Patellofemoral Syndrome knee injury results from the repetitive movement of the kneecap or patella against the thigh bone. This can occur in many contact sports such as basketball, volleyball One of the knees or both the knees can be affected. The best way to prevent recurrence of this type of knee injury is with the help of low-impact exercises. Take the suggestions of an experienced Perth chiropractor as to what exercises needs to be done of the quadriceps to relieve pain and prevent the recurrence of this syndrome.

Thus to avail the professional help of an experienced chiropractor call (08) 61508783 in Mount Pleasant or (08) 61508785 in Scarborough and fix an appointment right away.