15/08/2020
SPORT INJURIES - causes, prevention and treatment
There are 2 type of injuries:
1. Contact
2. Non-contact
CONTACT
injuries are caused by external force (e.g. a tackle in football or a kick in karate etc).
Not much you can do to prevent, it's part of the game you play. Basically, you are relying on luck
NON-CONTACT
injuries can be controlled and prevented most of the time. Examples of these injuries are ankle sprain, hamstring pull, groin overuse, spine twist etc
PREVENTION
1. Load/risk management - (CRITICAL) monitoring stress levels, sleeping patterns, nutrition, recovery, training load and frequency, type of training are all essential to maximize performance
2. Nutrition - eating clean, right amount of food and drink, eating at the right time, choosing the right food, staying away from harmful substances e.g alcohol
3. Preparation - mental and physical, includes positive mindset, general and sport specific warm up
4. Recovery - sufficient rest within training session, do not overload/overdo on a specific body part, sufficient rest between sessions, de-loading, tapering
5. Technical aspects - get the fundamentals right, correct technique in running, jumping-landing, acceleration-decelaration, catch-throw, sport specific movements
TREATMENT
Depends on type of injury, athlete's history of injuries, severity of injury, commitment from athlete, equipment available, knowledge and experience of health professional.
Generally, all injuries can be treated.
Note: Prevention is always better than treatment.