 This
month's Coaching and Sports section features the considerable effort,
and expertise, of graduate student and athletic trainer Erika Hunt.
Thanks Erika!
Most everyone is aware that involvement in sports and exercise
is important; it reduces the chance of obesity and risk of diabetes.
Sports also help build social skills and provide a general sense
of well-being. Injuries are part of the game, and one of the least
discussed issues in coaching.
This section focuses on recognition, treatment, and prevention
of athletic injuries, as well as adapting practices to keep kids
involved.
Martin Short and Erika
Hunt
Coaching & Sports Section Editors
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| Recognizing Common Sport Injuries |
Sports related
injuries are common in athletics at all skill levels and level of
organization. Coaches, physical educators, and parents should be
aware of signs and symptoms of the injuries that are common to the
particular sport that they coach, supervise or teach, or in which
their child participates. Injuries can be largely classified into
two main groups: Acute and Chronic.
Acute Injuries occur
suddenly, and are usually associated with some form of trauma: a
single blow from a single force. They include minor bruises, sprains,
strains and fractures. Repetitive acute injuries causing constant
irritation, and stress can lead to a chronic injury.
Chronic or Overuse Injuries
are those that occur from repetitive actions over a period of time.
These are especially problematic in younger athletes because of the
effect they may have on their growth and development. Overuse or chronic
injuries can include tendonitis, bursitis, and stress fractures.
Here are some of the more common injuries coaches will have to deal
with throughout a season.
Friction Blisters:
Caused by a continuous rubbing over the skin leading to a collection
of fluid below the skin. Signs and Symptoms: the athlete may feel
a "hot spot"; the area may be red and contain a clear
liquid that causes pain when pressure is applied.
Contusions
(bruises): result of sudden blow to body; can be both deep or superficial.
Signs and Symptoms: the soft tissue is traumatized, causing broken
blood vessels under the skin leading to ecchymosis (black and blue).
If the force was strong enough a deep muscle bruise, or bone bruise
can result, which will cause severe pain and difficulty moving that
muscle.
Muscle Strain:
a stretch, tear or rip to the muscle or muscle tendon. Signs and
Symptoms: local pain, mild swelling, ecchymosis, local point tenderness,
loss of strength. Symptoms will increase in severity related to
the severity of the strain.
Muscle Cramps
and Spasms: painful involuntary contraction of the muscle,
most often due to dehydration or electrolyte imbalance. Signs and
Symptoms: athlete will report involuntary rigid muscle contraction
that lasts a period of time.
Delayed Onset
Muscle Soreness: pain that occurs 24 to 48 hours following
activity that gradually subsides.
Bone Fracture:
a partial, or complete, disruption of the bone that can
be closed or open (through the skin). Signs and Symptoms: deformity,
pain, athlete may report hearing a "crack," inability
to move the injured body part or bear weight.
Sprain:
a joint twist resulting in the stretching or tearing of a ligament.
Signs and Symptoms: joint swelling, discoloration, pain and point
tenderness, loss of function. Symptoms will increase in severity
related to the severity of the sprain.
Tendonitis: inflammation
of the tendon of a muscle. Signs and Symptoms: swelling over the
tendon of the muscle and pain. |
| If you have
ideas, comments, letters to share, or questions about particular
topics, please email one of the following Coaching Section Editors:
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| What
efforts have you implemented to teach kids about the recognition,
treatment, and prevention of injuries? Please share in the
forum. |
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| Treatment and Care of Injuries |
| Recently the National Athletic
Trainers Association published guidelines for "The Appropriate
Medical Care for the Secondary School Age Athlete." The recommendations
state that each organization should identify individuals responsible
for providing immediate treatment of injuries during practice and
competition.
The Certified Athletic Trainer offers the best option, offering
advanced first aid knowledge and the ability to make "return
to play" decisions. However, often times the coach or physical
educator may be directly responsible for providing immediate first
aid, as well as for seeking the proper medical attention when warranted.
Therefore, the coach should be trained in both first aid and CPR
to properly care for the injured athletes. For mild injuries the
best immediate treatment is easy to remember: RICE.
R: Rest - reduce,
or stop, using the injured area for up to 48 hours.
I: Ice - put an ice
pack on the injured area for 20 minutes at a time, 4 to 8 times
per day. Use a cold pack, ice bag, or a plastic bag filled with
crushed ice that has been wrapped in a towel.
C: Compression - compression
of an injured area may help reduce swelling. These include bandages,
such as elastic wraps.
E: Elevate - keep
the injured area elevated above the level of the heart to encourage
blood and fluid flow out of the area to limit swelling.
Any injury that results in swelling, numbness, intense pain or
tenderness, or loss of flexibility should be taken seriously, and
the athlete should follow up with a family physician or sports medicine
specialist. |
| Preventing Sports Injuries |
| The nature of
athletic participation dictates that injuries will eventually occur,
and injuries are a heavy burden to the well-being of the athlete
and are the leading reason why people stop participating in athletics.
Prevention is Key! Follow these prevention keys to help promote
safe activities for all athletes.
Choose Appropriate Activities: Remember that children
mature and learn new skills at different rates. Be sure the practice
drills, and level of competition, are appropriate to the age and
skill level of your athletes. You may need to adapt specific practice
drills by breaking them into sections to allow for learning, and
then progress into the full drill.
Progression into Activity: Progression into activity
can be as simple as a 10-15 minute warm-up, or more complex as when
returning an athlete to participation following injury. The general
warm-up should include 2-3 minutes of light jogging or biking, sport-specific
stretching activities, followed by gradually increasing intensity
by performing sport specific activities.
Pre-Participation Exam: The pre-participation examination
(PPE) is essential in detecting conditions that may place individuals
at risk for developing injuries related to their specific sport. The
examination should be performed yearly, because health conditions
may change from year to year and could be overlooked. The PPE should
include a general exam and an orthopedic exam to include height, weight,
blood pressure, pulse, respiration rate, eyes, ears, nose, chest and
abdomen check, joint flexibility, joint range of motion, and a discussion
of past injuries. |
Please note that
all information is provided for educational purposes only. For specific
medical advice, diagnoses and treatment, consult a doctor.
For more information contact:
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| Athletic
Injuries - signs to look for |
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Athletic
Injuries
This site allows you select links to anatomical locations, which
will bring up various options on injuries that athletes can acquire
during sport involvement. There are quizes and tutorials, photos,
movies, etc. A very interesting site, but expect to be a bit horrified
viewing some of the injuries.
Please remember that 3D Quicktime VR moves allow you to hold down
your mousebutton, and rotate the graphic in the movie. |
| Returning
to Sport after Injury |
| Selection & Fitting of Protective Equipment |
Participation,
with improperly fitted protective equipment, can place athletes
at increased risk for injury. All protective equipment should
be approved by an appropriate organization. Entities that provide
guidelines for approval are the National Operating committee on
Standards in Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE),
and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).
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Qualified
personnel educated in the necessary procedures should purchase,
fit, and maintain appropriate athletic equipment. |
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Instruct the athlete
on each piece of equipment's proper use, as well as the potential
hazards with its misuse. |
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Most manufacturers recommend that equipment
be reconditioned on a regular basis, checking for flaws and
defects in the product. |
Mouthguards: protect
your mouth, teeth and tongue, and are recommended for all sports
with a risk of mouth injuries, and are required by some organizations
in football, lacrosse, and ice hockey.
Helmets:
should comply with appropriate standards for the sport being played.
They should be periodically inspected, and should be used only
as directed and NEVER as a weapon.
Face masks:
should be worn in sports where the possibility for injury to the
face is high, such as football, ice hockey, lacrosse, baseball,
and softball. They should fit snugly, and have cushion for a comfortable
fit. |
Most
young people participate in sports to have fun. Sport participation
also helps to foster healthy exercise behavior, as well as social
and life skills. It is important that when an athlete is injured,
every effort is made to keep that athlete involved throughout
his or her healing process, so they can return to their activity
when full healing is achieved.
Benefits to Staying Involved...
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Help
athletes still feel part of the team. If they can not participate
at all, find them a "job" to do; be a passer in
a drill, carry the equipment to the field, etc. Keep them
involved. |
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They
can still learn while attending practice. Have them watch
while you instruct a new play, then have them walk through
it. |
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Depending
on their progression through the healing process, injured
athletes can still participate in limited drills, or adapted
drills, to meet their needs. The following are examples. |
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Do more shooting drills if an athlete
can't scrimmage. |
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Run plays without defense first. |
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Play scrimmage half-court instead of full court. |
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Have them hit "soft tosses" instead
of hitting live pitches. |
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Shorten the distance they need to throw the
ball. |
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Play a game with the entire team on a "shortened"
field. |
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Take the entire team to the pool for a workout
with the injured athlete. |
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Do drills that work on skill development, instead
of skill power, if an athlete can't perform the skill fully. |
Use your imagination! Try to keep everyone
involved as much as possible! |
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