Injuries are put into two classes. They are acute or chronic.

Acute

 This is a short term injury, or is sharp or sudden. An acute injury is usually resolved in a few days, like a common cold. A sprained ankle is an acute injury as it will often heal quickly.

An acute strain can occur in a number of ways. Firstly the athlete stretches a muscle further than it can cope with which will strain it. Another way it can occur if the muscles work against each other, or produce inappropriate forces on the joints. Another way is a lack of warm up which is a common occurrence in recreational athletes.

Chronic

 This is an injury that persists over a long period of time. If you repeatedly injure the same muscle it will not be able to recover in the short term, and that leaves it vulnerable to further injury.

A chronic injury can be incompletely healed acute injuries or be caused by misuse or overuse

Misuse

Poor technique is a common source of injury in people playing sports. It can stress certain muscles of the body that aren’t meant for the job. To avoid poor technique you need to learn the right techniques for your sport and always work on them so the muscles get use to the strain.

Overuse

Overuse injuries occur in people that over train and don’t let their muscles rest. To prevent overuse you need to develop a plan that will gradually build up your fitness for the sport. You need to have a rest day in between every training session when you start out to let your body rebuild it self.

How to Prevent Injury

To prevent injury you need to slowly build up the amount of exercise you are doing and have the correct warm up and cool down. Another way to prevent injuries is to have good shoes which have good heel support and when you twist them they do not fold in. If you have had previous injuries that keep recurring or feel weak it is best to ask your physiotherapist how to tape it up to support it. Tape should not be used every time you walk because the muscle will not get stronger.

Treating Injuries

If you get an injury playing sport, stop straight away and do the following

R  Rest and keep the injured area supported. Avoid using the injured area for 48-72 hours. 

I  Ice-Apply ice for 20 minuets, for the first 2 hours for the first 48-72 hours after the injury occurred. Do not place ice directly on the skin.

C  Compression-Apply a firm bandage over the injured area. When icing, hold it in place with the bandage.

E  Elevation-Raise the injured are above the level of the heart.

R Referral-Go and see a Doctor or Physiotherapist as soon as possible.