FREQUENT SPORTS INJURIES AND HOW TO TAKE CARE OF IT

Sports injuries are not only caused by accidents that occur while exercising but also due to not warming up or stretching correctly before starting to exercise. Have you ever had an injury while exercising?

Injuries are classified into two types:

• Minor injury

Categorized as a minor injury if there is no damage to body tissues. For example, muscle stiffness or muscle fatigue that will heal by itself and does not need special treatment.

• Serious injury

Categorized as a severe injury if there is damage to body tissues such as torn muscles or ligaments, to fractures.

Sports injuries that are often experienced and should be considered are sprains, ankle injuries, shin pain, elbow injuries, shoulder injuries, fractures or fractures, concussions, knee injuries, hip joint injuries, and back injuries.

In order to minimize the risk of sports injury, it is important to warm up and stretch before starting to exercise. What is the difference between warming up and stretching? Warming up aims to increase body temperature before exercising so that the body will begin to adapt to the increased intensity of the movement to be performed. While stretching aims to relax the muscles by making them contract.

What should we do if we have a muscle or joint injury while exercising?

To make it easy to remember, the first aid that must be done is abbreviated as PRICE which stands for Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Let's review them one by one!

1. PROTECTION = Protect the victim from things that have the potential to make things worse. Minimize movement if you want to move the victim.
2. REST = When the body feels in pain, stop the activity as soon as possible because pain is a sign that there has been damage to a certain part. Resting the injured body part aims to stop the wound from getting worse which will hinder recovery.
3. ICE = Apply an ice pack to the injured area and cover the ice with a towel or cloth. Ice compresses on the injured area are useful for reducing pain and swelling in the damaged tissue.
4. COMPRESSION = Give a little pressure on the injured part using an elastic bandage. Starts from a direction away from the wound (below the wound) towards the direction that is closer to the heart (above the wound). 
5. ELEVATION = Lift the injured part. Elevation uses gravity to move fluid/blood away from the injury site to reduce swelling and pain.

Take these steps as first aid when you experience an injury while exercising. If the injury is in a severe category and requires further treatment, immediately consult with medical personnel so that the injury can be taken care of immediately.