Emergency Sports Procedures

• Initial Guidelines For Severe Acute Traumatic Injuries

  The key when any acute traumatic injury takes place is to immediately inhibit use of the affected area. Trying to bear weight on a recently broken ankle can cause further damage, and trying to move an individual with a back or neck injury can have serious consequences. Instead, as Kidshealth.org recommends, individuals should remain still while an assessment takes place. Particularly in instances involving neck or back injuries, great effort should be taken to ensure that the injured individual remains completely immobile until a certified medical practitioner is available. Injuries to the head such as concussions always will need to be treated by a health professional, but those giving first aid should be certain to keep the individual conscious until qualified help arrives. Occasionally, internal organs might be damaged in high-impact sports such as football. These sometimes go undiagnosed if the associated pain is simply medicated, so first-aid respondents should pay close attention to initial reports of internal pain after sustaining a significant jolt to the midsection or lower back. Again, severe pain should be examined by a medical professional immediately in these circumstances.

• Options For More Minor Injuries

  Communication with the injured individual is essential to determining the severity of an injury. Injuries involving potential fractures always should be treated with caution because of the potential of aggravating the fracture. Individuals suspected of having sustained a fracture to a leg or arm bone should follow the same parameters for neck and back injuries, keeping the affected area immobile until help arrives. Individuals suffering from minor sprains and muscle pulls, though, might be able to test the severity of the injury with the assistance of a first-aid provider by gently moving the affected joint or muscle, or applying weight slowly to the area. If pain is severe and immediate, testing should cease immediately and seek medical expertise. If pain is manageable, the injury might be minor enough for treatment using a few basic sports medicine principles.

• Steps To Rehabilitation

  According to Exercise Prescription, an online sports medicine resource, minor muscle pulls and joint sprains can be treated with what is known as the R.I.C.E. Method (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation). Minor injuries can turn into major ones when improperly treated or rehabilitated. To avoid this, individuals sustaining a muscle pull or sprain should cease play immediately. Ice can be applied immediately and is usually administered in 20-minute cycles with at least 20-minute breaks. Swelling can inhibit blood flow, making the body's natural healing processes more difficult. Ice, in combination with regular compression, will aid immensely in reducing swelling, as will elevation. Employing these procedures immediately after injury will give the body an opportunity to recover more quickly. Finally, the injured individual should resist the urge to get back to playing too quickly. Re-injuring the affected area will often double the healing time, so an extra few days of rest is recommended.

References & Resources

• Kidshealth.org
• Exercise Prescription