How To Treat Minor Sports Injuries At Home

By Laura Kelly


Sports is fun and does wonders for the body. But if you ask any athlete out there you can guarantee that many, if not all, have suffered some type of injury while practicing or playing a game. Any physical activity runs the risk of accidents. So instead of being beneficial it can tend to be painful and harmful, temporarily.

If normal and everyday physical activity can cause people to have injuries, the likelihood increases when they engage in sports. Wilmington sports injuries clinics and facilities are available for the disposal of every athlete and gym goer in case of an emergency. While some people can just treat it by themselves the nature of more painful types of injuries just would not allow them.

The best way to avoid these freak accidents are the preventive measures that are always a rule with any kind of sport. If you plan on working out in the gym make sure the program you apply in will well adjust to you physique as you slowly work yourself up to your desired form. Hire a personal trainer if you are not confident enough with working out by yourself. They make sure that you are in proper posture for the duration of the sessions.

Make it a point to warm up before going through the main course of your exercise program, practicing or playing a game. Cooling down after the session is also necessary. Stretching regularly does not only make your muscles strong and keeps it flexible which decreases the possibility of any injury. Also check your equipment including the apparel you use for these sports.

When working out in the gym, whether it involves weights, or certain forms of stretching, as in yoga, proper technique and position are essential. Putting the arms, hands, legs and other parts the wrong way can cause serious injury. This will prevent you from going to the gym for a while if you are not careful. Not only will the proper execution of exercise prevent accidents from happening but they also make the practice more effective.

Common place sporting injuries can range from muscle strains and swelling, sprains, bone fractures and dislocation. As painful as bone fracturing sounds it happens all the time especially with sports that involve a lot of extreme actions like skateboarding. For the something which is the least threatening, the PRICE method is useful and can easily be done at home.

PRICE means Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. First is to protect the are by not moving it. You can use a triangle handkerchief as a sling bandage or crutches if the injury is on the leg. Then, apply a cold compress, or ice pack wrapped in cloth for 15 to 20 minutes is two to three hour intervals. Elastic compression with a stretchy bandage is then applied to the affected area for compression. Lastly, elevate the sprain above heart level as often as possible.

While PRICE is a home remedy, there are somethings that it cannot help with. For more dangerous and painful cases like dislocations and fractures, it is best to run the patient to the nearest clinic or emergency room. Surgery may even be needed for this which would make use of synthetic parts to piece or realign the broken and dislocated areas back in place. These devices can range from wires to screws and metal plates.

Recovery is dependent on the severity of the damage. The treatment also matters but it is a totally different story for fractures and dislocations. Some injuries are take weeks and months to heal and in rare cases are permanent. It is important to immediately start lightly exercising the affected area as soon as movement is possible.




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