How to avoid sporting injury
Do you love sport?
Do you play a particular type of sport every weekend? Do you play as part of a team, and enjoy the competitive nature of your particular discipline?
If you answered ‘yes’ to these questions then you will certainly not want to be suffering from an injury caused by your particular sporting pastime.
Here at Spine Scan we understand just how important a role sport plays in many people’s lives, and that an injury could mean a temporary or permanent halt to whatever sporting hobby is involved. In its most simplistic form, sport is exercise, and exercise is great for mind and body – we don’t want anything to stop this!
Always warm up and cool down
Effectively warming up before sporting activity means your body is able to do its job, i.e. work to look after your joints, bones, tendons, ligaments etc, and prevent injury. Cooling down does exactly the same thing. If you avoid these steps then you put yourself at much greater risk of injury, and this is probably one of the most common causes of problems. Gentle warm ups including stretching exercises are easy to learn.
Wear proper protective equipment
Whilst you might think a pair of shoes is a pair of shoes, when it comes to protecting your body from injury, it’s true that you get what you pay for. A good quality pair of running shoes for example, this will protect your ankles and knees, always wearing shin guards when you’re playing football, these will help you avoid injury too – any type of protective equipment does exactly what it says on the tin, it protects.
Check your technique
We don’t automatically know how to play a certain sport, we have to learn the rules, learn what to do, and how to play, and the same goes for technique. If you use an incorrect technique then you could be causing your body to move in an unnatural way, which increases the risk of injury massively. If you’re not sure, always seek advice from a fellow player, preferably a trainer or professional.
Always listen to your body
Pain isn’t natural, and if you feel it then there is something wrong. If you do feel pain, stop immediately and get checked out. Pushing yourself too far is a fast track to injury, and whilst it’s completely normal to want to compete and push yourself to a degree, pushing yourself too far is very problematic. Build your body up slowly to reach higher levels, don’t push too far, too soon.
If you do suffer from an injury, because we can never totally cut out the possibility of a freak accident, then it’s important to seek help. Always immediately stop playing, assess the situation and decide whether you need to seek medical help straight away; if not, rest up for the first 48-72 hours, apply ice packs to reduce swelling and discomfort, and use over the counter painkillers to help with pain.
If you are at all worried about a sporting injury, or you are keen to learn more about how to prevent an injury from happening, call the practice now on (08) 6150 8785 to arrange an appointment. We can help you continue to play your sport for longer, without the need for injury-caused breaks.
