Sports have a soft corner in everyone’s heart, and I am no different. I still remember back in my school times, I would eagerly wait for the moment when I finish my homework and rush to play downstairs. I was never excited about what I will be playing, but the fact itself that I will be playing something kept me happy and enthusiastic.
Back in school, we all must have faced a countless number of injuries, some of which were accompanied by scolding from our parents too.
Many of those injuries were managed by the best doctor in the world- Our Legendary Mothers. A simple cleaning of the wound, followed by a dressing, and a glass of Hot “Haldi Wala Dudh”
Times have changed now. Extensive research on human anatomy reveals that the body segments which usually get injured during or due to a sports activity differ from any normal injury. Hence, attempts that are made to treat them should also differ.
Being true Indians, no one dares to ignore a cricket match. And while a telecast, many of us would have observed a player facing an injury during a fielding batting as well as bowling, and then comes to a physio rushing with his kit, treating the player on spot, and BOOM! He is fit to play again.
Sports Injuries are the injuries we experience when we are into any sporting event, not necessarily being a player.
Since practically every sport is different, the way a player gets injured is also varied. For instance, an athlete may injure his ankle or knee (Runner), a Lawn Tennis Player may injure his shoulder (Extensive Use Of Arms), a Carrom Player may injure his wrist, a Gymnastic may injure his back and so on.
Life Hacks To Manage Sports Injuries Real Quick
- Icing
Application of ice cubes is extremely beneficial for managing recent sports injuries (Acute).
(Ice packs and ice towels can also be used. Some may even prefer cold water).
Any injury is followed by a body’s mechanism (known as inflammation), which makes blood rush towards the injured area. This causes redness and swelling in that area, giving rise to pain.
Application of ice slows down the flow of blood, and brings about reduction in swelling and thus, pain.
The icing is extensively used in almost every professional sport, such as Cricket, Football, Tennis, Badminton etc.
(One must note that icing should NEVER BE GIVEN TO A PATIENT EXPERIENCING CRAMPS)
- Stretching
Stretching is a very effective method to manage acute cramps. Many players experience cramps after long hours of play, especially during hot and humid climate.
(You may experience cramps when your local blood and fluid supply to a particular part of the body is decreased).
Following are some illustrations for stretching of muscles which are most susceptible to bear a cramp:
STRETCHING FOR CALF MUSCLES
STRETCHING FOR HAMSTRINGS MUSCLE
And STRETCHING FOR QUADRICEPS MUSCLE
- Kinesio Taping
It is a method which is exclusively practiced by a Physiotherapist (PT)
This maneuver makes use of Kinesio Tapes (available in the market under various brand names). APT makes use of K-Taping when any muscle or a ligament/tendon is involved. It is used for stabilizing a particular muscle or a ligament so that it does not bother the player during the sport.
K-Taping has become extremely famous after the Olympic Games of 2016.
Stay tuned for more such useful life hacks related to the human body!
