COMMON INJURIES

STRAINS• Occurs in muscles

• Placing too much pressure on the muscle or overuse can cause a strain

SPRAIN• Occurs in tendons and ligaments

• When the joint is sent in a direction that is beyond it’s range of motion (ROM) and the tendon/ligament suffers a tear(s)

SEPARATION• When a ligament between two bones tears, separating the joint but not displacing it

DISLOCATION• When you have a tear at the joint and the bones actually become displaced

TENDONITIS• When the tendon becomes inflammed (red, sore, swollen, etc.)

• Often due to overuse and friction

INITIAL PHYSICAL SIGNS OF AN INJURY

Swelling

Heat

Altered function

Redness

Pain

FIRST RESPONSE EVALUATION1. Questions

• What is injured?

• How did it happen?

• Did you hear/ feel a pop or a crack?

(This could identify either a torn ligament or a fractured bone)

2. Pain perception and Movement

• Palpate (apply slight pressure) to the injured area and the areas around it; gauge the injury based on the person’s reaction

• Attempt to move the joint through its normal range of motion

The amount of movement will indicate the severity of the situation

FIRST RESPONSE CONT’D• Once you have determined the severity of a situation, remove player from where the

injury occurred, testing their ability to bear weight on the way to the bench/sideline

• Apply your PIER principle to the injured area and recommend follow up appointments with physician or emergency department (depending on severity)

Pressure

Ice

Elevation

Rest

CONCUSSIONS• Commonly referred to as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), Concussions are the shaking or

jarring of the brain inside the skull

• Caused by bump, blow or jolt to the head; can also be caused by a fall or blow to the body

• One of the most severe injuries to deal with but by far the most interesting to examine

• Severity determined by the number of symptoms present, the immediate/delayed orientation of the individual and their overall consciousness

• SCAT 2 (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool) is going to be your assessment test for concussions

SPINE AND NECK INJURIES• After step one (identifying where the injury has occurred), if the answer is Spine or Neck,

call 9-1-1 and then make the individual as comfortable as possible while stabilizing the neck

• You do not want to move a spine or neck injury victim without knowing the mechanism and having the professional background of a paramedic, doctor or sometimes, a sport/athletic therapist

LAWSUIT!

• Victims will often be fitted for a neck collar and boarded onto a spine board until x-rays can be taken

ARTHROSCOPIC SURGERY• This is a much less invasive surgery that is used to repair bone and tissue damage in

joints such as the knee or the shoulder

• The most popular form of ACL reconstructive surgery or to repair a torn meniscus

• Fewer incisions and a faster recovering period

• Involves: The arthroscope (camera and light sources throughout the surgery)

• Micro-instruments such as scissors, graspers, shavers and suture needles

• The cannula which is a tube-like instrument used to remove or deliver fluid

MYTHS• Apply ice! No wait, heat! No… ice! No… heat

• The use of ice is going to for injured or painful areas within 48 hours of an injury

• Apply with compression for period of 15-20 minutes on and 1 hour-1.5hr off

• After three or four days, if the injury and swelling doesn’t subside, attack the area with hot and cold baths or compressions

• Heat is best used to loosen tight muscles

• When in doubt, go with ice

• Keeping the shoe on

• This is important if you do not have access to compression devices or ice immediately. If both are available, remove the shoe and apply ice and compression right away