Prevention and treatment of common sports injuries

More than 90% of daily sports injuries can be avoided by making adjustments beforehand. Even if you are accidentally injured, as long as you deal with it in a graded and symptomatic manner, more than 90% of it will not leave long-term sequelae. There is no need to endure it or be overly anxious.

Last week, during halftime at a field court I often go to, a young sophomore in the team landed a jump shot and stepped on the defender's foot. His ankle instantly swelled into a small ball. The sidelines were immediately divided into three groups to give advice: an old ball player who has been playing football for more than ten years said I quickly sat on the floor and rubbed it to remove the congestion; the aunt who brought a moxibustion bag said that I would quickly apply a blood-activating plaster and it would heal quickly; there was also a student who had just passed the sports rehabilitation certificate and held an ice pack and told people not to move, saying that he would take a picture immediately after applying cold compresses. Similar disagreements occur almost every time someone is injured. There is no absolute right or wrong, it's just that the applicable situations are different.

When it comes to prevention, there is really no standard action that is universally applicable. Let’s just say that many road running enthusiasts suffer from knee pain. Half of the people on the Internet teach you that you must land on the balls of your feet, while the other half say that you must land on the balls of your back feet to avoid hurting your knees. I have seen people who run on the balls of their feet develop Achilles tendonitis after half a year of running on the balls of their feet, and I have also seen people who run on the balls of their feet with their back heels on without any problems at all. The core is actually whether your muscle ability can match your running volume and equipment. A while ago, a friend who just got into running followed the trend and bought carbon shoes. A person who usually runs up to 3 kilometers, sprinted 10 kilometers in hard-supported carbon shoes, and directly tore the plantar fascia. Even wearing leather shoes to work for half a month was painful. To put it bluntly, it is not that the shoes are bad, but that his arch strength is not worthy of these advanced shoes. There is also the most common bench press shoulder injury in the gym. Bodybuilding coaches will repeatedly emphasize the need to sink your shoulders and clamp your back to lock your scapulae. Powerlifting coaches may tell you that your scapulae can be properly extended when pushing heavy weights. There is nothing wrong with either statement. If you originally just want to train your chest muscles and apply the powerlifting action pattern, a heavy weight will directly grind the acromion of the tendon, and the pain will be mild for half a month.

If you are accidentally injured, there is no need to stick to a certain method of treatment. The RICE principle (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) that has been popular for decades is a proven classic plan. In recent years, academic circles have proposed the POLICE principle, replacing "complete rest" with "appropriate weight-bearing activities." Many people are confused and don't know who to listen to. In fact, it depends on the extent of the injury. The last X-ray of my sprained foot was taken to rule out fractures and ligament tears. Within 48 hours, I applied ice and pressure and did not walk around. After 48 hours, I listened to the rehabilitation specialist and put on an ankle brace and slowly stepped on the ground to provide some strength. The swelling of my sprained foot subsided at least three days faster than before when I lay hard for a week. I went back to play half a game in two weeks; but if the film shows that the ligament has been torn, then you must wear a brace to fix it and don't mess around. There is no need to argue about the commonly asked question about plasters. Traditional Chinese ointments that promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis will dilate blood vessels and increase swelling in the acute phase (within 72 hours of injury). For chronic strains such as tennis elbow and lumbar muscle strain, the effect of plasters is really good in relieving soreness and swelling. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory patches from Western medicine, such as flurbiprofen gel patch, can be used even if the pain is severe in the acute phase and will not aggravate swelling. Both have their own applicable scenarios, so there is really no need to apply them one by one.

Oh, by the way, don’t think that “it’s just a minor injury and it’ll be fine”. I once had a golfer who sprained his ankle for the first time but didn't take it seriously. He went back to playing after feeling the pain for two weeks. However, he sprained his ankle three times in a row in six months. Now the ligaments are so loose that he has to wear two layers of ankle braces when playing. If he is not careful, he will twist it. In fact, if I had spent two weeks practicing ankle strength, I wouldn't have had this problem at all.

After all, most people exercise for fun and good health. There is no need to do it just to post a PB on Moments, or to bet with friends on who can bench press the most weight. If you are really injured, don't rely on folk remedies. If the pain is severe, take a X-ray first to rule out serious injuries. The rest is to slowly adjust, exercise, and a steady stream of water will make you feel better for longer.