Common sports injury prevention and treatment methods

On the prevention end, priority should be given to matching athletic ability and dynamic warm-up + movement correction. On the treatment end, the RICE principle should be implemented first for acute injuries. For chronic strain injuries, stop the causative movements first and then intervene in rehabilitation. Don't be too hard on it and don't be overly anxious.

Why do you say that? In the past few years, I have been playing sports, running groups, and gyms, and I have seen anywhere from 100 to 80 injuries. Many injuries are completely avoidable. My little brother who signed up for the half marathon with me last month usually only ran 10 kilometers a week, and he only ran 5 kilometers once at most. Half a month before the race, he got hot and ran 15 kilometers twice. He failed to run the half marathon. He first contracted iliotibial band syndrome, which caused pain when going up and down stairs. He was limped for almost a month.

Oh, yes, this is about a controversy that has been quarreling in the sports circle for many years: one group believes that if you want to make progress, you must break through the comfort zone, and over-recovery must carry the cumulative amount of acid; the other group insists on giving priority to action patterns and basic abilities. If the action standards are not met, there will be absolutely no added weight or time. To be honest, both of these views are correct, but they are applicable to completely different groups of people. Professional athletes have team doctors and rehabilitation specialists who follow them throughout the process and can accurately control their body thresholds. We ordinary people do not rely on competitions to get bonuses, so there is really no need to gamble on the pleasure of a breakthrough. The latter has a much higher fault tolerance rate.

Many people’s understanding of prevention is still limited to “shaking your arms and legs before exercising”, which is really not enough. I have seen an older brother playing badminton before. He would just go on the court wearing leather shoes. He would jump up and smash the ball, and when he landed, he would sprain his foot. We had to hold him down. Warming up requires targeted dynamic activation. If you want to play badminton, you must first jog around the court twice, do several sets of rotator cuff wraps, lunge turns, and play a dozen or so light high and high balls with the ball to find a sense of power. This mobilizes joints, muscles, and nerves to avoid sudden strain. As for equipment, don’t always focus on expensive ones. Previously, I bought a pair of co-branded running shoes because they looked good. They felt soft on my feet. As a result, my knees hurt terribly after running twice. When I went to get them tested, I found out that I have flat feet and need supportive running shoes. The cushioning ones can’t support my arches at all. After changing shoes, the pain disappeared immediately.

If you accidentally suffer an acute injury, such as a sprained foot or muscle strain, don't rub it blindly for the first time, and don't spray safflower oil until it turns red. The old RICE principle is enough to cope with most situations: stop and rest immediately, don't force yourself to continue moving, apply ice intermittently within 24 hours, use an elastic bandage to wrap it with slight pressure, and when lying down, raise the injured limb, just higher than the heart, which can reduce swelling much faster. Of course, a new POLICE principle has become popular in the past two years, that is, you do not need to lie completely flat after the acute phase. You can do some gentle weight-bearing. For example, two or three days after the sprained foot, if the swelling has subsided, you can slowly wear an ankle support and step on the ground. A little bit of force is applied, and the recovery is faster than lying down all the time. The two methods do not conflict. The core is not to mess around in the acute phase.

Compared with acute injuries that suddenly hurt and make you unable to move, what is more annoying are chronic strains, such as tennis elbow, runner's knee, and mouse hand. Many people ignore the pain for several months and don't take it seriously. They just put on a plaster and continue to play ball and play when they should, and only regret it after putting it off until they need physical therapy. I was greedy for weight when I was practicing deadlifts. I bent over and hunched my back to lift 80 kilograms. At that time, I just felt a little sore in my waist and didn't take it seriously. Later, the pain lasted for almost two weeks. I even struggled to bend down to tie my shoelaces. I went to take a X-ray and found out that it was a mild lumbar disc herniation. The first thing the rehabilitation specialist said was to stop all bending and weight-bearing movements. He could not even do deadlifts or sit-ups. He first practiced dead insects and abdominal breathing to activate the core. After practicing for almost two months, he slowly resumed training. Here’s a reminder, don’t just go to a massage parlor for chronic pain. Especially for problems such as lumbar protrusion and rotator cuff injuries. If you encounter an unprofessional massage, it will easily press on the nerves and aggravate the symptoms. It is better to go to the sports medicine department of the hospital to take a X-ray first to figure out where the problem is and then deal with it.

Finally, to be honest, the purpose of exercise is to make the body more comfortable. There is no need to do it just to post on Moments or hit a PB. Pay more attention to your body's signals. If you feel a little sore or tight, take a break in time. If your movements are wrong, find a reliable coach to teach you. This is more effective than any prevention guide. Don’t panic if you’re really injured. Normal injuries require a good rest and recovery, and most of them won’t have any sequelae. You don’t have to be afraid to move again just because you were injured once.