Experience on prevention and treatment of sports injuries

The priority of sports injury prevention is much higher than the subsequent treatment. The essence of prevention is to establish exercise habits that suit your own physical conditions. There is no universal standard answer.； The core principle of post-injury treatment is to avoid secondary injuries. Whether it is the traditional RICE plan or the PEACE&LOVE principle that has become popular in recent years, it must be combined with the injury stage and personal somatosensory selection. It must not be copied from the "universal tutorial" on the Internet.

The first time I stepped into this trap was when I ran my first half-marathon in my junior year of college. I followed online tutorials for two months and felt that I was physically capable. Before running, I casually pressed my legs and got on the track. When I ran 18 kilometers, the outside of my knee felt like pain. I took a needle and gritted my teeth to finish the thread. After two months, I struggled to even go up and down the stairs. I went to the rehabilitation department to find out that it was iliotibial band friction syndrome. The doctor said that my hip abduction strength was too weak and I didn’t activate my hips during the warm-up. I only relied on my knees to compensate. It’s strange that it didn’t hurt.

When it comes to injury treatment, I have always regarded the RICE principles (rest, ice, compression, elevation) posted on the Internet as my Bible. Until I sprained my foot while playing badminton last year, the rehabilitation doctor I found directly overturned half of it for me - he said that it is okay to use RICE's cold compress and pressure to control swelling within 72 hours of acute injuries, but you must not lie still after that. Instead, you must follow the new PEACE&LOVE principles and do moderate weight-bearing and activities to promote tissue repair. I was dubious at the time, so I followed what he said and did 10 sets of holding a towel on my ankle and standing on a slope every day. As a result, I was able to walk normally in less than two weeks, which was much faster than the first time I lay on my sprained foot for a month. Later, I checked the information and discovered that there is no absolute right or wrong between the two programs in the academic world. For closed injuries such as soft tissue contusions and ligament strains, RICE is used to control swelling in the early stage, and PEACE&LOVE is used for recovery in the middle and late stages. They are originally paired. There is no need to argue on the Internet about which one is more advanced.

Many golfers around me have two extremes in their understanding of prevention. One is the "hard-core" type. They feel pain because the muscles are not stretched, so they just grit their teeth and practice. Last week, there was a golfer who played basketball all afternoon. His tibia was sore for three days and he still carried it to play. When he went to the hospital, he was diagnosed with a fatigue fracture, and he couldn't touch the ball for at least three months.； The other type is the "life-preserving type", who will not move at all even if there is a slight soreness. Last time, a friend had a muscle strain and lay down for a month. In the end, the muscles became adhesions, and he had to spend more time recovering. My own secret is that the warm-up before exercise must not be messed up. I used to warm up by swinging my arms and legs for two minutes. Now I learn from the coach who retired from the provincial team. I need to do aerobic for 5 minutes to warm up the body, and then activate the parts you want to use. For example, when playing badminton, you focus on turning your shoulders, moving your ankles, and doing clam pose to activate hip abduction. It is not finished until each part is a little warm. In the past six months, sprained feet and shoulder pain have been reduced a lot.

By the way, I have also encountered many equipment pitfalls. In the past, I always thought that what others said, "You should choose supportive models for running shoes" and "knee pads are an IQ tax" were all marketed by merchants. It wasn't until I ran 10 kilometers in a pair of soft-soled casual shoes last year and my knees hurt for almost half a month that I realized that the equipment really needs to adapt to my situation. I have flat feet, so I have to wear supportive running shoes. My friend with high arches needs cushioning shoes to be more comfortable. If you have an old knee injury, wearing knee pads when playing golf can really reduce the compensation a lot, and don't compete with your body.

There are also many people who struggle with "standard movements". For example, the deadlift must have a straight back, and the squat must be until the thighs are parallel to the ground. When I deadlifted before, I had to learn the low breech position of professional athletes, but my waist slipped. The rehabilitation doctor said that everyone's hip joint mobility is different. Some people are born with tight hips. As long as the breech position is higher without lumbar compensation, there is no problem. However, if you insist on a concave standard movement, you will easily get injured. When it comes to exercise, your physical feeling is always more important than the standards on the Internet. If you feel a tingling or pulling pain in a certain part while doing an exercise, stop immediately and don't hold on.

In fact, after playing sports for so many years, I have suffered seven or eight injuries, large and small. The biggest feeling now is that we ordinary people exercise for fun and health. There is no need to compare intensity or movement standards with professional athletes. If you are injured, don’t search for tutorials and treat it on your own. If it is serious, see a doctor as soon as possible. If it is not serious, listen to different suggestions and find a recovery rhythm that suits you. After all, if you always have to go to the rehabilitation department in the end of exercise, isn’t that putting the cart before the horse?