Sprains and are a very common type of injury that affects ligaments. Ligaments are strong bands of tissue around joints that connect one bone to another. They help to keep the bones together and stable. It is very easily to recognise the symptoms of a sprain…
Symptoms of sprains include:
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Irritating Pain in the Area of Injury
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Swelling and Inflammation
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Loss of Movement in the Affected Body Part
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Being Unable to Use the Joint Normally or Being Unable to Put Weight on it
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Bruising of Area of Injury
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Tenderness in Area of Injury
The swelling from a sprain will often occur soon after the injury. However, the bruising may not show until some time later or it may not show at all. Bruising can sometimes occur near, but not directly at, the affected joint, as blood from the damaged tissue seeps along the muscles and around the joint before coming close to the skin. This means that not all of the bruising will be centred on the actual area of injury. Regular stretching and strengthening exercises for your sport, fitness or work activity, as part of an overall physical conditioning program, can help to minimize your risk of sprains and strains. Try to be in shape to play your sport; don't play your sport to get in shape.
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The “DRABC” or “Dr ABC” is a first aid method which gives a guide to what to do in certain situations like concussion. Unlike the “RICE” method, this method asks questions to ask yourself rather than give you a self explanatory procedure to follow. An example of when “Dr ABC” should be used could be when a player has been concussed or knocked unconscious. These next questions should be asked to asses the injured player “D” stands for danger. Check the area and make sure you and the people around you are safe. After this, move onto “R” which stands for response. Can the casualty hear your voice? Can they open and close their eyes? Are there any movements? Do they respond to touch? “A” stands for airways. Is there a blockage in the throat or have they swallowed their tongue? Is the head in a suitable position? “B” stands for breathing. Can the casualty breathe clearly? Once the airway is clear, is there any other problem - the lungs for example? “C” stands for circulation. Is there a pulse? Is the heart beating? Is the pulse weak / strong / racing? An unconscious casualty should be treated first because, firstly, they cannot tell you what is wrong with them and secondly, they are unable to do anything which would prevent the injury becoming worse such as keep their tongue up.
An ambulance should be called to assist in treating an unconscious patient because:
- They have more equipment at their disposal.
- If the patient is worse than first anticipated then they have the means for a quick transfer to the hospital.
Head Extended,
The Patient Needs To Be On Their Side,
And Limbs Need To Be Positioned To Keep Them Stable.
Concussion is the sudden but short-lived loss of mental function/consciousness that occurs after a blow or other injury to the head. The medical term for concussion is minor traumatic brain injury. Some symptoms of concussion are extremely noticeable…
Symptoms of concussion include:
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Brief Loss of Consciousness
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Short-term/Long-term Memory Loss
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Disturbances in Vision/Hallucinations or 'Seeing Stars'
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Great Confusion or Loss of Short-term Knowledge
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Anterograde Amnesia (New Information)
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Retrograde Amnesia (Old Information)
When someone gets a blow to the head or hits something very hard, the suddenly shifts inside the skull and can knock against the skull's bony surface. Sometimes this can happen with a lot of force. A concussion is a temporary change in the way the brain works when it is suddenly moved or jarred in this way. Obviously, a serious concussion would lead to unconsciousness but minor concussion is harder to notice. When encountered with this, it is best to ask questions such as “Where are we? What were you doing before? Can you repeat the months of the year in reverse order?”
Many people believe that being a player or an official doesn’t require you to focus on the health and safety side of a sporting activity, but both players and officials are required to make sports safety for everybody.
Warming Up & Cool Downs:
Warming up is a crucial part of health and safety of a player as it allows you body to slowly but surely stretch and become ready to perform strenuous tasks such as running, pole volt or invasion games (e.g. rugby and basket ball). Warming up allows your body to get the blood flowing to the muscles, which raises your muscle temperature thus making them more accepting of stretching and straining which means that the player will be less likely to have a injury. Cool Downs are equally important as, just as a warm up preps your body for exercise and effective cool down gives your body time to recover. Your cool down allows your body to get rid of any lactic acid that may have built up during the activity.
Protective Equipment/Clothing
Items such as Helmets, goggles or other clothing or equipment designed to protect the wearers body, are quintessential when taking part in a sporting activity. They are important because they allow the participant to be protective from serious damage or harm such as concussion and sprains, as mentioned before, thus making the participant as safe as they can make themselves. Appropriate footwear is also extremely important when doing a physical activity as different types of terrain that the activity will take place on may differ from place to place (e.g. if the ground was unbalanced) Also “acts of nature” such as rain or snow could be hazardous if the incorrect footwear isn’t worn.
Officials have the responsibility, along with spectators and participants, to comply with the rules and regulations that are specified for sports in general or a specific sporting activity. By identifying the dangers/hazards that could be pose a threat to the health and safety of spectators and participants, officials are able to review or even create risk assessments that clearly show what the official, and others, see as a problem. By doing this, and abiding the to the rules of the activity, the official is able to contribute to the health and safety of the spectators and participants by ensuring that they have done everything they could to prevent anything happening that could jeopardise the health and safety.