Take Precautions Against Sports Injuries
Sports are essential for a healthy life. However, sports done unconsciously can lead to injuries and reduce your quality of life.
Those who are new to sports should pay attention to these!
The risk of injury increases if athletes do not do enough warm-up and stretching exercises, do not choose the right equipment for the sport, and do the sport in the wrong place. No matter what sport is done, warm-up and stretching exercises should be done for 5-10 minutes beforehand. Sports should never be done on a full stomach. Clothes and shoes that are suitable for the sport to be done should be preferred. During sports activities, there will be fluid and electrolyte loss due to sweating. This situation is especially common in hot weather and water supplements are absolutely necessary. For this, water or sports drinks should be taken in small amounts 15 minutes before starting the sport and should be continued at certain intervals during the sport. If cramps or pain occur in the muscles while doing sports, the sport should be stopped immediately. If the person's complaints continue after resting, the sport should be stopped completely at that time.
Be more selective in indoor matches!
People who will do sports on artificial turf must first pay attention to whether the ground of that field is suitable for sports. Whether the artificial turf is placed directly on concrete, the length of the carpet fibers, the type and amount of sand poured on it are very important. Although most field ground conditions deform over time, they do not renew, thus posing a serious risk for injuries. In addition, shoes and clothing suitable for the ground should be used. With shoes suitable for artificial turf, slipping between the ground and the shoe can be ensured and injuries related to this can be minimized. In the meantime, another point to be noted is that the field has at least the minimum first aid conditions where first aid can be applied in the event of a possible injury. Since there is no ice compress to be applied after an injury in many artificial turf fields, the injured person usually bleeds more and recovery is delayed. Applying ice compress and bandaging the injured part will shorten the recovery period. When an injury occurs in such matches, a secondary injury such as a sprained ankle, an injured knee, or a burn in your muscles like a knife prick can lead to serious injuries.
In case of persistent pain, an orthopedist should definitely be consulted.
Instead of a situation where you can recover in a short time, serious injuries that may even require surgery may occur due to a meniscus tear, anterior cruciate ligament tear, ligament tear or fracture in your ankle. In order to prevent these, sports should be stopped at the time of any injury or injury and ice compress should be applied to that area. This application should be continued for 15-20 minutes every hour for 24 hours. In the meantime, the injured area should be bandaged and rested. If the complaints continue at an increasing rate after these applications, an orthopedic surgeon should definitely be consulted.
Treatment of meniscus tears
The most common symptom is pain. The pain can be along the joint line or in the entire knee. If the torn meniscus is very large, it locks. You cannot straighten your knee completely. It is like a piece stuck between the hinges. Think of it like putting a pen on a door hinge and the door not opening completely. If the torn meniscus is not removed, it will have long-lasting effects. The cartilage on the joint surface can tear or be damaged, leading to osteoarthritis. The knee can swell, become stiff and tight. Fluid circulates in the joint and the patient says there is water in my knee. These are not the same in every meniscal tear. The diagnosis is made by the patient's history and physical examination. The examination determines the location of the pain, checks whether the knee is locked, and a definitive diagnosis is made with a magnetic resonance imaging film. This is a painless and radiation-free examination. If there is a tear after these examinations and tests, arthroscopy is performed and the torn part is stitched or removed. After the surgery, you can walk home the same day and return to work 2-3 days later. Before and after these procedures, ice compresses should be applied for 10-15 minutes 3-4 times a day to relieve pain and swelling. At the same time, exercises should be started immediately to prevent muscle weakness.
To prevent sports injuries;
- First of all, our physical condition must be suitable for the sport we do. If you are going to start a sport, you should do enough training. Regular training sessions that are suitable for the sport you choose will make you more suitable for the sport you do and the possibility of injury will decrease accordingly.
- You should know the rules of the sport you are doing very well. This is especially important in contact sports. Injuries increase in sports that are not followed. In addition, we should wear appropriate clothing and use appropriate equipment for the sport we are doing. We should use protective equipment for our knees, hands, eyes, teeth and head according to the sport we are doing. The supports inside the shoes we wear should always be checked and a heel ramp should definitely be placed to protect the Achilles tendon.
- Resting has a special importance in preventing injuries. We observe a significant increase in injury rates after sports performed while tiring. Similarly, doing sports for a long time (such as a tennis match played with several different people and lasting 3-4 hours, or playing astroturf matches twice in a row) will be harmful to our bodies and will invite injuries. We should never forget that our bodies need to rest first and then do sports.
- A good warm-up and stretching should be done before every sport. A good and correct warm-up and stretching will make you more suitable for the sport you will do and reduce the risk of injury.
- You should never do sports when you are tired or in pain. Pain shows you that there is a problem. If you do not focus on it, you may face injuries that will cause serious problems later. Unfortunately, wearing the wrong shoes, not using support and continuing to do sports despite pain have caused dozens of foot, ankle and knee injuries and Achilles tendon ruptures. In addition, continuing to ski after an injury, especially in the winter season, can cause serious problems in the ligaments and meniscus of the knee.
