From the Olympics to daily fitness: Do you get the complete guide to first aid for sports injuries?

The Paris Olympics is halfway through. While watching the exciting events, Tadpole carefully observed that many athletes had bandages wrapped around their limbs, which actually reflects the commonness of sports injuries.

So, what are the common sports injuries among athletes? How can ordinary sports enthusiasts exercise scientifically and safely?

Image source: Xinhua News Agency

Zheng Qinwen's right leg is wrapped in bandages

Image source: Xinhua News Agency

Tadpole invited Zheng Haoyun, deputy chief physician of the Department of Orthopedics at Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine affiliated to Capital Medical University , to share with us a series of knowledge on sports health. In this passionate Olympic month, let's exercise healthily and scientifically~

What are the common sports injuries among athletes?

Injuries among athletes are mainly soft tissue and bone injuries .

There are four types of soft tissue injuries: one is muscle injury caused by impact during exercise, such as local muscle tissue bleeding and edema; the second is skin abrasions, such as falling while running; the third is strain, which is also the most common type of injury, which is the tearing of muscle fibers caused by excessive stretching or contraction of muscles during exercise; the fourth is damage to ligaments and tendons.

The most common bone injury is fracture, which is caused by an imbalance of direct or indirect stress, resulting in direct breakage of the bone. We call this a fracture. The second most common type of bone injury is dislocation, such as joint dislocation.

Athletes are in a state of extremely high intensity during the Olympic Games, pushing their body functions to the limit. Once an injury occurs, it may be serious. For example, during intense running, athletes may suffer muscle tearing or Achilles tendon rupture, causing them to lose their motor function instantly and fall to the ground suddenly. Some ball game players may suffer ligament and tendon injuries in the knee and ankle joints due to sudden stops and turns during exercise.

Once a sports injury occurs, how should it be handled urgently?

When dealing with sports injuries, the "RICE" principle is followed clinically .

R stands for "rest". Athletes should stop exercising and rest immediately after injury to avoid further aggravation of the injury. I stands for "ice". Immediately apply medical ice packs or ice wrapped in a towel to the injured area to minimize bleeding and edema and promote recovery. C stands for "compression". Use a medical elastic bandage to bandage the injured part to reduce bleeding and swelling, fix the joints and produce a braking effect. E stands for "elevation", which means elevating the injured area to promote the return of blood and lymph and prevent swelling of the affected limb.

In addition, there is the "PRICE" principle, which is to add "protect" to "RICE".

There are some relatively new concepts now, such as "optimal loading", which means performing appropriate weight-bearing training under the guidance of a doctor to promote wound healing while preventing muscle atrophy and disuse atrophy to the greatest extent. This principle is generally applicable to sports injuries of the knee and ankle joints.

The above principles apply not only to athletes, but also to ordinary sports enthusiasts who should follow these principles if they are injured, and seek timely treatment if there are any problems. Gritting your teeth and persisting or even continuing to exercise will further aggravate the injury.

How to prevent common injuries in sports such as running and playing ball?

0 1

The most important thing is to warm up

Before exercising, you can do some simple warm-up activities such as jogging, high leg raises or skipping rope for 5-10 minutes, so that your body sweats slightly and your heart rate rises slightly, so that your muscles and bone tissues can be fully activated and you can truly enter the state of exercise.

There are special warm-up methods for specific sports, such as stretching the shoulder joints and lower limbs before swimming, especially fully stretching the calves, so as to avoid cramps and spasms underwater. Before playing ball or running, stretch the muscles of the lower limbs to avoid strains and contusions during exercise.

0 2

Be sure to choose the right sports equipment

Running enthusiasts must choose a pair of running shoes that suit them; sportswear should be breathable, comfortable and easy to wick away sweat.

0 3

Try using assistive devices

Such as knee pads, ankle pads, muscle patches, etc.

0 4

Increase theoretical learning appropriately

On the one hand, you can avoid injuries and learn more about how to protect yourself; on the other hand, you can constantly improve your sports skills so that sports can better serve you.

What are the differences in exercise intensity and methods for people of different ages and physical conditions?

For teenagers under 18 years old, most of their sports are done in school. They just need to follow the rules set by the school . The muscles and bones of teenagers are in a period of rapid growth, and they need more exercise to support their physical condition. Here, I would like to remind all students to take sports seriously, not to be perfunctory, and not to exercise just for sports results. You should regard sports as a part of your study life.

People aged 18-64 should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week , or about 75 minutes of medium-to-high-intensity exercise. At the same time, they should do muscle training at least twice a week, such as running, swimming, and cycling. In addition, they can also do comprehensive training such as yoga, Pilates, and ball games.

For people over 65 years old, the intensity of training should be appropriately reduced, but the duration and frequency of exercise should be increased. People over 65 years old can choose more types of exercise than young people, such as slow walking, fast walking, housework, gardening activities, etc., but protecting yourself is the most important thing, and exercise without hurting yourself. If you have obvious bone diseases such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis that plague you for a long time, you should reduce the intensity of exercise and do it within your ability.

What healthy exercise initiatives or reminders do you have for viewers watching the Paris Olympics?

0 1 Pay attention to your work and rest schedule

There is a 7-hour time difference between Paris and China, so try not to stay up late to watch the game.

0 2 Pay attention to your sitting posture

Don’t lie down like Ge You. Lying down for a long time can easily cause injuries to the waist and neck. When watching the computer screen, try to raise the screen as high as possible to reduce cervical spine injuries caused by lowering your head.

0 3 Keep your emotions stable

Don't be too happy or angry because of the game. Too big emotional fluctuations will affect your cardiovascular health. Watching the game should be based on the premise of not hurting yourself.