Even if you are very careful when doing sports, injuries can still occur. It is true that there are sensible measures such as a good warm-up as a starting point or suitable protective equipment, but once it has happened, you have to act quickly and correctly to prevent worse.
strains, bruises, sprains : Depending on the sport, there are certain injuries that occur particularly frequently. The risk of injury can be minimized through targeted warm-up, muscle building training and good sportswear. In an emergency, however, the right measures should be taken quickly. From first aid on site, to going to the right doctor and the subsequent rehabilitation phase, there are a few things to consider.
Prevention is better than cure
Avoiding accidents and injuries is generally the best way. A sufficient warm-up is therefore the first step in regular training as a matter of course. In this way, the body can be prepared for the coming stress, the cardiovascular system gets going and the muscles, tendons and joints are made supple.
The right equipment with breathable clothing, good shoes and possibly the appropriate Safety accessories are also an important measure to prevent injuries. Depending on the discipline, different parts of the body are appropriately supported or protected from bumps. You should not save at the wrong end here.
Those who specifically strengthen those muscles that relieve the most stressed regions and can thus also help to avoid injuries. In addition to improving technique or building strength and endurance, a good overall constitution and an efficient organism are the best protection.
Finally, it is important to know and respect your own physical limits. Many injuries result from overwork, overexertion, or overwork. If the body cannot recover sufficiently in between, it is more prone to various impairments. Here, too, the following applies: In case of doubt, it is better to shift down a gear.
The PECH rule for emergencies
Despite all preventive measures, the risk of injury cannot be completely controlled. Even football as a popular sport, for example, is one of the most accident-prone disciplines. Often a brief moment of inattention is enough to sprain your ankle or cause a bruise. A small rule can be applied to most injuries and helps to take the right measures and to positively influence the subsequent healing process.
For first aid, the PECH rule specifies the sequence of the most important steps:
- P ause: Even with minor impairments, it makes sense to interrupt the training immediately and immobilize the injured area. In the event of an ankle or foot injury, for example, the shoe can be taken off. This way it is also possible to take a closer look at the injury.
- E is: Cooling the affected area is the next step. Ice-cold gel pads or cool packs that can be wrapped in towels are best for this. They are to be preferred to ice sprays in any case. Cooling relieves pain on the one hand, and minimizes blood flow on the other, which prevents the area from swelling as much. However, caution is advised with open wounds (risk of infection) or broken bones (shock reaction).
- C ompression: Injured parts of the body can be stabilized by supporting bandages. The pressure, which should be adjusted individually, ensures that bleeding or swelling is kept to a minimum. In addition, the freedom of movement is restricted in a certain way, which helps prevent further impairments.
- H ochposition: Finally, the injured area should be positioned higher than the rest of the body. This also prevents excessive blood flow. This measure can be retained even longer. Even on the first night it is usually helpful to place the injured foot higher, for example with a pillow, so that as little pressure as possible acts on the wound.
If the cooling pad is only from the refrigerator instead of the freezer comes, it can also be placed directly on the injured area.
Knowing how
The right action in an emergency can be decisive for the further recovery process influence. A first aid course, which is also offered by certain providers with specific teaching content on the field of sport, can provide a good basis here. Anyone who knows how to act in an emergency can, for example, competently decide which injuries can be treated by oneself and which ones need to be treated by a doctor can. The first measure here is to immediately stretch the affected muscle. Massages or cooling the area are also useful. Inadequate hydration is often the cause of cramps.
The first few minutes after the injury are decisive in how quickly the body can recover from it. This also includes looking after the injured person not only physically, but also emotionally.
Help from a specialist
In many cases, after the first care, a Consult a doctor. Here, too, a few things have to be considered when proceeding correctly. Depending on how severe the injury is, an emergency doctor may have to be called directly or the emergency room of a hospital visited, provided that the transport is manageable.
Even with minor injuries, it is usually advisable in the next few days to visit a doctor. Depending on the care model, you can choose the practice yourself or a referral from your family doctor is necessary. The respective steps are listed here, depending on the insurance concept:
- Family doctor model : Even if you have a sports injury, you should first visit your family doctor. This decides on further treatment, if necessary also by a specialized colleague.
- HMO model : In the individual HMO centers there are usually competent specialists for sports injuries take care of the injury. If necessary, they work together with other specialists or rehabilitation facilities.
- Telmed model : With this model, the telephone advice center must always be contacted first, except in acute emergencies. As a competent contact person, this can also help with tips directly when the injury is treated for the first time. In addition, the Telmed office decides on how to proceed and, if necessary, arranges an appropriate specialist. Depending on the provider, in the event of an emergency it is sufficient to inform the Telmed service about the matter within a certain period of time after the accident.
Various facilities also offer a so-called sports doctor consultation, in which a suitable therapy concept can be drawn up with specialists or help and advice can be sought for individual impairments.
Body areas can be stabilized with bandages or physio tapes
The regeneration and healing phase
A doctor can talk to the patient about further measures that the injured person can take into their own hands to to advance healing. As a rule, it is important to take care of the affected body part first.
For most, an injury is associated with an undesirable break in training. Since you cannot continue training at all or only to a limited extent, there is usually a certain drop in performance. However, such a situation should not only be viewed negatively. Especially if the freedom of movement is not completely restricted, it makes sense to keep other parts of the body fit through special exercises or alternative disciplines such as swimming and to strengthen general fitness.
In some, it is possible to fully regenerate Cases a lot of patience is necessary. If the injury has not yet completely healed, exposure too early can cause even greater damage. An adapted training plan can help not to lose sight of your actual goals and to advance the healing process step by step. If you listen to your body and take warning signals seriously, you can avoid overloading or further impairments, for example through incorrect postures.