Media Release 20 Aug 2007

Sporting Injuries take a trip into our Emergency Departments

Visit the Royal North Shore Hospital late on a Saturday afternoon and you will find a large number of adolescents with some form of injury brought about by playing sport. 185 sport-related injuries have been admitted to Royal North Shore over the past three months. Many of these injuries could have been prevented.

The most common types of sporting injuries include ankle sprains, calf and hamstring strains, abdominal muscle and back injuries, and torn ligaments.

Many people do not realise warming up prior to playing sport is an important measure for injury prevention. Cold joints, tendons and muscles can be strained or sprained by sudden movement or exertion. In normal conditions, a 5-10 minute warm-up is all that is required; slightly longer in colder weather.

In a recently published research paper by Royal North Shore Hospital Physiotherapist Roberta Law in the Australian Journal of Physiotherapy, it was shown that warm-up is effective in reducing delayed onset muscle soreness.

An effective way to avoid injury is to warm-up and stretch the specific muscle groups you will be using during a game. A physiotherapist can help in devising warm-up and stretch routines appropriate to the sport.

Other tips in preventing injury include:

• Avoid over-exerting yourself
• Keep hydrated
• Wear appropriate protective equipment; such as mouth guards, shin pads, helmet
• Wear shoes with proper support and resistance
• Support vulnerable joints with tape or brace (eg. ankle)
• Be careful in particularly hot or cold weather conditions – sunscreen and a hat in extreme heat does not always prevent heat stroke, exhaustion or sunburn
• Develop landing techniques to avoid injury from landing incorrectly
• Ensure you have enough rest and recovery days

If you have a suspected sporting injury, the first rule is to R.I.C.E. – Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate. A physiotherapist can accurately diagnose the injury and advise you on an appropriate rehabilitation program. This may comprise stretching of tight structures, strengthening of weak structures and correction of abnormal biomechanics. This will lead to a successful recovery, return to sport and provide you with strategies to prevent recurrence of injury.

If you ignore the early warning signs and do not look after the injury, it can become very difficult to treat. The sooner you treat an injury, the sooner you will be playing sport again.

The benefits of playing sport are huge, both physically and mentally; however it is important that everyone take precautions to avoid painful, unnecessary injuries.

Media Contact: Liene Gulbis – RNSH Public Affairs 9926 8313

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