How to Prevent Sports Injuries from Occurring

The logical step following the identification of causes and contributing factors to injury is to use this knowledge to prevent sports injuries from occurring. Coaches and exercise class leaders who control and monitor how people exercise are ideal for this role. Medical and paramedical practitioners involved in Sports Medicine also have a role in injury prevention. This may take the form of educating an injured patient as to the cause of their injury, or lecturing to coaches and players about correct warm-up.

Injury prevention is a primary concern of the medical and paramedical practitioner involved in this field. Screening for injury prevention involves examination of an athlete's structure and function to identify potential problem areas. Screening procedures usually have a medical and a biomechanical component, and are very sport specific. For example, shoulder strength and flexibility are of great importance to the swimmer, whilst hamstring flexibility and co-ordination should be one of the primary concerns when screening a hurdler. Screening and the subsequent implementation of corrective measures to solve problems identified during this process, is a cost and time-effective exercise, particularly at the elite sporting level.

As mentioned previously, training error is a common cause of injury. Structuring an effective training session, as well as a long term training plan, will have benefits both in performance enhancement and injury prevention. An effective training session consists of an adequate warm-up, an appropriate amount and level of exercise and a warm-down. A warm up prepares the body for exercise and should be activity specific and of appropriate intensity. The training session should contain activities of the correct skill level and difficulty for the athlete involved, as well as working specifically on components of fitness required for the athlete (for example power training for the sprinter, strength endurance training for the middle distance runner). An effective warm - down will aid in recovery from that session and help prevent over-use injuries from occurring.

The long term training plan of an athlete becomes more important as the level of competition becomes more elite, but is still of concern to the 'social' athlete. Knowing exactly what you are trying to achieve from exercise or training allows you to plan ahead and structure your training program with sensible increases in intensity, frequency and duration. The adage that "it is only when one has somewhere to go that it becomes manifestly important to know precisely where one is" applies here as fitness tests or screening will help identify your starting point and any specific problems requiring attention.

Formulating a training plan may be as simple as choosing the number of aerobics classes to do in a week, or may be as complex as planning how to train the right blend of strength, power, skill, speed and flexibility in a sprinter to achieve a world record or gold medal.

Many overuse injuries of the lower limb can be attributed to problems of foot function. Very few people have a "perfect" foot and choosing the correct shoe for your particular foot type is important. Different shoes have different properties of shock absorption, control, shape and durability. Someone who has a flat or pronated foot requires a shoe which will control or limit this foot movement, whilst a person with a high arched or supinated foot requires a shoe which will provide shock absorption.

A shoe that is half boardlasted with a very ridged or extended heel counter and an anti-roll device in the mid-sole provides foot control for a pronator. Shock absorption for a supinator is provided by a slip-lasted shoe with a shock absorbing mid-sole and a stable heel counter. It is also necessary to consider your activity requirements when choosing a shoe. For example, stability would be the primary quality of a strength training shoe; aerobics shoes require mid-sole flexibility with effective hind foot and forefoot control; running shoes need effective shock absorption for repeated heel strike. Expensive shoes are not necessarily better, and it is important to understand your own foot type and requirements before buying a pair of shoes in which to exercise.

Training surface is an important factor in minimizing overuse injuries of the lower limbs. For example, sprung wooden floors offer more effective shock absorption than concrete and would therefore be a more appropriate surface for an aerobics class.

Basic maintenance of gym equipment also has a role in injury prevention. Fraying cables or other faulty equipment may break under stress and cause physical injury to the user, for which the gym owner may be liable.

Returning to exercise and training prematurely after injury is a common problem. Most people who exercise don't enjoy enforced lay-offs. Limping whilst participating in running or aerobics after a leg injury is often indicative of incomplete rehabilitation. Subtle loss of form or technique late in a training session post-injury may indicate endurance levels have not been adequately retrained. Advising people under your direction if they do exhibit a "limp" or form loss is often necessary, as they are frequently not aware of this occurring.

Using taping or strapping on a previously injured joint (for example following a sprained ankle) may also help prevent re-injury. Taping may only be required for a few weeks after a minor injury, or may be used routinely in competition for more permanent problems. Applying tape or bracing to an injured area provides some mechanical support, and increases the body's awareness of the area, which aids in co-ordination and control.

Source: The Anatomy of Sports Injuries by Brad Walker