Injury and Rehabilitation AQA

Acute injuries occur immediately during excercise

Fracture - a breakor crack in a bone - severe pain immediately 

Dislocation - bone if forced out of position and the joints - swelling around the injured site and pain 

Strain -  muscle fibre overstretched and tears - cant bear weight

Sprain - ligament stretches too far and is torn - restricted movement

Achilled Tendonitis - (Tendon that connects gastrocnemius to heel bone) - casued by over-use and will cause pain and inflammation 

Stress Fracture - (Weight bearing bones in leg, foot or in verterbral collumn) - caused by over use, increases intensity too quickly, Muscles fatigue and so cant absorb shock -this force is tehn transferred to bone causing a crack 

Tennis elbow - outside of elbow (straightening wrist) - inflammation and tears of muscle and tendons due to over use and poor technique - pain and inflammation 

Screening 

• Identify pas / current injuries
• Identify muscle imbalances / asses joint mobility
• identify performers at risk of complications from excercie  - CRY
• Identify a suitable rehabilitation programmes 

Flexibility training

• Ballistic - bouncing, jerky movements
• Active - pushing beyond point of resistance - held by agonist
• Passive - external force helps stretch 
• Static - muscle held in stationary/isometric up to 30 seconds

Protective equipment 

• Pads in cricket and gloves - cushion 
• Gum sheild in hockey - protect mouth 

Warm up 

• Reduce injury - increase elasticity
• Release synovial fluid - increase felxibility and joint movement 
• Increase muscle temp - heamoglobin dissociates with oxygen 
• Rehearsal of movement - preparing for skills they will use in game

Taping and bracing 

• Tape - Help support and stability of joints - sprain recovery
• Kinesiology tape - more elastic and expands as muscle contracts
• Brace - more substancial for knee and ankle to prevent furhter injury

Hyperbsric chambers 

• Highly pressurized chambers this will increase amount of oxygen taken in by athlete.
• Increased O2- excess dissolved into blood plasma.
• Reduces swelling and pain
• Increase white blood cell activity at injured site
• Increase blood supply
• Reduces recovery time

Crotherapy 

• Cryotherapy is the use of cold temperatures (-100 degrees) to help an athlete recover from exercise more quickly and effectively.
• Decreases blood flow to injured site through vasoconstriction.
• Upon leaving- vasodilation and oxygen rich blood flushes to site to help heal cells.
• Reduces inflammation and pain. 

Hydrotherapy

• Hydrotherapy takes place in water to aid rehabilitation and helps increase blood circulation and relieve pain.
• The buoyancy of the water helps support body weight.
• Reduces the load on the joints.
• More exercise can be performer than on land so strengthening injured site.
• More exercise than when on land

Proprioreceptive Training 

• Proprioreceptors detect movement in muscles, tendons and joint.
• For smooth, co-ordinated movements these receptors –provide key information to medulla alongside our senses.
• HOWEVER- proprioception is impaired following injury
• Propriorective training uses hopping, jumping and balance exercises to restore lost proprioception and reteach the injured joint control subconsciously.
• Wobble boards not only aid the strength of joint but will reeducate body to react to movement without thinking.

Strenth Training 

• Free weights - dumbells, kettlebells (stabilise weight) - target specific muscles, increase weight to develop strength- poor technique could lead to further injury, adapted to become sport specific
• Machine weights - pec dec, lat pull down (machine has control) - Early stage of injury as machine takes of pressure, target specific muscles- Range of motion limited, focus on building strength as they are supported
• Body weight - plank and squats, eveloping core and balance (body is resistance) - Body weight used early stages, less stress on body that heavy weights- low stress to aid recovery, doesnt provide enough resistance as injury develops
• Therabands - varying strengths (elastic provides resistance) - easily adaptable as varying in strength, very good for early stages and develop as recovery improves- bands could snap leading to further injury, doesnt provide enough resistance, varying resistance allows for flexibility on stages of injury

Compression garments - Helps blood circulation- therefore help blood lactate removal, inflammation and DOMS

Massage - Increase blood flow- more O2 for repair - Removes lactic acid- Causes stretching of tissue to relieve pain

Cryotherapy - 

Diet - 20 minute window to consume carbs and protein to help resynthesis muscle glycogen

Ice baths - 5-10 minutes - Blood vessel constrict to legs so blood is drained - When you leave- legs fill with new blood to supply muscles with oxygen - Old blood flushes out lactic acid - Combats microtears/DOMS

Cold therapy - Using ice pack to cool skin - Vasoconstriction to decrease blood flow - Reduces swelling (oedema) so muscles can have more movement.

Foam rollers - Use body weight on roller to relax muscle - Releases tension and tightness in muscle and between muscles and fascia (layer of connective tissue that surrounds muscle)

Sleep - Deep sleep is important for recovery- 3rd stage of non-REM sleep. Brain waves are slowest and blood flow is directed away from brain and to the muscles to aid recovery and restore energy. Lack of sleep then recovery is cut short!