What Are Sports Injuries?

These are injuries that result from sport or exercise activity. Techniques for treating these injuries have increased in importance during the past few decades as doctors have placed more importance on the role of adequate exercise in maintaining optimal overall health.

Some of the more common sports injuries are ankle or other ligament sprains, bruises, strained muscles or tendons and other types of soft tissue injuries. Cuts are also an important category of sports injury.

More serious types of sports injuries include broken bones (including stress fractures), concussion and, damaged teeth or gums.

It is important to note that many of the above injuries can be caused by non sports related activities. For example, many cases of concussion are the results of motor vehicle accidents. Whiplash, which is a severe soft tissue injury of the neck, is a common result of motor vehicle accidents involving rear end collisions. Many of the injuries treated as part of sports medicine also feature prominently in the treatment of occupational injuries.

DynaPro Health makes products that can be used to treat sports injuries that involve soft tissue damage, such as sprains or strains. We set out below how our products can be instrumental in treating the various types of sports injury.

Treating Sports Injuries

The strategies for treating & managing sports injuries can greatly vary depending on the type, location, and severity of the injury. The approach to treatment is usually holistic and takes support from a variety of options which can increase the speed of healing, prevent secondary injuries and ensure proper recovery. Improper rest and movement can easily worsen the condition and cause further injuries.

Treatment With Adhesive Or Strapping Tape

To prevent such movement, physical therapeutic treatment, management and rehabilitation programs use strapping tape and other adhesive tapes to secure injured knees, shoulders, ankles and wrists and limit the movement and mobility of the injured region.

This provides the injured part of the body with sufficient time to remain in rest state which encourages healing. Apart from that, it also helps with compression, which is one of the important treatment and management approaches within the R.I.C.E. model. For such purposes, compression hosiery can be used.

Treatment With Kinesiology Tape

Kinesiology tape is usually made of a cotton strip. It was originally introduced and used in Japan during the 1970s. To stick to the skin, the tape has an acrylic adhesion on one side. When it comes to sports injuries involving the musculoskeletal system of the body, kinesiology tape can be significantly effective in terms of encouraging and accelerating the healing. 

Since the tape is medically designed for healing purposes, the manufacturing considers the aspects of thickness, elasticity and skin friendliness. It can also be useful for certain conditions that result in inflammation of the muscles, ligaments, and tendons.

Due to its elasticity, kinesiology tape allows the patient to avoid restriction of movement. The tape can be worn throughout the day as it is concealed under the clothes, or it can also be used at night throughout the sleep.  Sportsmen and women are increasingly using kinesiology tapes for treating & managing sports injuries and to enhance the rehabilitation process.

The most common examples of sports injuries that require kinesiological taping are moderate to severe cases of wearing and tearing of muscles, tendons and ligaments. However, it can be effectively used for a variety of conditions ranging from mild strains, mild injuries, acute blows, and even chronic painful conditions.

Using Cohesive Bandages To Treat Sports Injuries

An alternative to the use of adhesive tapes to secure injured soft tissues is the use of bandages that stick to themselves (also called cohesive or self adhesive bandages) for the same purpose. Such bandages have a number of advantages including ease of removal, the possibility of reapplication and the fact that they cause less pain to animals or those with hairy skin.

Wound Care

As we have mentioned above, cuts and wounds are an important subtype of sports injuries. There are many different types of bandages used to treat cuts. Wound care products are therefore an important class of sports medicine products.

Using Kinesiology & Other Tapes To Treat Sports Injuries

People involved in sports are usually in a hurry to get up from their resting state, get out of their rehab program, and get back to the ground to continue playing as soon as possible. However, if the patient did not heal completely, even after the symptoms disappear, going back to play and continuing the rigorous training can reverse the entire recovery and worsen the condition even more than before.

Since the conventional treatments take time, such aids and supporting treatment and therapeutic options can significantly help the sportsmen and athletes to get back on their feet and back on the ground several times quicker. Here are some of the most beneficial functions of kinesiology and other tapes which makes it a favorable choice for sportsmen, athletes, and even normal people for whom time is very important.

  • It can provide compression on the damaged area to speed up the recovery
  • The tape can optimize and improve the performance
  • It can provide support, protection, and stabilization after an injury
  • It can effectively help to treat the chronic pain
  • It can effectively help with the prevention of cramps
  • It can prevent recurring injury at the same place
  • It may provide instant relief to the patient after the injury
  • It can give rest to the muscles and prevent fatigue
  • It can lower the chances of getting bruises
  • It can speed up the healing process
  • The risk of getting an injury is greatly reduced
  • In case of injury, it can help have a lower overall impact

Kinesiology tape, adhesive tapes, and strapping tapes can be used together with physical therapy for the treatment of sports injuries.

They can also be used for the prevention of sports injuries such as:

  • Calf injuries
  • Back injuries
  • Hamstring injuries
  • Ankle injuries

It is recommended that the tape should be applied after the supervision or guidance of a physical therapist or a specialist. If the symptoms are retained even after the use, the patient should reach out for medical assistance.

There are numerous different brands of these tapes in the market. The mechanism of action for kinesiological tape and other similar tapes is primarily the acceleration and promotion of healing for the patient in terms of physical as well as neurological mechanism.

When the tape is applied, it causes a pressure which can significantly activate the lymphatic system of the patient. As a result, the healing process is improved. Apart from that, it lowers the pressure on the nerves and the pain receptors which reduces the sensation of pain in chronic and acute conditions. As it stretches the skin, some researchers also believe that the blood flow around the location of the injury is also promoted which provides rich nutrients and oxygen. For any healing process, oxygen and nutrients are of primary importance.

Other Considerations

Usability

The use and applications of kinesiology, strapping and adhesive tapes are diverse. Your physical therapist or health specialist is the right person to figure out if it is suitable to use for your condition or unsuitable. The specialist will also know how exactly the tape must be used. Therefore, it is recommended to seek help from an expert for guidance. It can be used for various purposes pertaining to post-traumatic and post-injury application. Some of the most important uses are:

Inhibition and pain management

After an injury, one of the greatest concern of most patients is the pain due to musculoskeletal injury. The Kinesiology tape is known to have effective results in terms of pain management and alleviation of the primary symptoms. It can impact the overall well-being of the patient physically and mentally.

Facilitation

The application of such tapes can be effectively administered for the purposes of treating the contraction patterns and the muscular firing. For athletes and sportsmen, this is of utmost importance.

Scar tissue management

The tissue can simply be scared, partially worn or completely torn due to an injury. Such injuries can cause complete loss of movement and excruciating pain. Kinesiological tape can pull and slightly stretch the scarred tissue which does not pressurize it and yet helps for the tightening of the collagen that improves healing.

Support and stability

It can hold the joints and injured muscles together. This helps in the reduction of stress and ultimately prevents worsening of the condition to improve healing.

Swelling management

The swelling in an injured area can be reduced with the help of kinesiology tape as it stretches the skin to reduce pressure and disengages the skin from direct contact with the underlying muscles or tissues. As a result, any accumulated fluids can easily flow away which were originally causing swelling.

References

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Kleopa, K. A. (2015). Carpal tunnel syndrome. Annals of internal medicine, 163(5), ITC1-ITC1.

Montalvo, A. M., Cara, E. L., & Myer, G. D. (2014). Effect of kinesiology taping on pain in individuals with musculoskeletal injuries: systematic review and meta-analysis. The Physician and sportsmedicine, 42(2), 48-57.

Norman, R., Wells, R., Neumann, P., Frank, J., Shannon, H., Kerr, M., & Study, T. O. U. B. P. (1998). A comparison of peak vs cumulative physical work exposure risk factors for the reporting of low back pain in the automotive industry. Clinical biomechanics, 13(8), 561-573.

Quinn, R. (2011). U.S. Patent Application No. 13/188,333.

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Routley, V., & Valuri, J. (1994). Work related injuries.

Van Tulder, M., Malmivaara, A., & Koes, B. (2007). Repetitive strain injury. The Lancet, 369(9575), 1815-1822.

Weir, E., & Lander, L. (2005). Hand–arm vibration syndrome. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 172(8), 1001-1002.