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According to statistics, men are times more likely to injure themselves playing sports than women and a fifth of adult injure themselves out playing sport and leave the injury untreated. Most common sport injuries are backache (15%), muscle strains (9%), muscle inflammation (7%), neck ache (6%).

 

Most sprains and strains can usualy be treated with PRICE technique - Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation and should usually improve within 6 to 8 weeks. However, leaving an injury untreated can lead to long-term, serious implications.

We have 5 tips on how to treat and manage sport injuries:

1. Rest and Elevation! Take a break from the activity that may be causing the injury. Elevate the injured area at or above the level of your heart to help reduce swelling.

 

2. Use cold/freeze products for the first 72 hours to help reduce swelling and inflammation and only when then period is over, the injury should be heated in order to help increase the blood flow to the affected area bringing oxygen, proteins and other nutrients to help promote healing.

 

3. Compression! Use elastic bandages on the first 24 to 48 hours after an injury. This wall of the veins will constrict under compression which will assist in increase the velocity of clood flow through injured area, speed up the recovery process and decrease muscle soreness.

4. Topical analgesics! Topical analgesics e.g. Voltarol Gel, Diclac Gel contain the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) work to relieve pain and reduce inflammation on the affected injured area. Their formulation helps the gel to penetrate deeply into the skin to enhance delivey to the site of pain without the side effects of stomach irritation.

5. Take sport supplement e.g. Pro-Vitality along with a healthy balanced diet with plenty of fluid! Exercise put added strains on the body, such as the immnue system, muscles and heart. Pro-Vitality contains broad-spectrum multivitamins & minerals, Omega-3 farry acids with powderful anti-oxidants will help in boosting performance and recovery, and helping them avoid injury.

 Emi Wong MPSI Pharmacist