How to deal with Sports Injuries | A basic approach by Fitness coach Yuvraj Salvi

Injuries are just a part of every sport including cricket. No matter if the cricketer plays at
international or local level there is a time in their career where they suffer some major
injuries. Small bruises and contusions are more frequently occurring in the game of cricket.
One bad shot selection to a short ball can hit the batsmen right in his chest or helmet.
Whereas, one bad foot landing can sprain the ankle of a fast bowler which can cost him the
match.

But what edge do international players have over local cricketers ?

The answer is that they have better coaches, physiotherapists, trainers and sports psychologist. For example- Lets take two cricketers A & B. Cricketer A is a international player and cricketer B is a local club cricketer. Lets assume that both the players have suffered ACL tear( type of knee injury) there are higher chances that player A would recover faster as compared to player B. A part of recovery process of player A is the will power and experience but no one can deny the fact that the elite cricketers go through a much better rehabilitation programme as compared to player B who does not have the access to get the
same rehabilitation as player A.

The purpose of drawing out this example is solely that if you are playing at a local club level and aspiring to make it to the top it is very important that you minimize the risk of injury and know proper first aid for minor injuries. Otherwise, most small injuries when not treated well can cause infection which can prolong the recovery and indeed affect your career.

Please Note:- Doctors consultation is recommended as soon as possible after initial first aid procedure.

From a perspective of a first aid professional and a sports trainer let me answer some of the
most common questions that players have regarding injury.

1) Should I apply Ice or Hot pack?

In my experience this is the most common question that cricketers ask me whenever they get injured or just out of curiosity. Whenever there is a contact injury where the ball has hit some part of your body and the portion has turned red or green it is recommended to apply ice as soon as possible. Icing should not be for more than 10- 15 mins. The sole purpose of icing is that it stops the blood flow in that region and white blood cells start to repair the tissue that is damaged.

As far as hot pack is concerned that is only applicable for stiffness in the back or they are mostly applied by physiotherapists before treating stiff muscles of their patients so that the stretching routines are much more effective.

2) Should I dress my wound or leave it dry and open ?

Bruise or bleeding through a wound must be first cleaned by water or anti septic liquids (Dettol, Savlon, etc). The wound must be dressed with gauze as whenever the wound is left open there are chances that it may get infected.

3) What to do for ankle & finger injuries ?

Such injuries are very common. Ankle injuries are seen in fast bowlers when their foot lands on the ground in a bad position whereas fielders suffer with finger injuries while catching the ball which is either to fast/high or the hand positioning is wrong. Injuries like these when they are very painful must be dealt with utmost care. The first
thing to do is to stabilize the injured part either by taping it or giving it a supportive base. Rush to the doctor as it may be a ankle sprain or a hairline fracture to one of your fingers.

4) How to predict if it is a fracture?

There are 4 signs that can help to predict a fracture. If these 4 symptoms are not present then proper rest and icing will help you recover.

*) Severe pain which is continuous
*) The bone which is fractured looks deformed
*) Injured part must have swollen due to the breakage of bone & tissues surrounding it.
*) The person is not able to move the injured part.

Please note:- Fractures are to be dealt with utmost care. You must refer to a doctor as soon as possible.

I hope I have answered most of your questions through this article. The take home message from my side would be to always have precaution to minimize injuries in your career. It is impossible that a sportsmen would go through his career without any injury. But surely one can prevent a handful from happening just with the proper care and guidance. Most injuries don’t heal quickly just because of the lack of proper rehabilitation. Therefore, it is very important as a cricketer to be under the guidance of the right support staff for your blooming career. Good luck