1. Know how common sports injuries can be prevented by the correct identification of risk factors.
- Extrinsic risk factors: coaching, eg poor coaching/leadership, communication, ensuring adherence to rules and governing body guidelines; incorrect technique, eg lifting and handling equipment; environmental factors, eg weather effects on surfaces; clothing and footwear, eg protective, sport-specific, specific to surface; safety hazards, eg the importance of safety checks, environment safety checks, equipment safety checks, misuse of equipment, first-aid provision, safety checklists, risk assessments.
- Intrinsic risk factors: training effects, eg muscle imbalance, poor preparation, level of fitness, overuse; individual variables, eg age, fitness level, growth development, previous injury history, flexibility, nutrition, sleep; postural defects, eg lordosis, kyphosis, scoliosis, overuse.
- Preventative measures: role of the coach, eg up-to-date knowledge of sport/performer, qualifications, adapt coaching style to performers ability/age/fitness level, communication; equipment and environment, eg checking equipment, risk assessments, protective equipment, appropriate usage.
2. Know about a range of sports injuries and their symptoms.
- Physiological responses: damaged tissue, eg primary damage response, healing response, the clotting mechanism; the importance of scar tissue control in the re-modelling process; specific to injury, eg sprain/ strain (signs and symptoms of first, second and third degree), haematomas (inter/intra).
- Psychological responses: response to injury, eg anger, anxiety, depression, frustration, isolated from team mates; response to treatment and rehabilitation, eg anxiety, frustration, need for motivation, use of goal setting.
3. Know how to apply methods of treating sports injuries
- Types of sports injury: hard tissue damage, eg fracture, dislocation, stress fracture, shin splints; soft tissue damage, eg haematoma, abrasion, sprain, strain, concussion, tendonitis (achilles, shoulder), tendon rupture, blister, cramp, tennis elbow, back pain, cartilage damage, friction burns.
- First aid: emergency/immediate treatment, eg priorities, resuscitation, shock, bleeding, unconscious casualty, fractures, prevention of infection, summon qualified assistance, accident report forms.
- Common treatments: eg PRICED – protect, rest, ice, compression, elevation, diagnosis by professional, SALTAPS – (stop, ask, look, touch, active, passive strength), taping, bandaging, tubigrip, splints, hot/cold treatments, pain sprays limb supports, electrotherapy; medical referrals for specialist help as appropriate.
4. Be able to plan and construct treatment and rehabilitation programmes for two common sports injuries
- Treatment: based on accurate diagnosis, eg immediate and long term, use of specialist help and advice Rehabilitation: identification of stages of rehabilitation, eg stages 1-5, acute stage to re-establishing functional activity, strengthening exercises, on-going treatments, gradual increase in activity.
- Programme: methods to improve the lost range of motion, eg flexibility stretching (passive, active, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation – PNF); strengthening and co-ordination exercises; psychological considerations during rehabilitation, eg goal setting (short-term, long-term); the need for a careful structured approach to rehabilitation, eg motivation and anxiety within the rehabilitation programme; recording documentation and tracking of treatment, eg medical conditions, allergies, injury history, up-to- date and accurate information, appropriate forms, timescales and review dates, measurable objectives.
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