Sport

1. What are the most common sports injuries?

   There are five common sporting injuries:
   
   1. Excessive strains
   A strain to the muscle or tendon can happen when the muscle is over stretched or excessively worked. This can cause the muscle to swell or fibres to rupture as in a torn hamstring. It may be painful and difficult to move or walk. Strains usually take one to six weeks to heal.
   
   2. Bruises
   A direct blow to the muscle tissue can result in bruising or cuts such as in a corked thigh.
   
   3. Tendonitis (inflammation of the tendon)
   This can happen after excessive overuse. Often this is due to poor equipment or preparation, such as in tennis elbow.
   
   4. Dislocation
   This happens when a joint is injured and one or more bones are displaced from their normal position such as a dislocated finger or shoulder.
   
   5. Sprains
   This is an injury to a ligament and is caused by a sudden overstretching such as in a sprained ankle. It may be painful and difficult to move or walk.

2. Which is the best sports tape to use?

   The best sports tape to use depends on the circumstances.
   
   To restrict joint movement, use a rigid strapping tape. The size that you need to use depends on the area you are taping. For example, for preventative ankle taping, use Rigid Strapping Tape 38mm or 50mm for large joints. For treatment such as an injured ankle, elbow or finger, use a 25mm or 12.5mm. For treatment on an injured shoulder, knee or foot use a 50mm.
   
   To compress and support joints or muscles, use an elastic adhesive bandage. For strong compression when returning from injury (e.g. sprained knee) use an Elastic Adhesive Bandage 75mm over rigid tape. For initial compression (such as an ankle sprain) use an Elastic Adhesive Bandage 50mm.

3. How do I manage a serious injury?

   Serious injuries, such as head, neck and abdominal injuries, need to be managed by a professional and calling an ambulance will normally be the first priority. Relevant First Aid or Medical training is required before a person can safely offer help in life-threatening injuries.