From rehabilitation to getting back into shape after a sports injury

With the rise in temperatures, many recreational athletes are drawn back out to fitness, sports and exercise. The unaccustomed strain after the winter break can quickly lead to pain or a sports injury.

Sometimes the knee is overloaded, training continues despite overtiredness, a technical mistake is made or a branch is overlooked while jogging in the forest. A sport injury is there faster than one would like to be.

Sports and their risk of injury

Team sports in particular offer a particularly high risk of injury. Most injuries in Germany among men occur while playing soccer, although it should also be noted that this is the most common sport.

Handball is the number one sport for women. In these sports, the risk of external impact should certainly not be underestimated. Hard fought duels, jumps and jerky movements contribute to the increased risk of injury.

Knee and ankle are the most affected

Among the most injured areas of the body are the ankle and knee joints. In the latter in particular, ligaments are often affected and have to be treated surgically. A long rehabilitation phase with physiotherapy follows. Persistent instability is not uncommon here.

The PECH Rule

If you have the misfortune to injure yourself, the first thing you should do is follow the PECH rule. This rule can relieve bruising, swelling and pain from muscle and joint injuries. PECH here stands for the four first steps:

• Pause,
• Ice,
• Compression,
• Elevation.

First of all, one should take a break and not put any strain on the injured joint. The next step is to cool the area for 10-15 minutes. This procedure can be repeated every two hours. Afterwards you should apply a compression bandage.

Elastic bandages are ideal for this. Hereby the swing is also contained. It also helps to relieve the joint – after two hours this should be loosened up. The bandage should generally not be too tight.

It is also advisable to keep the joint elevated. This makes it easier for the body to remove fluids that have entered the body.

Re-entry after a sports injury – He who rests, rusts!

As already mentioned, physiotherapy and special exercises help to get the joint fit again. This deliberately promotes the mobility of the joints and ligaments. One should not overdo it, but also not let it slide, so that it does not come to stiffenings.

In the healing process, orthoses and bandages can contribute to the recovery of the joint.

Back in training

Wearing a bandage can have a supportive effect when returning to sports. Especially when it still feels somewhat unstable, it protects and supports the affected joint and thus relieves it.

Pads also increase blood circulation. The stabilizers sewn into the bandage also prevent incorrect movement.

With a well-fitting brace, freedom of movement is not significantly restricted. Also psychologically, such a bandage gives many athletes who are afraid of re-injury, a sense of more security.

However, it cannot provide guaranteed protection against a recurrence of a sports injury.

Sports insoles provide the correct posture

If the feet are poorly supported, this often affects the entire body. Unnatural walking affects the body balance, other parts of the body try to compensate for this and so joints in the ankle, knee and hip as well as the spine are incorrectly loaded.

In the long run, such a wrong posture can cause pain. The wrong footbed can also negatively affect the blood circulation in the feet and legs. Orthopedic insoles are designed to prevent incorrect posture of the foot. This also reduces the risk of injury.