Do you know how to help yourself when sports injuries occur? Here's how!

The condition of the Corona Virus Disease pandemic, discovered in 2019 or often called Covid-19, forced human beings around the world to maintain their health in order to maintain their immune system  to fight various forms of foreign attacks from outside the body such as bacteria, viruses, and so forth. Apart from taking multivitamin supplements, many people believe that the immune system can also be maintained and enhanced by doing sports activities. The chosen sport also varies, with mild, moderate, or severe intensity, but whatever the form of exercise is chosen, the risk of sports injury is very likely.

Now then the question will arise whether when sports injuries occur, can we help ourselves? The answer is of course, yes, we can. Then what to do when we experience sports injuries? Immediately, we review below.

In the first aid of sports injuries, we will recognize a simple method called the PRICER method, where PRICER itself stands for Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation, and Referral. What is meant by the method? Next is the explanation.

The first thing we discuss is P for Protection, which is our effort to protect the area affected by injury. To protect the area affected by injury, there are a lot of actions that we can take, for example using protection tools in the form of taping or bracing, or can be assisted with tools that are around us to protect the area that is injured until our injuries can be further handled by medical personnel or other health workers.

Second, R for Rest, we really need to rest the area of ​​our body that is injured, and also we must understand that when the injury occurs, we must be able to determine or take a decision to stop and rest our injured limbs, it is important to do reducing the pain we feel, and so that our body tissues do not experience more severe injuries.

Next to the third one, I for Ice, the question may arise, what is the relationship between Ice with sports injuries? Here's the explanation, ice that is cold will give effect to vasoconstriction or narrowing of our blood vessels, so that when a wound occurs in the area of ​​injury, the bleeding can be suppressed by a decrease in temperature in our tissues, besides that, ice will also have an effect similar to the effect of "anesthesia" locally in our area of ​​injury, where it can also help us to reduce pain. However, the use of ice there are procedures that must be considered, including: first, the ice is placed in an injured area for 10 to 20 minutes and is done several times a day. Second, the ice is recommended not to be applied directly to the area of ​​our skin, you should place a towel between the skin and ice to avoid irritation to the skin, and finally, let the skin temperature return to normal before giving the ice back, with an interval of about 40 to 60 minutes.

Fourth, C for Compression or compression. Bandages can be done using an elastic bandage so it doesn't hurt to have elastic bandages at home. The purpose of this compression is to reduce the swelling that occurs, but if sometime after the compression begins to appear an increase in pain, numbness, tingling, swelling or the area under the dressing feels cold, it indicates that the dressing is done too tight, so it must be considered.

Fifth, E for Elevation or our efforts to elevate the position of the area of ​​our body that is injured. In principle, the elevation is done until the area of ​​injury is positioned higher than our heart. What is the purpose? By elevating the injured area higher than the location of the heart, it will help increase blood flow back to the heart and the buildup of blood in the injured limb does not occur, so that the swelling can subside faster.

Last but not least, R for Referrals, this is an important action. The referral is an attempt to bring ourselves to get further medical help. Referral should be done immediately, after the 5 other things above we have done. The referral is done to get a further examination and to find out the extent of the injury that we have experienced so that later we can do sports again and to reduce the risk of recurring injuries.

The PRICER method is quite simple to do and very easy to remember. So, starting today no need to be panic again when we experience injuries while exercising. Do it one by one and do not also forget to share this information with whom closest to us.