Injury Prevention, Named Injuries and RICE
Sport carries a risk of injury, but smart preparation prevents most of it. Learn to spot common injuries, prevent them, and treat soft-tissue injuries with the four steps of RICE.
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Play it safe
Sport keeps you fit, but it carries a risk of injury: sprains and strains, fractures, dislocations, concussion, torn cartilage, tennis or golfers elbow, and abrasions. The good news is that most injuries can be prevented with smart preparation, and many soft-tissue injuries can be treated with a simple method called RICE.
Injury and RICE words
Four ideas run through this topic:
Ready to go?
What is the main purpose of a PAR-Q before someone starts exercising?
- To check they are healthy and ready to exercise safely
- To score how good they are at sport
- To pick a team
- To warm up the muscles
Sprain vs strain
These two are easily confused, but they injure different tissues.
Name that injury
- Concussion
- Fracture
- Dislocation
- Sprain
- A knock to the head that affects the brain
- A crack or break in a bone
- A bone forced out of its joint
- A stretched or torn ligament
The RICE method
For a soft-tissue injury like a sprain or a strain, use RICE. It has exactly four steps: Rest the injured part, apply Ice to reduce swelling, add Compression with a bandage, and Elevate the part above the level of the heart. There is no fifth step to add from memory.
The RICE steps
Put the four steps of the RICE method in order.
- Rest the injured part and stop playing
- Apply ice wrapped in a cloth
- Wrap it with a compression bandage
- Elevate it above the heart
Prevent the injury
Which THREE help to PREVENT injuries in sport?
- Following the rules and playing fairly
- Wearing the right protective equipment
- Checking the pitch or gym for hazards first
- Training hard through sharp pain
- Skipping all rest between sessions
Stay safe
- Apply training principles
- Follow the rules
- Use protective equipment
- Check the facility
- Increase the training load gradually, not too fast
- Play fairly and avoid dangerous tackles
- Wear shin pads, a gum shield or a helmet
- Look for hazards on the pitch or in the gym
Complete the idea
Before starting exercise, a _____ checks you are healthy enough to take part. A _____ injures a ligament, while a strain injures a _____. For a soft-tissue injury, use the four steps of _____: rest, ice, compression and elevation. To prevent injury in the first place, always wear the right protective _____.
True or not?
Tap the TWO statements that are TRUE about sports injuries.
- RICE stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation.
- A sprain is an injury to a ligament.
- RICE has five steps, including protection.
- You should keep playing hard on a fresh injury.
- A strain is a break in a bone.
On the pitch
A player goes down injured. Put the sensible response in order.
- Stop play to keep the player safe
- Check how serious the injury is
- Treat a minor injury with RICE
- Call for medical help if it is serious
First response
Decide the best response in each case.
- A player rolls their ankle and it swells up. What treatment fits best?
- A player takes a hard knock to the head and seems confused. What should happen?
- How could this injury have been made less likely in the first place?
Prevent and treat
Explain how a player can reduce the risk of injury, and how to treat a sprained ankle.
- Give two ways to prevent injury in sport
- Name what a sprain injures
- Describe the four steps of RICE
- Explain why RICE helps a sprain