Hello everyone. Today, I will introduce acute sports injury management. Acute sports injuries usually happen suddenly. They may result from falls, collisions, twisting movements, or excessive stretching. Common injuries include sprains, strains, contusions, and fractures. A sprain occurs when ligaments around a joint are overstretched or torn, such as an ankle sprain. A strain occurs when muscles or tendons are overstretched or torn, such as a hamstring strain. A contusion is usually caused by direct impact, resulting in bleeding and swelling in the soft tissues or muscles. When an acute injury occurs, the first step is to stop the activity and ensure scene safety. Assess the athlete's consciousness, breathing, and injured area. If there is obvious deformity, severe pain, inability to bear weight, numbness, or abnormal circulation, medical assistance should be obtained immediately. The traditional PRICE principle includes Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. A more recent approach is PEACE and LOVE. PEACE stands for Protection, Elevation, Avoiding unnecessary anti-inflammatory treatments, Compression, and Education. LOVE stands for Load, Optimism, Vascularisation, and Exercise. Ice may temporarily help relieve pain, but it should never be applied directly to the skin and should not replace medical assessment. Compression must also be applied carefully to avoid restricting blood circulation. Most importantly, acute injuries should not be judged by appearance alone. Proper medical assessment and rehabilitation should be arranged according to the severity of the injury. Correct injury management helps reduce the risk of further damage and supports a safe return to physical activity.

Implemented by Department of Exercise and Health Sciences
Date: 2026/10/01