Accidents are common in most sports, but some are mitigated adequately through accident prevention and management strategies. Proper and swift care for acute wrestling injuries facilitates a quick recovery for affected individuals. Below is a list of acute wrestling injuries and their first aid.

Dislocation

Dislocations are commonplace in wrestling and occur mainly within the shoulders and hips. The injury causes the joint to relocate out of the socket, and patients can see the dislocation when it happens. Symptoms associated with dislocation include the inability to move the joint, pain, bruising, and swelling. A severe hip dislocation from a car accident and related injuries forces the femur out of the pelvis.

First-aid caregivers should keep the victim’s organ immobile by minimizing unnecessary movement. You should also avoid replacing the joint as it may lead to further injuries. You should instead position the ice on the injured area and provide the victim with painkillers such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen.

Neck Injury

An athlete who sustains a neck injury should contact an emergency number promptly. When a person sustains neck injuries, assessing whether they’re breathing and conscious is crucial. You should consider stabilizing the neck and the head of a person who sustains neck injuries if you think the injuries are severe. Remember to contact an emergency number, avoid correcting the head position of an unconscious victim, and minimize patient movements until a healthcare professional arrives at the scene.

Caregivers should ensure the patient’s head gets the necessary support while limiting neck movement. You can free the airways of a patient who finds breathing hard through cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). You can also wrap the patient with warm blankets and clothes to limit the temperature drop. Stiffness and pain around the neck may occur after a concussion, leading to dizziness, headaches, pressure in the head, and nausea. The symptoms may fail to improve, necessitating medical care from a sports physician.

Head Injury

Head injuries must be taken seriously by prioritizing first aid for victims who sustain such injuries. A caregiver’s first step is assessing whether the athlete is breathing, conscious, and has a pulse. Ensure you support the neck to minimize movements that can result in paralysis, especially if there is a fractured neck.

Relocate the patient from the injury scene and transport the victim using neck support if there are displacement signs or neurological symptoms. You should always assume the patient has sustained neck injuries if the person is unconscious but breathing. Ensure you prioritize ventilation and airways over potential neck and back injuries and seek emergency medical care if the victim sustains severe neck or head injuries.

Knee Injury

Athletes who suspect knee injuries should stop whatever they’re doing and focus solely on knee joint compression. You may consider elevating the injured leg of the victim to a higher position than the rest of the body. Take the patient straight to an emergency room if there are injuries to the meniscus or ligament. It’s possible to examine the patient’s knee through proper early treatment or a knee MRI as the diagnosis becomes complex if the swelling is significant.

Prepatellar Bursitis

Gradual wear, trauma, and overuse cause swelling of the bursa sac in the patella, which results in the propagation of this condition. The stress of traumatic impacts and weight bearing on the knees subject wrestlers to this type of bursitis, leading to symptoms such as swelling and sharp pain. Wrestlers should consider using knee pads to minimize impacts in front of their patella. If the inflammation or swelling affects the patella, icing, rest, elevation, anti-inflammatory, and compression medications are recommended.

Wrestling requires proper technique, strength, and flexibility to minimize injuries. Athletes should have appropriate coaching and instruction and follow safety precautions to reduce the severity of injuries.