INTRINSIC CAUSES OF SPORTS INJURIES

Intrinsic factors relate to the  individual’s inherent ,internal anatomical and pathological make –up.

Intrinsic factors include :anatomical factors ,physiological factors ,individual  difference factors and age

factors .                                                                                                                                   

1)AGE  FACTORS

A young growing body can be at risk of injury as tissues develop at different rates and cannot withstand

strain placed upon it .Also, as the body ages ,it alters ;less able to produce force ,recovers slower and

soft tissues lose the ability to stretch .

2)PHYSIOLOGICAL FACTORS

These relate to how the body operates and facilitates movement .Injury can occur due to early onset of

fatigue when a fatigued muscle cannot produce the same power and speed as a non-fatigued muscle

even though the physiological demands placed  upon it may change .Reduced flexibility can lead to tight

muscles that when overstretched exceed their ability and strain .Muscle weakness or imbalance can lead

to a discrepancy between agonist and antagonist in sporting movements and can place excessive strain

on the body’s soft tissue .Hyper–flexibility can allow   harmful movements such as hypertension .

3)INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCE FACTORS

These are specific to each individual and their medical history .Previous injuries and conditions can make

a player more at risk of injury; tissues may not have healed effectively or returned to a non-damaged

state ,as an example ,ligament injuries ,some athletes have a recurrent sprain in the same ankle or knee

throughout their career .

4) ANATOMICAL FACTORS

These factors relate to the make-up of the body .An excessive quadriceps angle (Q-angle ) can put  strain on the ligaments of ankle and knee joints .Leg length differences and body misalignment can lead to unequal forces being transferred to the tissues of the ankle ,knee ,hip and back .Laxity of joints can lead to unnatural and often harmful movement leading to injury .You should also be aware that the laxity of a female ‘s joints can increase when she is pregnant .

These are intrinsic factors which cause sport injury in many cases

PROMOTING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Everyone and every organization has the role of promoting physical activities .Physical activities have the following benefits : they improve your mood , they reduce stress , reduce depression , reduce chances of : cancer , obesity and diabetes , they keep you fit , help you maintain a healthy body and maintain good weight

SPORTS ORGANISATIONS

They can ensure that sport programs include youth oriented activities to engage and retain young athletes .They can educate coaches to incorporate appropriate health-related fitness training in relation to growth and maturation .They should identify and lower the barriers to participation in sports .Sports organizations should also collaborate with parents , youth , school personnel to design and deliver sports programs that attract and retain young people .They should ensure fast collaboration with international , regional , and national physical activity networks .They can also improve  the quality and delivery of sport programs for youth developing athletes .  The organizations  should also research into the efficiency and effectiveness of delivering of sports and physical activity programs  for youth

GOVERNMENT

The government should also advocate physical activity and health promotion on global health and regional agency agendas .The government should also enable fast collaboration with international ,regional , and national physical activity promotion networks .The government can also place health and physical activity higher on the national political agenda .It can also develop , implement and evaluate policy to promote sports and physical activities in young people .It can also enhance funding for young involvement in sport and physical activity programs across sectors .It should also support multi-sectorial policies and provision  of school wider community (sport , recreation , health agencies ) partnerships to improve physical activity opportunities for young people .The government can Also ensure that providers of recreational programs for young people limit the time spend in sedentary pursuits such as television watching , video game playing , and computer use .It should also support research to better understand the role of physical activity in the health  trends of young people

      EDUCATION SYSTEM –with regards to the education , the government can : provide effective Physical Activities  in schools delivered by qualified personnel at all levels of curriculum .Lessons can also be provided  of Physical Activities  totaling 120 to 180 minutes per week .Ensuring that opportunities for Physical Activities are provided in a variety of settings and are embedded within the curriculum .The government can also implement adaptable whole of school models that utilize multiple component strategies and routes of entry .The government can also allocate adequate resources to Physical Activity Programs

     HEALTH CARE SYSTEM – Mandatory education for health care professionals should be provided on prescription of Physical Activities for young people .Collaboration between health care professionals and other providers of Physical Activities and sport in the community .Revise the health care financing system to include reimbursement for individualized lifestyle counseling and follow up

NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS

Sport for Development programs can be evaluated for efficiency of their outcomes and impact .Non -governmental Organizations can also develop  a filter for partnerships to ensure sustainability , equity , allocation of resources , community ownerships and buy-in , and to limit unintended consequences of Physical Activities and sport programming .Non -governmental organizations can also use Physical Activity as sport as platforms to develop social capital and social cohesion

THE MEDIA

Media can disseminate positive messages /information about the benefits of physical activity. The media  can organize regular programs to promote physical activity .Ensure journalists ( sports journalists , health journalists , or science journalists ) are knowledgeable about , and can advocate for Physical Activity

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

They can develop local legislation and policy to support physical activity .They can allocate safe indoor and outdoor spaces for physical activity , play and sports .They can also organize community programs .Local governments can also support physical activity initiates initiated by various sectors and actors .They can also help strengthen national public policy in support of physical activity through local action

ECONOMIC POLICY MAKERS

They  should look seriously at the health , social and economic benefits of physical activity .They can also take measures to allocate resources to relevant sectors and initiatives .They should encourage public and private sector to invest in physical activity .They should also support physical activity programs .They can allocate more funds for physical activity and other health promotion programs

EDUCATION AND CULTURE SECTOR

They should make school sport facility available for public use when not in use by students .They should also commit to physical  education as an integral part of the school curriculum .They can also ensure that all schools have  at least one teacher trained in physical education .They should provide opportunities for students to engage in sport and physical activity during and after school .They should increase physical activity in cultural and leisure programs and events .They should contribute to the data collection , research , evaluation , analysis to improve physical activity levels and mobilise sport as a communication and public education platform

SPORT SECTOR

It should allocate proportion of sports funds to promote physical activity .It should include education on the benefits of physical activity in sport sector training programs .It should also make community use of local sport facilities easy and convenient .It should promote sports for all regardless of race , social status , gender , disability and other factors

RESEARCH RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that research be conducted with respect to sport . to assess if : 1) current structure of the organized  sport are adequate to meet the needs  of young people and 2) Coaches are adequately prepared to cope with the unique pedagogical physiological and psychological needs of young people during growth and development

To use new non-invasive technologies such as magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy and near-infra red spectroscopy to better understand responses to exercise and young people’s fitness during growth and maturation

To evaluate setting and types of young people’s habitual Physical Activity , sport participation  and fitness through large scale , standardized  national  and international surveys .To evaluate the effects of Physical Activity promotion interventions on intermediate factors , and at long –term follow-up with objective measures of behavior , fitness and health outcomes .To better –define the dose-response mechanisms and effects of Physical Activities and sedentary behavior on fitness and health during growth and development

To assess which method of Physical Activity promotion is the best for a given population taking into consideration factors such as disease state , social- economic conditions , culture , ethnicity , gender and age

To assess reach and implementation issues beyond attendance rates in intervention to establish the potential for wider implementation .To use effective measures of Physical Activity whenever possible to enhance the quality assessment and interpretation of data