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SAFETY AND FIRST AID
Tennis is one of the safest sports you can play but there is still the chance
of an injury. Luckily, you don't have to worry about being tackled or elbowed
or tripped by some big galoot. Most tennis injuries are ones you'll do to
yourself. Most can be prevented with a little common sense.
BE PREPARED
If someone is injured, you need to know what to do. When you go out to play,
always check where the nearest telephone is because you'll need it in an
emergency. Also check whether there are any adults nearby and where can
you get some ice in a hurry. If you have all this under control in advance,
you'll avoid a panic if something does happen on the court.
Now, what can happen to injure a player in tennis? Usually, it will be either a joint sprain (wrist, knee, ankle), a strained (pulled) muscle or a blow from a ball or a racquet.
A sprain happens when the ligaments and soft tissues around a joint are suddenly twisted very hard, or are torn. Sometimes it's only minor (you hit a backhand with the wrong grip and your wrist gets a bit too far), but it can be very serious (you step on a ball and all your weight comes down on your twisted ankle. POP!)
TREATMENT
Remember the word R I C E for all sprains and strains, and for some blows
from a ball or racquet.
Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation
Sprains
· Rest. Stay quiet and don't move the injured joint.
· Ice. Put an ice pack, wrapped in a towel, on the injury for about
20 minutes. Put it on again every 2 hours. This helps stop the bleeding
around the joint. (Even though you can't see it, there's actually bleeding
inside.) The ice pack also relieves pain.
· Compression. Take the ice pack off and wrap the joint-not too tightly-with
a stretch bandage. This also slows bleeding and helps keep the swelling
down.
· Elevation. Get the injured joint above the heart. Lie down, then
rest the injured limb on a pillow. Put an injured arm in a sling. Elevation
reduces
