"LITTLE knowledge is dangerous," they say and it may very well be true. Sports has its dangers, injuries and sudden pains which are caused by many factors, unforeseen or ignored causing more harm on our athletes.
Muscles, most often, suffer from cramps and tear. How do we know if it is a cramp or a tear? There are simple ways to tell the difference. Aside from judging it by how freaky it looks and the pain the face of the victim projects, you may touch it (not administering any first aid or anything yet). The idea is to locate the source of pain or where it hurts the most. If that spot is tensed or hard, it may likely be a cramp. But if it is soft it may very well be a tear.
During these times, be it a cramp or a tear, the victim is made to relax and endure the pain just to make sure that no further harm is done until it could be treated by a trained first aider or better yet a doctor.
Usually for cramps, the tension and the pain subside in a couple of minutes but may re-cramp in some instances. The tear's pain usually stays due to the damaged tendons.
This is the reason why traditional first aids are not anymore advised because it may do harm than good especially if there is a wrong diagnosis. Usual practice of force, stretching of the muscle may turn cramps into tear and a tear into a more severe tearing of tendons and may result in an athlete being sidelined for a month, a year or a lifetime.
As one of my physical therapist friend once told me, "The important thing about cramps or tear is how the victim feels. Do not stick your nose in a situation of a victim that is suffering from the pain if you are not knowledgeable of what to do.
The best thing to do that will surely help the victim is to find someone who is capable to help the victim, but all possibilities are not available what you need to remember is that the safest way to do is not to rush things. Let the victim relax, calm him down that way the mind sets a mode for the victim to normalize his breathing that would help in the flow of blood and oxygen of the body thus making the cramp faster to normalize and would not be further damaged if it is a tear."
Everyone in sports should know, understand and realize that being good in the sports activity that we are in we should also equip ourselves with the know-how of tackling situations such us common injuries, how to prevent them and how to deal with it if it occurs, even the basic could be of great importance.