Don’t let work injuries ruin your sport

Most of us will enjoy playing a sport in our spare time but unfortunately, we all must return to our jobs come Monday, but no one wants a work place injury to stop them competing in their sport in their spare time. Here at Firstaid4sport we specialise in sport medical supplies and can advise you on how to treat and prevent injuries while playing rugby, football or hockey. However, the majority of sports enthusiast compete at an amateur level here in the UK but away from their sport they spend the majority of their time in the office. So, by spending the majority of time at work, how can a workplace injury affect your sport. More than two thirds of workers now suffer from repetitive strain injury (RSI), which can be linked to bad ergonomics in the workplace. RSI causes aches and pains typically in areas such as the back, shoulder or wrists. Suffering from RSI be it from typing, an awkward sitting position or from poor screen positioning can make you more prone to suffer an injury while playing sport or even cause a high level of pain forcing you to miss out on your sport.

RSI can be prevented by regularly stretching your arms and wrists and strengthen your fingers, as well as standing up and walking when feeling fatigued. Also ensure the positioning of your keyboard, chair and monitors and ensure they are in as an ergonomic as possible. Alongside RSI, back pain is one of the most common office-related injuries. Back pain can be caused by a number of factors such as bad posture which causes muscle fatigue. Work related stress causing increased muscle tension and tightness and repeatedly stretching to your body’s limit then you may also begin to suffer from back pain.

Back pain can be dangerous when both working and playing sports and continuing to over strain a sore back could lead to further injury or long-term damage. Simply having a good ergonomic office chair and positioning it and yourself to maximise comfort while maintaining a good posture can prevent back pain. Many companies provide a good ergonomic chair but if not take regular breaks instead to release any tension in the back.