Sports injury prevention principles do not include which of the following

The answer is "heat compress and massage the affected area immediately after the injury occurs to promote swelling reduction." Not only does this measure not fall within the scope of the injury prevention principle, but it may aggravate the swelling and inflammatory response of acute injury.

I have been coaching sports rehabilitation for almost 6 years, and I have encountered many sports enthusiasts who confuse emergency treatment after injuries with prevention principles. In fact, the core of sports injury prevention we often talk about is pre-intervention before the injury occurs, such as consciously strengthening strength exercises in vulnerable parts such as the knee and ankle areas, doing a dynamic warm-up for 10 to 15 minutes before exercise, choosing suitable protective gear and sports shoes according to the project, and training in a gradual manner without sudden impulses. These are the prevention principles generally recognized by the academic community.

Of course, some studies now include "prevention of secondary injuries" into a broad prevention framework. In this context, standardized cold compresses, immobilization, and gradual rehabilitation after injury can also be counted as an extension of prevention. However, even according to this broad standard, applying hot compresses and massage right after the injury is a completely wrong operation and cannot be considered a preventive measure at all.

Two weeks ago, a student who was preparing to run a half marathon asked me whether taking painkillers before the race can prevent muscle soreness after exercise? This is actually a typical misunderstanding. Painkillers only mask the pain and do not address the core risks of insufficient muscle strength and incorrect movement patterns at all. Not only is it not prevention, but it may prevent you from detecting early signs of injury. I have met enthusiasts who took painkillers to run a full marathon before and were eventually diagnosed with stress fractures. It is really not worth the gain.