Wednesday, October 8, 2008

So You're Injured . . . What Now?


If you’re injured from training activities – join the club. The injury scorpion at some point in their careers stings most athletes who have engaged in a steady dose of fitness activity.

RICE

Rest. Ice. Compression. Elevation.

It’s important to REST following an injury. This is hard for active people, but take it from one who doesn’t like to rest, but has had his share of injuries. Listen to your body – if you’re experiencing abnormal, acute pain along with swelling; it’s probably time to rest. We’re talking most often about where we have joints and ligaments – the ankles, knees, wrists, etc.

Apply ice to reduce the swelling. Check out http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/rehab/a/rice.htm for advice on proper application of the RICE principles including how to ice and compress an injury.

Compress the injured area by wrapping it with an ACE bandage.

You can easily elevate your injury with a stack of pillows.

If an injury involves swelling and pain for more than 48 hours, it’s probably time to consult with your family physician. Your family physician can provide the proper guidance as to whether or not you need to be seen by a specialist or perhaps be treated with physical therapy. Sometimes therapy provided through the guidance of a licensed physical therapist yields healing through stretching and the appropriate rehabilitative exercises. Fortunately, I was able recover from a recent knee injury with the assistance of a physical therapist.

The most critical key to recovering from an injury is to not let it get you down. If you have a particularly serious injury, consult with your physician and/or physical therapist about activities you may safely pursue which will keep you in shape and help take your mind off the injury while you’re in the process of recovery and rehabilitation.

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