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Articles > How to Treat a Sports Related Injury
How to Treat a Sports Related Injury
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It is inevitable as an athlete that we will at some pint suffer from an injury.
As a weight lifter, softball player, and avid runner, I find myself with the occasional muscle
pull or worse a sprained muscle or ligament.
OK, I am squatted down in left center awaiting the batters swing.
He hits a ground ball past short. I pick up the ball and throw it to
second base. Perfect play, only one problem, I felt a slight pull in my shoulder.
What do I do? I revert back to my college days and remember a very important formula R.I.C.E.
The acronym stands for rest, ice, compress, and elevate.
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First and foremost, an injured muscle needs time to heal (Rest).
The length of rest depends on the severity of the injury. It could be a tear of the fascia or a tendon tear.
That means leave the playing field. Next, you need to ice the injured area. I like to wet a towel and
wrap ice in the towel and compress for 15-20 minutes. This will help with reducing the pain and swelling.
Since blood will tend to pool at the site of the injury, it is important to elevate the injured area above
the heart to combat swelling. You can also use this formula with knee, ankle, or most any soft tissue injury.
Start the treatment as soon as possible after an injury, and follow these
steps:
- Start by resting the injured area. Don't move any parts of your body
that hurt for at least 48 hours.
- Apply an ice pack (a bag of frozen vegetables will do) to the injured
area. This helps reduce swelling and thereby also decreases pain and speeds
healing. Cover the ice pack with a wet cloth and apply for 10 to 30 minutes at a
time, up to eight times a day for 48 to 72 hours after the injury.
- Compress or wrap the injured area with an elastic or ACE bandage.
This also helps to reduce swelling. Don't wrap so tightly that blood flow is cut
off or the area becomes more painful.
- Elevate the injured area above the level of the heart. You may need
to lie down and prop up a leg or arm.
If this RICE treatment doesn't work after a couple of days, consult your
health-care provider. Also, if you suspect a fracture or dislocation or if
you're experiencing severe pain, see your doctor immediately.
A word of advice, if you get hit in the ankle or turn your ankle while competing or running, it is important
to remember not to remove your shoe. Removing your shoe will cause the area to swell thus making it
difficult to put on your shoe again. You can ice the ankle through the shoe until you are in a position to
get off of the ankle and get it elevated. I like to ice an injury 3-4 times a day for the first 48 hours.
Tim Hamilton
Licensed Occupational Therapist
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