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Summer’s warmer weather means more time outdoors enjoying your favourite activities. Running, biking, gardening and other forms of exercise are good for your health, but these activities can raise your risk for sprained joints, strained muscles and other minor injuries. Proper care in the first couple days after injury can reduce the time you’re sidelined. Should you suffer a sprain, strain, pull, tear or other muscle or joint injury, remember R.I.C.E. to relieve pain, limit swelling and speed healing.
What is R.I.C.E.?
Rest: Rest immediately after injury to protect the area from further injury. Rest enables the body to heal itself most effectively.
Ice: Apply ice bags, cold packs or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a thin towel to the injured area. Cold provides short-term pain relief and limits swelling by reducing blood flow to the injured area. For best results, apply a cold compress for no longer than15-20 minutes. Leave off for 20-30 minutes and repeat the cycle.
Compression: Wrap an elastic bandage around the injured area. Loosen the bandage if you feel throbbing, or if it feels too tight. Compression limits the swelling that can hamper healing and may offer pain relief.
Elevation: Elevating an injury reduces swelling. It’s most effective when the injured area is raised above the level of the heart. If you injure an ankle, for example, lie on your bed with your foot propped on some pillows.
After a couple days of R.I.C.E., many injuries begin to heal. |
Additional relief
Heat may be helpful once swelling and bleeding has stopped. Never apply heat to an acute injury. Moist heat increases blood supply to the damaged area and promotes healing. Deep heating rubs, a heating pad or a hot, wet towel can be helpful at this stage. Most analgesic balms contain salicylates, and are absorbed through intact skin. Patients at increased risk of developing salicylate-adverse effects should use these products with caution. Absorption will increase with exercise, occlusion, excessive application, additional heat or broken skin, possibly to toxic levels.
Try oral acetaminophen to control pain. Ibuprofen, a non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) is effective for pain relief and to reduce swelling if there’s no history of ulcer, heart disease or blood thinner use. Talk to your pharmacist.
If pain or swelling does not decrease after 48 hours, see a doctor.
Don’t overexert yourself. Gentle stretching and strengthening exercises before activities can help prevent pain and injury.
H&L
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