OUR TOP 9 TIPS FOR TREATING SOFT TISSUE INJURIES

Let’s face it.  Soft tissue injuries are some of the most common injuries in sports.

What are soft tissues?

Soft tissues refers to the tissues in our body that support, connect, and surround the structures in our body; most importantly, the muscles, ligaments and tendons.

The most common injuries to soft tissues that you would may have heard of include muscle strains, ligament sprains and contusions.

To keep up with your active lifestyle, it is important that we go over the recommended early management of soft tissue injuries.  This will give the body the best chance of a fast recovery by limiting the damage and promote the healing process.

TOP 9 TIPS TO TREAT SOFT TISSUE INJURIES

We will break our Top 9 Tips up into and two acronyms that are easy-to-remember.

For soft tissue management, remember to R.I.C.E.R and do no H.A.R.M

R.I.C.E.R

The R.I.C.E.R protocol is what you should do immediately after your injury

• REST – rest the injured area to avoid further damage and reduce bleeding. This can be done by avoiding excessive movement of the area, supporting the injured area, or in some cases not putting any weight on the injured part.
• ICE – apply an ice pack for 20 minutes every 2 hours to reduce pain and swelling.
• COMPRESSION – apply a compression bandage to the injured area to reduce bleeding and swelling, and provide some support.
• ELEVATION – elevate the injured area above the level of the heart to reduce bleeding and swelling.
• REFERRAL – if symptoms worsen, make an appointment with your MD or physical therapist for diagnosis and advice and ongoing treatment.

Continue following the R.I.C.E.R protocol for 48-72 hours after the injury. 

Do No H.A.R.M

During this time you should also follow the “Do no H.A.R.M” protocol.

You can do no H.A.R.M by:

• no HEAT – applying heat to the injured area immediately will increase bleeding and swelling, so avoid heat packs, saunas, spas, baths, hot showers and heat creams.
• no ALCOHOL – drinking alcohol will increase bleeding and swelling, and may mask the pain, which will prolong healing.  Even one drink can make a huge difference!
• no RUNNING – running (or excessive exercise of the injured area) can make the injury worse by damaging the tissues further and increasing blood flow to the injured area.
• no MASSAGE – vigorous massaging the injured area will increase blood flow and swelling.

By following the R.I.C.E.R and no H.A.R.M protocols immediately after the injury you have a better chance to recover from your injury before you see your physical therapist.  

Learn more about how to treat your injury by clicking HERE.

If you’re experiencing continued pain from soft tissue injury such as sprains or strains,  our physical therapy center can help.  We are located near Elmhurst Rd and Oakton and have served the Mt. Prospect and Des Plaines community for 17 years.

Give us a call at 847-786-2014.