Self treatment for Sports Injuries

Immediately after injury , the body triggers a response called inflammation , which is an attempt to control the bleeding of the tiny blood vessels which always get torn . Swelling and pressure results , causing pain by pressing on thenerves and restricting blood flow to the area (which is necessary) but impairs the healing process . Real healing only begins after this so we need to limit this process we do this by following the PRICE principle ; The following does not apply to open wounds .

Injury treatment can be covered by the acronym P.R.I.C.E. And should be followed for the first 24 72 hours ( depending on the extent of the injury ) .

P Protection R Rest I Ice C Compression E elevation

Protection Protect the injured area from further damage this can range from ensuring that it doesn't get knocked to not moving the damaged area / joint .

Rest Rest the injured area both from exercise and your normal day to day activities that could aggravate it . Movements that do not cause pain are beneficial if it is on a joint it helps to keep it mobile if you feel pain during a movement you are aggravating / ripping the fibres that are trying to heal themselves . It is always tempting to try to see if there is any

improvement in the movement this must be resisted no real fitness will be lost in during this time but if the area is aggravated it could take longer in the end to get back to normal activity .

Ice It is vitally important to begin any injury treatment as soonas possible after the event and this always takes the form of ice treatment ( cryotherapy ) it is probably the most important thing you can do to speed up the healing process . When an injury occurs , tiny blood vessels are always torn and the cells around the injury site can be starved of oxygen and start to die ( this happens within 10 15 mins ) . The application of ice will slow down their metabolic rate and decrease their need for oxygen they can then survive until the blood capillaries repair themselves , thus limiting the extent of the damage .

Typical swelling around a sprained ankle You can use applicators such as these but I always keep a bag of frozen peas handy it is easily moulded around the

limb ( mark it as 'not for eating' or someone will use it for dinner ! ) Apart from reducing the swelling , ice has a pain killing effect . By reducing the pain , the protective spasm around thesite is also reduced and becomes more relaxed .

Timing Over small bones ( such as the back of the fingers ) -

no more than 10 mins Anywhere else 20 mins ( if you leave it for much

longer than this you risk damaging the skin . It is impossible to time this by looking at the clock set the alarm on it on on your 'phone and check every 5 mins for signs of over-icing this would be severe redness & itching ) .

This can be repeated twice / hour so long as the area has naturally returned to its normal temperature . Do this for the first 2 days and , on the 3rd , reduce to 4 5 times that day the swelling should then be gone .

What NOT to do with ice Never apply directly to the skin place a damp cloth over the skin first . Only apply it to the injured area never wrap it around the limb it can reduce the blood supply to other parts . Do not use ice from a chest freezer it is too cold use onlyfrom a fridge freezer .

Never apply in the following places ; Behind the knee Behind the elbow Near the heart On the throat Behind the ear Where you've had a recent cortisone injection Over metal pins / plates On an open wound

Compression Pressure , in the form of special bandages / pads , should beapplied to the area as soon as possible to restrict blood flow from the open ends of the torn fibres this however , should only really be done by a qualified therapist as if it is done wrongly or too tightly it can restrict the blood supply to other parts of the limb .

Elevation Raising the area above the level of the heart should be practised as much as possible in whatever way you find comfortable this allows gravity to assist in the removal of waste products so decreasing the swelling it also slows downthe arterial blood flow and thus helps in restricting the amount of bleeding .

As well as following the PRICE procedure you can also use self massage , but only above the injured area this will help to remove any waste products and excess fluid it helps if youimagine that your limb is full of honey and you are trying to drag or push it out . Do not massage below or you are filling the area with these waste products . Once all the swelling is gone you can then begin to use heat Heat is now required to speed up the healing process and can be used on any injury site for 15 20 mins every couple of hours ( any more is counter productive ) . The heat should only be gentle I have lost count of the number of people whocome to me with very red ( burnt ) skin I prefer the word warmth rather than heat . Visiting a Therapist It is at this point that you should seriously consider getting professional help if the area is still very painful then the damage is extensive and you have no choice you may even need surgery . All injuries will eventually heal by themselves but if the damage is on a joint then it is usually a ligament they alwaysheal too long and weak and the chance of the same thing happening again is high . If it is a muscle then the area will

contain scar tissue which affects the surrounding muscle and can limit joint movement ( see the article ' The Importance of Massage in Sport ' ) . Immediately after injury the body changes the way muscles switch on and off a necessary protective mechanism however , it often 'forgets' to revert them to the original settings so you need to go through an exercise regime to re-train them . If you are at all serious about your sport then , despite the fact that treatment is expensive , it is the only way to ensure that you are returned to the pre injury state .

Val O'Halloran Massage Therapist