Injury Help
Knowing what to do when you are injured is a critical element in maintaining your overall health and fitness. Obviously if there is a serious injury you are not going to need my advice. You are cutting edge enough to know to phone for help or get to an emergency care center. However, if you suffer a minor injury, such as a muscle strain or sprain, then you can take measures to recover on your own. Apply the RICE acronym which stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation.
Rest will be necessary to get you eventually back on that horse you were thrown from. Limit most of your activities for a few days to give your body a chance to heal from that minor injury. Rest will certainly help you avoid wreaking any further damage upon the area of your body that is in pain. Watch a movie, read a book, or write a letter to Santa while you remain on your sofa.
Ice is needed to get the swelling from your injury to subside. Moreover, you should apply ice or cold water to the affected area as soon as possible. If you opt to use ice then put it in a wrap or bag to avoid direct contact with your skin. You can also soak the affected area in cold water in your bathtub or that big bucket you have in the kitchen. Use this ice treatment for 20 minutes at a time and on several occasions each day for several days.
Compression helps the injured area get back to normal sooner than if left unattended. This process minimizes swelling and that subsequently speeds the healing of the sprain or strain. Elastic wraps or bandages are good to use and can be found at all the pharmacy stores. Wrap the injury firmly but not too tightly. The last thing you want to do is create a loss of circulation. That would be a whole other issue to deal with!
Elevation is the last part of the acronym that is asking for your attention. By keeping the injured portion of your body elevated, you help minimize excessive swelling. The important thing to remember here is to keep the injured area above the level of your heart. Dangling your sprained ankle for hours while watching Desperate Housewives is not going to get you the results you are seeking. Propping up that ankle on some pillows while on the sofa and watching those wacky Wisteria women would be much more effective at minimizing swelling.
You can even take some anti-inflammatory medications like aspirin and ibuprofen to assist with your application of the RICE principle. If the injury persists beyond several days and doesn’t show signs of abating then seek outside medical attention.
A key component of your health and fitness is in knowing how to manage through the difficult and unexpected moments. This includes your injuries. Apply the RICE method the next time you twist your ankle or suffer that minor injury and get back in the game much sooner!
This health and fitness column is brought to you by that guy who takes his advice shaken; not stirred. That guy is Ron Blake and he can be found at www.myblakefitness.com.
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Co-editors Michael Mahler and Deb Spilko