General
Sports injuries can happen at any time and at any place. Many sports injuries are minor but some require medical attention. Clues that may indicate a more significant injury include pain that is staying at a constant level or escalating, swelling, and the inability to walk or use the extremity.
Initial steps when any type of injury ocurrs can be remembered easily with the word "RICE".
- "R"est: Stay off of the injury and take some time to recover.
- "I"ce: Ice helps to reduce the swelling at the injured site and decreases pain. You should have some barrier between the ice and your skin to minimize the risk of frostbite. In addition, use the ice for no more than 20 minutes at one time with another 20 minutes of rest in between sessions.
Think 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off.
- "C"ompression: Lightly wrap the affected area with an ACE wrap from a drug-store. Compression helps to decrease the swelling at the site of injury, which can also help with the pain.
- "E"levation: Keep the injury elevated above the level of your heart. This acts to reduce the throbbing feeling and swelling at the injured site.
If you ever feel that the injury is more than you can safely treat at home, please seek medical attention for professional advice.