Acute Injury Treatment - what to do in those first few days of injury
Rest
Rest from painful exercise or a movement is essential in the early injury stage. We call this active rest. "No pain. No gain." does not apply in most cases. The rule of thumb is - don't do anything that reproduces your pain for the initial two or three days. After that, you need to get it moving or other problems may start to develop.
If you are unsure what to do, please contact one of our onsite Physiotherapist’s for injury-specific advice.
Ice or Heat?
This is the most common question we get asked following injury. Is it better to ice or heat?
Ice
Ice is preferred for the initial two or three days post-injury. Apply ice for 20 minutes each two to three hours for the first few days until the "heat" comes out of the injury. Ice should also help to reduce your pain and swelling in traumatic soft tissue injuries, such as ligament sprains, muscle tears or bruising.
Heat
It is preferable to avoid heat (and heat rubs) in the first 48 hours of injury. The heat encourages bleeding, which could be detrimental if used too early.
Once the "heat" has come out of your injury, heat packs can be used to stimulate blood flow. We recommend 20 minute applications a few times a day to increase the blood flow and hasten your healing rate.
Heat will also help your muscles relax and ease your pain. Heat packs are an excellent home solution for a multitude of conditions.
Not Sure What to Do?
If you're not sure what to do, please contact one of our Athlete Lab Physiotherapist’s for further help.
Should You Use a Compressive Bandage or Support?
Yes. If it is possible to apply a compressive bandage or elastic support to the injury, it will help to control swelling and bleeding in the first few days. In most cases, the bandage/support will also help to support the injury as the new scar tissue is laid down. This should help to reduce your pain.
Some injuries will benefit from more support such as a brace or rigid strapping tape. Please contact a physiotherapist if you are uncertain what to do next.
Elevation?
Elevation of an injury in the first few days is very helpful. Think where your injury is and where your heart is. Gravity will encourage swelling to settle at the lowest point. Try to rest your injury above your heart. Obviously some injuries are impossible or it would be detrimental to elevate, so please use your common sense and be guided by your pain.
What to Eat?
What you eat can also be important in recovering from injury. For the first two to three days increasing your intake of monounsaturated fats and omega 3 fats such as, olive oil, mixed nuts, avocados, flax oil, ground flax and other seeds can help decrease inflammation. Other anti-inflammatory foods include turmeric, garlic, pineapple and green tea. Certain vitamins and minerals can also help with the recovery process. For example, vitamin A can assist in collagen formation, Vitamin C is important in collagen synthesis and Zinc increases tissue regeneration. So eating well can be an important part of recovering from your injury.
When to Start Treatment?
In most cases, "the early bird gets the worm". Researchers have found that intervention of physiotherapy treatment for acute soft tissue injuries within a few days has many benefits.
Prompt Treatment Benefits include:
▪ Relieving your pain quicker via joint mobility techniques and soft tissue massage.
▪ Improving your scar tissue quality using techniques to guide the direction it forms
▪ Getting you back to sport or work quicker through faster healing rates
▪ Loosening or strengthening of your injured region with individually prescribed exercises and techniques
▪ Improving your performance when you do return to sport, work or simply daily life
▪ Correct any biomechanical faults that may be affecting your movement, technique or predisposing you to injury
What if You do Nothing?
Research tells us that injuries left untreated do take longer to heal and have lingering pain. They are also more likely to recur and leave you with:
▪ abnormal scar tissue formation
▪ joint stiffness
▪ muscle weakness
It's important to remember that symptoms lasting longer than three months become habitual and are much harder to solve. The sooner you get on top of your symptoms the better your long term outcome.