Having an injury is a very unpleasant and painful experience as a player. Having one can compromise the results of your games. This is because you cannot continue to play the game or the upcoming ones. We are a Chiropractors and have compiled this article to give you some 'top level' advice.
Either minor or major, both injuries take time to heal. There are a lot of injury types in the field of sports, and acute muscle injury is one of the common ones. This happens when your muscle stretches far beyond its elasticity limit.
Having a minor injury does not require you to consult a doctor. You can always treat it by yourself by doing research and applying knowledge to treat your injury.
The first few hours
After acquiring an injury, for the first few hours, you will notice that the muscle part where the injury is will start to swell. The pain is also present there, and this is common if you hurt your knees.
So, what will you do for the first few hours of having the injury? Here are some tips that can help you deal with it and the pain it gives you.
Let it rest
Rest the muscle part where the injury is sustained. This will help you ease the pain a bit.
Put some ice
This is the most effective way to help the muscles recover from an injury. You will need an ice bag to do this. You must start by preparing a cloth or a zip-lock bag.
Next, get some ice and crush it. Place the ice inside the cloth or zip-lock bag. After that, tie the cloth or sew it, or close the lid of the zip-lock bag.
Now, apply the ice bag to the muscle part where the injury is located. Do this for fifteen to twenty minutes, each time with intervals, allowing your skin to breathe. A bag of frozen peas will also do!
Bandages
Applying bandages helps the injured muscle in a way that minimizes the swelling in the area. Bandages also reduce the pain you are feeling. When applying the bandage, do not wrap it around the muscles too loose or too tight.
Wrapping it loosely will not affect the injury at all, it will not heal it either. On the other hand, wrapping it too tight will put more pressure and pain on your injury. So, wrap it just right and you can feel comfortable with it.
Lift it
It is not about lifting weights, but try lifting the part where the injury is. Take note that you must lift the part of the muscle where the injury is above the level of your heart.
By doing this, you are allowing the fluid from the injury to flowing away from the muscle where the injury is located. This will reduce the swelling of the muscle.
Some injuries may seem impossible for your muscle to be lifted above the level of your heart such as an injury from your hips or buttocks. To lift it, lie down on your bed with a pillow under your lower back and buttocks.
After a day of having the injury
This is by far the most painful time for your injury. In this phase, your injury swells so hard, bruises are more likely to be present. Also, the area where the injury is will turn into a deep purple colour.
Continue doing the previous methods listed for the first 48 to 72 hours. Having a bandage wrapped around the area where the injury is will help speed up the recovery. Also, continue applying an ice bag.
If the pain is unbearable, try taking medicinal pills like anti-inflammatory painkillers. Do not apply heat treatment for the first few days, it may be relieving but it will worsen your injury.
A week of having the injury
Injuries often begin their recovery within 72 hours. Usually, on the third day of having the injury, the swelling, bruises, and pain begin to subside. Once the swelling of the muscles is gone, you can now apply heat treatment.
A month of having the injury
Even after a month of having the injury, pain may still be present. But don’t worry, this thing is normal when having an injury.
You can always apply an ice pack or ice bag to ease up the pain. Moreover, try heat treatments as well as it is now safe to use them because the swellings are gone.
When to consult a doctor?
If you think that the injury is severe, it is always better to get it checked by the doctor. By doing so, you are doing yourself a favour of getting the injury fixed and get the right treatment.
Symptoms of a severe injury include fever, shortness in breathing, dizziness, severe swelling and pain, deformities, crunching or popping sounds in the area of injury, joint instability.
Alternative yet effective treatment:
Try Chiropractic therapy
Chiropractic therapy is currently trending because of its health benefits. When you have problems with your muscles or even bones due to injury, this might help.
It is super safe and effective as well on different types of injuries. Looking to treat a sports injury? Falcon Health is the best place to visit. The ability of the team to provide the best chiropractic treatment is their asset.
So the next time you are looking for what to do when you have a sports injury, we recommend getting your well-being back to its tiptop shape. It is suggested that you visit our clinic for more info about the services that we have. Book your assessment today.