Injury can happen. It always happens at a wrong time. It’s even more frustrating when you get it during a competition. Anyway, it may happen to you. The most important is to learn how prevent more damage and start healing. Learn how to manage injury and start to recover.
What happens after injury?
When your body is hurt in an activity, it can get messed up further. The first step is to stop further damage! You have to manage injury correctly, learn the PRICE.
- Protect
- Rest
- Ice
- Compression
- Elevation
Right after the injury, there is swelling in the tissue. It may bleed in or out. This can disrupt the activity of your tissues. It also prevents you from moving further. If you think you are hurt so bad, go the emergency. Or else, stop the bleeding first, if wounded.
PRICE: The Right Way To Manage Injury
Protect
You have to protect you body from further damage. You have to STOP! There is pain because your brain tells you to stop. The pain is not your problem but it is at your side. It gives you a signal not to get hurt even more! After stopping, you have to support the body part to start the recovery.
Rest
If you love what you do or it gives you honor, you want to go on. But that might do more damage to you. It may even hurt you to a point where it takes longer or you may not recover. You have to rest and think of your health! There’s always something better in the future. The most important is your health!
Ice
After an injury, the tissue swells. It is the result of the rupture of the small blood vessels. It’s like water leaking in a pipe. The difference is it’s often trapped inside the body and it’s hard to go away. The cold slows down or prevent further leaking. Besides, it helps to remove the swelling away. It is must unless you have sensitivity. In my experience, you recover way faster if you ice it as often as you can.
Compression
If you have water filled plastic bottle, and you squeeze it, it will move out to where the exit is. The same is true when using bandage and the like. When it is applied the right way, it is a big help in reducing swelling. At the same time, it protects the body part.
Elevation
It may be a simple way to help you recover. But it is a big thing! It helps reduce swelling when you put the injured body part above your heart. Make sure it is secured so in can’t cause more damage. This is enhances the flow of fluid out from the tissue, towards your heart by the help of gravity.
What can happen if you don’t manage injury correctly?
The number one enemy after injury is SWELLING! This is the result of a fluid that went out of place. Just imagine a broken pipe in the street, where you can’t use the spilled water. Besides, it makes a mess. The same is true with swelling. That’s why you need to manage injury by controlling swelling! In addition, it is like glue inside the tissue. It leads to a worse side effect.
Side Effects of Swelling
- Poor Circulation. When the blood flow is poor, the tissue can’t have proper nutrient. This will lead to poor healing, thus delayed recovery!
- Frozen Joints & Tissues. Even when it’s healed, you still have to make tissues flexible and strong again. If it’s frozen, the time is more than double to recover. Besides, you will spend more money to recover or lose money from doing less.
- More Pain. The worse! This is annoying and will drive you crazy. It can give you a lot of worries and you may take more pills than you should. That may lead to another side effects!
- And more!
How To Recover Fast?
If you want to recover as fast as you should, manage injury the right way. Consult your doctor. Look for a physical therapist that can help you recover fully while you are healing. Choose one with a good record. You need to get back to your previous strength and power. You deserve to enjoy life and back to what you love again!
All the best!
Dr. Chester Tolentino