As we embrace the warmer weather with typical American bravado, we optimistically jump into activities with the goal of completing our first half marathon, making the varsity team, or finally shedding those last five pounds. Inevitably, someone in the family gets injured. It may be a blister from poor fitting shoes, a sore shoulder or elbow from one too many throws or swings, or a bruise, ache, or strain sustained during the weekly soccer match. What you do to regulate pain and swelling will determine when you can safely return to enjoying activities in the warm sunshine.
The PRICER Protocal
Your first plan of action should be damage control using the PRICER protocol:
P rotection
R est
I ce
C ompression
E levation
R eferral
Protection means using a brace or splint, or simply positioning your limb away from further potential damage. This may also include limiting painful range of motion for an injured joint or keeping a blister from further irritation and infection.
Rest implies not taking that four-mile run when your Achilles tendon is sore while just walking down the stairs. When Junior complains of elbow pain after baseball practice, rest means he should not play in this weekend’s game. The body needs time to heal all injuries. A good guideline is one week of rest before resuming activity.
Ice is the application of cold therapy to help reduce swelling to the damaged area. Ensuring that you protect your skin, 20 minutes of cold therapy three to five times per day can do wonders for pain and inflammation. Allow skin temperature to return to normal before icing again (40 – 60 minutes). Use an ice pack that conforms to the body part being iced — a bag of frozen peas or a plastic bag of ice works best.
Compression is best applied using an elastic bandage, such as an ACE wrap or compression sleeve to keep the swelling to a manageable level. If you feel an increase in pain, numbness, tingling, swelling, or coolness below the elastic bandage, you may have it wrapped too tight and should loosen it immediately.
Elevation means keeping the injured area above your heart as often and for as long as you can tolerateto minimize swelling. Ankle and knee injuries are moredifficult to manage due to the effects of gravity.
Referral means knowing when to seek medicalintervention for your injury. Next is triage — the “R” in PRICER. How severe is this injury? Should you seek medical advice to evaluate the extent of the damage? When can you return to activity? These questions can be difficult to answer. Every parent and every athlete has their own comfort level regarding when to seek medical attention. Any injury that requires a change in daily activities, such as walking, dressing, showering/bathing, driving, working, or school activities is worth a visit to your local health care professional. Unchecked or improperly treated injuries could lead to longer recovery, more damage, or potentially severe disability.
Some Interesting Facts...
1) One mile of running can include 1200 to 2000 strides. The ground reaction forces of a 140-pound runner can be four to six times the runner’s body weight. So, after a three-mile run, each leg could have sustained 280 tons of force!
2) Little League Baseball has very strict guidelines regarding the number of pitches that youth players can throw in competition and the amount of rest between days of pitching.
3) Back pain is the number one injury seen in golfers and can often be treated with a few minutes of stretching and some daily core exercises.
As experts in musculoskeletal assessment and evaluation, physical therapists can provide the latest and greatest information on how to treat the injury, what could be causing the problem, when it is safe to return to sports activities, and where to begin to prevent further or recurring injuries down the road.
Most sports activities involve repetitive motions that lead to strains, sprains, blisters, or even fractures. No brace, pad, or shoe can prevent all injuries that occur with competitive sports. Every athlete suffers injury at one time or another. How we treat these injuries determines the success of our return to the joy of the sports.
At Home Strengthening Exercises
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