Some of the most common sports injuries include:
"—pulls or tears of muscles or tendons (the tissues that attach the muscles to the bones) Shin splints"—pain along the outside front of the lower leg, commonly seen in runners Achilles tendonitis or rupture of the Achilles tendon—These injuries involve the large band of tissue that connects the calf muscles to the heel Fractures
Dislocation of joints of the bones
What happens to the tissues after an acute injury?
When a runner "pulls a groin" or a tennis player "strains a tendon," the soft tissues in the area of pain are injured. Immediately after the injury, there are disrupted fibres of the affected muscle, tendon, and/or ligament. Additionally, the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) that normally supply blood and oxygen to these tissues are broken. The broken capillaries then leak varying amounts of blood and serum into the adjacent tissues. Therefore, soon after a soft tissue injury, localized swelling occurs. The injured tissues become painful and tender, both directly from the trauma to them and indirectly from the subsequent swelling. This leads to the stiffness, pain, and tenderness that so often accompany the inflammation of tendonitis, bursitis, as well as strain and sprain injuries. It should also be noted that even a bone injury (such as a fracture) is typically accompanied by injury to the nearby soft tissues.
So, what is best applied after the injury?
In a word, ICE.
The swelling and much of the inflammation that follows an injury is largely due to the leakage of blood from the ruptured capillaries. Therefore, cold applications with ice can help by causing the blood vessels to constrict (clamp down). This constriction of the blood vessels prevents further leakage of blood and serum and minimizes swelling and pain. The cold from an ice pack application also has an
added benefit of providing pain relief.
In fact, the optimal management of an acute injury can easily be remembered using the acronym, RICE:
Ice (apply a cold pack) (minimize movement of the injured body part) Compression
Elevation (raise the body part up so that the pressure from the blood and tissue swelling the affected area is reduced as the fluids drain from the area by gravity) (light pressure wrap to the affected body part can help minimize leakage of blood and swelling)
In general, application of cold packs or ice has the following effects:
Reduces inflammation
Produces a numbing effect than can reduce pain
Decreases blood flow to an area
Decreases muscle spasms
Relief from tension or tightness in muscles
May reduce joint stiffness
Optimises healing/rehabilitation environment in tissues through influx of cells involved in tissue repair (as a result of increase in blood flow)
Like cold therapy, heat therapy may provide pain relief
Increase in flexibility
Heat therapy, in contrast, is most often recommended for chronic, long-term ailments, including muscle tightness and tension. Muscle aches are one type of complaint that often improves with heat therapy. Like cold packs, heat therapy should be applied for no longer than 15 minutes at a time and may be used several times per day. After four or five days following a traumatic injury, heat therapy may help the healing process. Heat therapy may be administered by using moist warm towels, microwaveable heating packs or bean bags, or electric heating pads. If you're using an electric heating pad, take extra care that you do not fall asleep on the pad, since this can lead to serious injury.
It's important to remember that home care is not a substitute for care provided by your physician. In the case of serious injury, always seek treatment in an emergency care facility. You should also visit your doctor if you have You should call a health professional if you experience severe pain, swelling, or numbness, joint instability, the inability to bear weight on a limb, or any other symptoms which you consider alarming.
your physician. In the case of serious injury, always seek treatment in an emergency care facility. You should call a health professional if you experience severe pain, swelling, or numbness, joint instability, the inability to bear weight on a limb, or any other symptoms which you consider alarming.