Injuries can occur during sports even if we take all the
preventative steps to shield ourselves from them. There are some steps we can
take to minimize damage to an injury by following 5 steps after the impact and
throughout rehabilitation – this procedure is an acronym: PRICE or RICE. Please
note, this process works for relatively small tears and sprains - if you have
sustained a serious injury you will need to go to the accident and emergency.
Protection
The P in Price stands for protection. After suffering a
strain or localized damage during a sporting bout make sure you protect the
area afterwards. Ensure no more harm comes to it and begin your recovery
process immediately.
Protection usually becomes more relevant when the pain
has ceased to be noticeable, but the area is still sensitive to damage. It is
easy to forget about and therefore easily damaged again. Make sure to protect
sensitive areas.
You can purchase area specific padding to protect damaged
areas – for example – if you cycle to work and are recovering from serious knee
damage – you should make sure you have a knee pad.
Rest
The R in Price stands for Rest. After sustaining damage
to a ligament or joint you will need to stop aggravating the area - it is
important to avoid activities that cause pain. Ideally, lie down in a
comfortable position to minimize bleeding, swelling and further damage. Rest
may also include the use of crutches, a protective brace, or tape/sling.
You should look to rest the damaged area as soon as
possible after damage has occurred.
Ice
The I in Price stands for Ice. You should ice the injured
area for 10-20 minutes every 2 hours. Use an ice pack or a makeshift
“crushed-ice-in-tea-towel” to help reduce inflammation of the damaged area. Do
not ice an area for extremely long lengths of time as inappropriate icing can
sometimes make an injury worse rather than better.
The sooner after the impact you begin icing the better
(and faster) your recovery will be.
Compression
The C in PRICE stands for Compression. After the incident
you can use compression bandages to minimize swelling. If on applying
compression you experience a change of colour, pins and needles, or any colour
change in your extremities then the bandage is too tight, and you or the physio
will need to loosen it. Ensure you remove the band before you go to sleep.
Elevation
The C in PRICE stands for Elevation. Immediately after
the area has been iced and compressed you should raise the injured area above
your heart – reducing blood flow to the damaged area – which minimizes bleeding
and swelling. Ideally, you should elevate the limb whilst undergoing the rest
of the procedure – but this can be tricky and prove to be more trouble than
it’s worth.
You can continue to elevate the area in your day-to-day
life to aid the limb in recovering.
PRICE is a reactionary therapy which seeks to minimize
damage after impact or damage on small tears and sprains. As aforementioned, it
is not a method to deal with serious damage such as a broken arm.
If you have suffered from a sports-related injury or
would like to discuss a bespoke plan, please contact us at Mount Sinai
Department of Rehabilitative Medicine. Contact our switchboard on: (212)
241-6321
No comments:
Post a Comment