Dealing with Injuries

From OSU Wiki

Without a doubt, the best methods of dealing with sports injuries is prevention, accidental do occur, and knowing what to do first if you should become injured can help prevent further damages as well as speed your recovery.

How to take care of ankle injury? Ankle injury or ankle sprain is the most common sport injury due to a twisting injury resulting in ligament damage. Ligaments are the tissues that hold bones together at the joins. Sprained ankle must be protected for healing to take place. Otherwise, the ligaments will rupture or heal in a lengthened position thus causing further or permanent damage.

The treatment for tissues injury is R.I.C.E: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.

Rest: Obviously, it means restricting movement of the lower body. Using crutches to assist walking and other movements. It's because to avoid putting too much weight and pressure on the injured tissues to cause further damages. One way to prevent accidentally movement is wrapping the ankle with splint, tape or bandage.

Ice: Applying cold compressions to injured tissues reduces bleeding and swelling for 24-48 hours and four to five times a day. The preferred schedule for applying ice to injuries 10- 15 minutes. Always protect the skin with a thin layer of cloth or a towel and allow skin to rewarm before reapplying ice.

Compression: Compression, or pressure, helps to reduce swelling and painful blood flow to the injured area. Usually, applying pressure by wrapping the injury with an elastic bandage until swelling and redness subside. Be careful, if your toes or fingers begin to feel numb or lose their color, you should loosen the bandage or tape.

Elevation: Lifting the injured area above the heart whenever possible during day and night reduces internal bleeding and swelling and it also helps blood return to the heart more easily. At night for sleep, elevating the injured area with a suitcase or drawer under mattress.

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