- Pulled a muscle?
- Suffered a ligament sprain?
- Tendonitis?
Soft tissue injuries include most forms of sports injuries from a twisted ankle or knee, pulled hamstring, knee tendonitis, dead leg, shin splints and heel & calf pain.
Injuries occurring within 24-48 hours are classed as acute and are normally associated with pain, swelling, bruising, movement restriction, difficulty with walking and moving the affected body part. These symptoms represent the typical initial stages of inflammation.
Most acute injuries normally respond well with R.I.C.E. treatment: Each individual component is outlined below:
- Rest – resting the affected body part immediately after the injury will help minimise pain and allow the commencement of adequate healing
- Ice – ice will reduce bleeding and inflammation in the injured tissues and help control the onset of swelling
- Compression – compressing the injured body part with the use of a tubigrip will help control and limit swelling and subsequent bleeding within local tissues
- Elevation – elevating the body part will also help to control and limit swelling and bleeding within local tissues
The R.I.C.E. protocol is not always advised and it is at the discretion of the skilled physiotherapist on when to apply each principle and when to progress to the next level of recovery and rehabilitation.
Physiotherapy will often be advised to promote the healing and full resolution of all soft tissue injuries allowing a complete return to sports, other activities and function.
Please feel free to contact the Manchester G4 Clinic to speak to a member of the team for any questions that you may have.