What do you do when you accidentally injure yourself from exercising?
It’s a beautiful morning and you’re out at the park for your routine 5KM jog. Half way through, you accidentally stepped on an uneven surface and slipped. You start to feel a throbbing sensation at your ankle and the pain starts to slowly set in. By now, you know that you’ve sprained your ankle but what should you do?
If a minor acute musculoskeletal injury (ligament sprain or muscle strain) occurs, there’s a safe and early intervention strategy called R.I.C.E.
R – Rest or restrict activity.
I – Ice should be applied every 2-3 hours for 20-30 minutes until the swelling subsides.
C – Compress the injured area with a compression wrap to minimize local swelling.
E – Elevate the injured muscle, ligament or tendon 6 to 10 inches above the level of your heart to help control swelling. This is to reduce haemorrhage, inflammation, swelling and pain. For example, if you sprained your ankle, lift the injured feet up by resting it on a rock while you lie on your back.
Next, get it checked by a doctor or an orthopaedic to determine the extent of injury you sustained and if you need any NSAIDs (pain killers) to help manage the pain. Your doctor should also be able to advice you your next step to manage your injury. I am also able to help with your rehabilitation process.
A question I get often is if you should use ice or heat. While there are many other theories out there, most would agree that ice is used to help control inflammation and swelling, whereas heat is more effective to promote healing after the swelling and inflammation has subsided.