Emergency room visits for sports injuries averages about 2 million Americans a year, according to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. And that isn’t including those sportsters who refuse to go to the emergency room and take care of their injuries themselves.
Ligaments, Tendons and RICE
Common sports-related injuries include sprained ligaments and strained tendons or muscles. Typically, sprained joints swell and are painful to the touch. The more pain and swelling, the higher the likelihood that your injury is severe.
Have you heard of the concept of RICE? Everyone who is active should be familiar with this concept that will help to relieve common sprains and strains.
- Rest your limb, but continue to exercise the other healthy limbs. This will keep up your general conditioning.
- Ice. As soon as possible, ice your injury to prevent excessive swelling. Ice the injury 15 to 20 minutes four to eight times a day. The more, the better.
- Compress the area with an elastic bandage or neoprene sleeve.
- Elevate the area above your heart, if possible, to help keep swelling down.