Injury Diagnosis
you should use to treat your injury and
advice on further treatment. Calling
111 is a good idea to get the correct
medical advice, without having to
make an appointment with your GP
or heading unnecessarily to A&E.
Another option is asking your sports
club physio or physical therapist; they
can provide rehabilitation and guidance
on recovering correctly, so that you can
return to your previous sporting ability.
For more serious injuries, such as
breaks, tears and dislocations, you
should seek medical help, either by
calling 111, visiting your GP or attending
the hospital.
Home therapy and treatments
Once you have been diagnosed
correctly, you can begin the healing
process. The best course of action
recommended by experts is the
P.O.L.I.C.E
(Protection,
Optimum
Loading, Ice, Compression, Elevation)
method, which replaced the old R.I.C.E.
(Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation)
system.
P.O.L.I.C.E. stands for Protection,
Optimum Loading, Ice, Compression
and Elevation. Previously, it was the
belief that rest was best, but it is now
thought that doing gentle movements
to encourage muscles to relax and
prevent stiffness is the correct way to
recover quickly and appropriately.
Following the P.O.L.I.C.E. method,
you should use cold therapy to treat
your injury if it is inflamed or swollen, or
if you’re suffering from an acute pain.
Cold therapies involve ice packs or
pads, ice baths, gels and sprays. Cold
relief reduces blood flow, which helps
to ease swelling and minimise damage.
Heat therapies, such as steaming,
hot baths and heat creams, are mainly
for injuries when muscles need to relax.
Heat therapy is also helpful for many
injuries over 72 hours old, encouraging
blood flow with oxygen needed for
repair.
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