Optimizing Injury Healing
In the Re-Evaluating Ice article, we talked about how the use of ice for acute injury may not be our best option to maximize healing or speed up return to play. So if not ice, then what? Here are some options to help support healing while you navigate an injury.
Protection: The priority is to prevent further damage. Use a splint, brace, or sling if necessary.
Elevation: Raise the injured body part above your heart to reduce swelling and inflammation. While some swelling is supportive, it can also be quite painful. This will allow the body to do its job while also getting you some relief.
Compression: Wrap the area gently with an elastic bandage or consider using KT tape with little stretch or tension. If there is a tear in your soft tissues, this will also keep the tissues supported and close together. Soft tissue fibers that are injured are like threads that have been pulled apart. The pieces of the threads need to be close to one another to start the healing process and light compression makes sure this happens.
Thoughtful Movement: Movement with low or no pain can actually promote healing. If you don’t use it, you lose it. This is an opportunity to listen to your body. Don’t push it but don’t let an injury be stagnant.
Heat: After the initial inflammation subsides (usually a day or two), consider using moist heat for 10-minute intervals. This can improve blood flow and promote healing.
Mindset: Remind yourself your body knows how to heal. You are not broken. You live in the most sophisticated healing machine on the planet, trust your body’s natural process of injury healing.
Remember: This is general advice for minor injuries. If the pain is severe, there is numbness, or the injury doesn't improve after a few days, consult a healthcare professional.
This article is for general information only. The advice and recommendations we discuss do not replace a healthcare provider's advice, treatment, or care. The use and implementation of the information discussed are at the sole discretion of the reader.