If you’ve sustained an injury, no matter if it is to bone, muscle, ligaments, tendons, or other soft tissues, you’ll want to take measures to minimize recovery time while also ensuring you return to optimal functioning. Follow these tips for a speedy recovery while focusing on restoring your pre-injury quality of life:
Seek Out Treatment Immediately
Pain, fear, and a loss of interest in prior activities may hinder a patient from actively seeking out ways to recover from injury, but this is a mistake! Delaying treatment can worsen the injury, increase pain levels, and cause so much damage that a return to your pre-injury level of functioning is impossible.
As soon as you are injured and cleared by emergency medical personnel, contact Florida Injury & Wellness Center or schedule an appointment online. Our expert accident and injury team will evaluate your injury, confirm diagnoses with appropriate diagnostic testing, and develop a treatment plan that helps heal you as a whole person, not just as an injury.
Follow the R.I.C.E. Treatment Method
While you are waiting to be seen, treat your injury using the R.I.C.E. method:
- Rest
Completely rest the affected body part for at least 48 hours after the injury occurs, including avoiding putting any weight on the area. This prevents further injury and bruising and increases the chances of a full recovery.
- Ice
For the first 48 hours after the injury, cover the injured area with an ice pack for 15-20 minutes at a time every 2-3 hours. This reduces inflammation, bleeding, muscle spasms, and pain in the injured area, preventing further complications.
- Compression
Also wrap the affected area with an elastic, medical-grade bandage (often called an “Ace” bandage) for the first 48 hours post-injury. This also reduces inflammation and pain in the injured area. Be sure not to wrap too tight, as this can cut off circulation and lead to more issues.
- Elevation
Try to elevate the affected body part above the level of your heart. For lower limb injuries, lying flat on your back and raising the affected leg is best. For upper limb injuries, using pillows to raise the affected arm while sitting is easiest. For spinal injuries, lying flat or sitting upright at a 45° angle on a firm surface is best.
Always consider comfort when elevating injured body parts. If the positioning hurts, then adjust until it is as comfortable as possible. Pain can indicate further damage being caused to the already injured area.
Heal from the Inside Out
What you put in your body is the fuel it uses to run, so if you don’t eat a healthy, nutrient-rich diet while recovering from an injury, you’re not giving your body the elements it needs for optimal recovery and function. We suggest a low-sugar, high-protein diet that focuses on:
- Whole grains
- Healthy fats
- Lean, sustainable proteins
- Complementary foods rich in:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Calcium
Injury Recovery Care in Tampa Bay
If you live in or around Wesley Chapel and have experienced an injury, Florida Injury & Wellness Center is ready to help you heal your injury, improve your health, and enhance your quality of life. We offer competent physical therapy, chiropractic, massage therapy, and acupuncture services to complement your traditional medical treatment plan. Visit https://www.wesleychapelchiropractor.com/ for an overview of everything we do to get our patients back on their feet sooner than those who choose only primary care medical treatment for their injuries.
