When you’re finally in a groove with your exercise regimen, sometimes injuries can strike throwing a wrench in your routine. Some common injuries are:
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Muscle pull and strain
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Sprained ankle
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Shoulder injury
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Knee injuries
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Sprains, breaks, or dislocation
Minor injuries such as muscle strains or sprains can often be successfully treated with a method known as: P.R.I.C.E. As a reminder, it’s important to listen to your body and always remember to follow the advice from your physician and reach out to them with any questions.
P.R.I.C.E stands for:
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Protection: The first step in an injury is to protect you from further injury. Dependent on your injury, you may require a sling, brace, splint, crutches, canes, or other medical equipment.
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Rest: Limit exercise or movement that applies pressure and strain on your injured area as directed by your medical provider. This can prevent the injury from getting worse and help start the healing process. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends gentle movements to the injured area as part of the healing process.
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Ice: Apply an ice pack to the impacted area several times a day for 15-20 minutes at a time, at least 90 minutes apart. Ice will help reduce the blood flow to the affected area.
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Compress: Use an elastic compression on the affected area. It helps to reduce the temperature of the tissue along with the ice, and you can keep the wrap on in between icing. Just make sure it’s not wrapped too tight where blood flow is reduced. Signs that the compression is wrapped too tight are pain, numbing, tingling, or even discoloration of the area. Take the compression off immediately if that occurs.
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Elevate: Elevation will help reduce blood flow and help reduce fluid buildup in the affected area.
Using the PRICE method may help reduce the pain, swelling, and inflammation during the first 72 hours after the injury. If the injury is more serious or long-term, some people may benefit from participating in physiotherapy.
A physical therapist can also prescribe specific exercise regimens, massage therapy, and ways to strengthen the impacted area or improve the range of motion to reduce pain.
Depending on the type and severity of the injury it may take several weeks or months before you completely recover. Once cleared by your physician, it's important to begin appropriate movement or exercise to regain normal range of motion or function.