Soft-Tissue Injuries | Treatment 101
Article Contains:
Overview
Injuries, though mostly minor, can be fatal. This is especially true in the summertime when we tend to spend more time outdoors, in any one of a number of activities. Injuries affecting the face, head, neck (such as whiplash), spinal cord, and injuries that include bone fractures, breaks, excessive bleeding, shock, or loss of consciousness, REQUIRE immediate medical attention. Do not attempt to treat such injuries on your own.
This article addresses those injuries referred to as soft-tissue injuries, such as: calluses, muscle pulls, sprains and strains. A sprain refers to a tear or rupture of the ligaments. A strain refers to a tear or rupture of the muscles or tendons.
The most effective, initial treatment for soft-tissue injuries is the R.I.C.E.R. method. And the most important treatment window for such injuries is within the first 24 hours.
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The R.I.C.E.R. Method for Soft-Injury Repair
Minor soft –tissue injuries can be treated using the steps behind the acronym R.I.C.E.R.
R = Rest
Soft tissue injuries often stem from overuse. Rest can include everything from stopping the activity that caused the injury to using a brace, cast or crutches. The purpose of rest is to get the area to stop hurting. Athletes are notorious for ignoring this step. Unfortunately, this has leads to further injury of the area.
I = Ice
Ice is a vaso-constrictor. It causes the blood vessels to “constrict” which limits the amount of internal bleeding at the site, thereby reducing swelling and pain. Place ice (wrapped in a thin towel) on the injured area every 2-3 hours, for 10-20 minutes at a time. You can ice an acute injury, several times a day for up to three days.
Note: Most doctors recommend no more than 10 minutes of ice at a time, due to the hunting response. The hunting response occurs when continued application of ice results in a sudden dilation of blood vessels. The suggestion is to ice the affected area for no more than 10 minutes, and then allow it to return to normal skin temperature before icing a second or third time.
A good rule of thumb – If you apply the ice for too long, the area will become red. Red indicates increased blood flow, which is what you want to avoid.
A note on heat. Heat increases skin circulation by raising the skin’s temperature, and therefore should only be used for chronic injuries or injuries that have no inflammation or swelling, (such as sore or stiff muscles). You can apply heat to an injury 10-20 minutes at a time. Note: Do not apply heat after exercise.
C = Compression
Compression limits the swelling of the injured joint. However, the compression should be gentle. Tight compression will cause redness (i.e., increase blood flow) which is not only counterproductive for pain-free movement, it increases inflammation!
The most common form of compression is the use of ACE wraps (e.g., elastic bandages), or an elastic sleeve. You may want to use a thin layer of padding under the bandage to prevent skin chafing. Secure the padding with tape. Starting with the bottom part of your limb begin wrapping the bandage around the padding. Apply up to four layers of compression. Loosen the bandage if they are so tight that the lim’s mobility is restricted or the bottom of the fingers or toes turn white.
E = Elevation
Blood flow can be reduced by keeping the injured area above the heart. For a lower-extremity injury, such as the ankle or knee, lying on a bed or a couch with the leg propped up on some pillows will be the most comfortable.
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Anti-Inflammatory Medication and Some Surprising Natural Alternatives
Some add the ‘M’ to R.I.C.E.R. method. The ‘M’ refers to medication. The conventional, anti-inflammatory, over-the-counter options are NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen and aspirin. NSAID’s may do an effective job of masking the pain and inflammation of an injury, however merely masking the symptoms only prolongs recovery.
Systemic Enzymes: The use of systemic enzymes however, provides a better choice and is more conducive to increasing the speed of recovery. They work by digesting any dead tissue that may accumulate as a result of an injury, which then allows normal fluid retention to take place, thereby reducing swelling and pain while enhancing one’s ability to heal.
In Europe, the overall use of systemic enzymes has been far more widespread than in the United States. In Germany in particular, systemic enzymes have been actively used for decades and are even used by the German National Hockey team in order to treat an prevent injuries.
German Dr. M. W. Kleine and his team at the Sports Medicine Investigation Center in Grumwald, Germany, decided to look at 100 athletes in order to determine the effectiveness of proteolytic enzymes. Dr. Kleine took each subject and removed two cubic cm of blood from their anticubital vein. By reinserting the blood under the skin on each subject’s right forearm, Dr. Kleine and his team were able to reproduce a hematoma (blood clot). 50 of the subjects were then given placebo pills, while the other 50 subjects were given proteolytic enzymes; each subject taking one pill three times a day.
The results speak for themselves: 35 or 70% of the 50 subjects that had been treated with enzymes reported considerably less pain, less inflammation, a shorter lasting amount of pain on pressure and had the hematoma disappear in a shorter amount of time than their placebo counterparts.
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REFERENCES:
Atherton, P Aloe Vera Revisited The British Journal of Phytotherapy Published by the School of Phytotherapy (Herbal Medicine) Vol. 4 No. 4 Winter 1997 ISSN 0959-6879
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