How to Recover Fast from Injuries

By Jessy A

First things first: most sports injuries aren’t that far off from what you meant to be doing. Training often involves working your muscles to a pulp or even straining them on purpose so that they will knit back together in a stronger mass of muscle tissue. After sustaining a sports injury, most patients are eager to get moving again – whether it is returning to their sport or daily functional activities.

Here are key factors to consider when dealing with a sports injury:

Image from netdoctor

Cold Therapy and Elevation

RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. It is a first aid method that relieves pain, limits swelling and prevents further damage to the injured tissue. Most common type of injuries begins to show signs of recovery after the initial 24-48 hours as the injured tissues begin to heal. It is advisable to consult your physician if the symptoms persist despite applying RICE treatment.

Allow Healing

An injured body part will struggle to heal if it is repeatedly used after an injury. Rest it, more so protect it. It is often best to immobilise the injured area with a splint or brace and rest it completely to allow complete healing.

Eat Healthy

Taking in as many nutrients that is vital for healing is important such as Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Zinc, Protein, etc.

Early Range of Motion Exercises

Since the healing will produce scar tissue, the affected area might be stiff and hard to move. Mobility exercises and rehabilitation is important to regain full control again tho this should be done very carefully to avoid re-injury.

Regaining a Normal Walking Pattern and Muscle Strength

A period of rest and disuse typically results in muscle wasting, sometimes even in uninjured body parts. A key component of muscle strengthening is resistance training which improves balance, reflex control, and endurance in the injured tissues. This is often implemented along with conditioning and endurance training to prepare the injured area for a faster return to sports.

No one likes to sit at home or on the sidelines recovering from a sports injury but with intelligent application of these tips, you should be back on the field or running your favorite route days or even an entire week before scheduled by your doctor.