This is a share by Dr. Nancy L. Tarlow of Virginia .. which can be found on her webpage http://home.earthlink.net/~nancytdc Self-Care for Minor Sports-Related Injuries: We¼ve all had those minor, annoying sports-related injuries. You know, the "pulled muscles" of the arms or legs that force you to give up your normal activities that never seem to go away? Here¼s some suggestions for what to do immediately when they do occur, and what to do for those persistent injuries that occurred months ago. First, we¼ll assume you¼ve been examined by your doctor. If you¼ve been told that the injury is minor and self-care has been recommended, here are suggestions that will get you started on your rehabilitation. Rest the area. The length of time you should rest depends upon how serious of the injury. Ice the region. I recommend icing the area for about 10 minutes every 2 hours for the first 24 to 48 hours. A general rule of thumb to determine how many days to ice, is ice the area until the swelling and redness of the area go away as this is an indicator of swelling. Since ice constricts blood vessels, it will help reduce the swelling. Make sure that you do not use the ice for more than 10 minutes at a time as the body begins to think it is in a frostbite situation and will start to bring more blood to the area (to warm it up). Compress the area (wrists, elbows, ankles, knees) with an ace bandage. It¼s best to be shown by your doctor how-to-do-it as if it is done incorrectly you could cut off the circulation. Elevate the region. If for example you have injured your ankle, try to keep the ankle raised above your hip. All of these together will help to decrease the inflammation and speed the healing process. While you have swelling and redness, or feel a burning sensation, make sure you do not use heat. A burning sensation is usually indicative of an inflammation deep in the tissues. If the swelling and redness does not decrease significantly after 48 hours, you might need to consider that you have a potential fracture of a bone or tear of a muscle. Also, before using the whirlpool or cold plunge, check with your family doctor for any contraindications your health history may pose to your utilizing these therapies. A cold plunge is an excellent way to "ice" the region. I have found that surrounding the entire arm or leg in the cold water, my injuries seem to heal much faster than using an ice pack. I have also found that for chronic injuries or strenuous workouts, a regimen of whirlpool/cold plunge increases healing and decreases soreness. Moist heat will help bring blood to the region (which carry nutrients essential to healing tissues) and ice will take swelling away. Utilizing both modalities, they act as a pump. Chiropractic care: Ý Many chiropractors are trained in manipulation of extremities (wrists, ankles, knees, etc.). If the cause of your injury is a bone that is not moving properly, a chiropractor can restore normal function through an adjustment which will allow the injured area to heal properly (and quicker too). In particular, shoulder injuries seem to heal faster by having the upper back region adjusted. Massage Therapy: Ý Massage therapy is excellent for decreasing muscle spasms. It is also excellent for breaking up scar tissue or adhesions for areas where you have limited range of motion from a prior injury. Exercise your body: Ý If you have injured your wrist, you should plan on continuing to work out your lower body while your arm is healing (and vice versa). Also, recent research has shown that by exercising the uninjured side, that healing will take place faster. There may also be ways of exercising other areas of the injured arm or leg without interfering with your injury. Before undertaking self-care, I recommend that you have your injured area examined by a doctor experienced with sports-related injuries. I have found that many of the chronic injuries that my patients have had for years is usually due to inappropriate care when the injury originally occurred. Good luck and happy healing!