19 Mar Hot and Cold Therapy for Sports Injuries
While playing sports, it is fairly common to get injured. Many injuries can be treated at home and there are numerous amounts of ways to reduce and eliminate the pain associated with a sports injury. Before one can begin treatment, it is important to know how different types of injuries should be handled and what methods will provide the quickest relief.
Typical Sports Injuries
Though there are numerous injuries that can be experienced while engaging in sports or any other physical activity, many injuries either involve some sort of swelling and/or muscle pain. While an injury can be suffered on any part of your body, some of the most common areas where injuries that can be treated at home occur on the legs, back, and arms. These areas typically experience pulled muscles or swelling and there are certain ways to treat each one so that relief is fast and thorough.
When to Use Heat Treatment
Heat is a great way to treat injuries related to muscles. For example, if muscles are pulled during a sports activity due to lack of proper stretching, applying heat to the affected area will relax those muscles so that the pain subsides, in addition to relaxing the person experiencing the injury. This can be achieved by using heating pads, hot water bottles, or by taking a hot bath. It is important to note that when using heat as a treatment, the heat should never exceed a person’s tolerance level and should always be tested before applying to the affected site.
When to Use Cold Treatment
Heat can be very relaxing, but there are times when a cold treatment is best to treat an injury. If inflammation is the result of being injured, cold treatment will reduce the swelling, and expose any other injury that may be present, such as a break or sprain. When applying a cold treatment, it is, again, important to test tolerance levels and wrap the source of the cold treatment in a towel or plastic before applying it to the affected area. The best sources of cold treatment include ice packs, ice cubes, or frozen vegetables.
As easy as it may seem for many injuries to be treated at home, it is just as crucial to seek medical attention if an injury is serious or does not show signs of improvement once treatment has been administered. If so, it is best to get treatment from a doctor that specializes in sports medicine. An online search can list the best doctors that practice sports medicine near you. visit us at www.premierechiro.com