How to recognise an acute injury:
- It may be painful and sore to touch
- There may be swelling
- The area may feel hot
- There may be bruising and discolouration
- You may feel a loss of movement or stiffness in that area
- You may be unable to tolerate any weight on the injury
The greater your loss of function, the more serious the injury
These symptoms occur as a natural defence mechanism to stop the body moving in a certain way or putting too much weight on the affected area. It is a normal part of the healing process unless it becomes excessive.
‘POLICE’
The following action can be taken to help acute soft tissue injuries:
Protect
Stop whatever you’re doing! Don’t continue through the pain. This could make the injury worse and delay your recovery time
Optimal Load
Rest immediately after an injury to prevent further injury and allow healing to take place. Ou should then begin to gradually move the injured area to try and regain normal movement as the pain allows
Ice
Ice provides short-term pain relief, reduces blood flow to the injury and reduces swelling.
Compression
This will also help to reduce the swelling. You can use a bandage or compression leggings to compress the joint.
Elevation
If you have an ankle or foot injury, lie down and raise the injury above your hip. If you have an arm injury you should raise it above your shoulder.
The GAMEREADY is an effective way of providing ice and compression to an injury.
What is Game Ready? Game Ready or in the medical world known as Cryo-Therapy implements components of the foundational practice of the RICE regimen (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) to treat acute and chronic injuries and assists in post-operative rehabilitation. The RICE regimen has been used for decades to treat acute and chronic injuries and assist in post-operative rehabilitation. Cryo-Therapy uses a combination of adjustable ice and intermittent compression by controlling air pressure and fluid flow through a wrap that is specially designed for use on almost all body parts such as ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, lower back, hands and elbows.
According to clinical studies, intermittent compression has been shown to be more effective than static compression. The intermittent compression acts as a pneumatic pump. It pumps in new blood into the injured area while simultaneously flushing out the inflammatory cells and reabsorbing excess fluid. This process reduces edema, which improves the oxygenation levels and helps to enhance healing.
The cold therapy aspect of Cryo-Therapy reduces pain and muscle spasms. It can reduce tissue damage that usually takes place in the injured tissue, as a result of secondary hypoxic injury, by slowing down the tissue’s metabolism and lowering the tissues’ need for oxygen. The cold therapy component of the Game Ready device can also be used for acute and chronic injuries, as well as post-surgically.
Written by Erol Umut and Rachel Catherwood.