Soft Tissue Injury Treatment

During this period, bleeding and swelling are at their worst. It’s important to focus on minimising this bleeding and swelling, thereby preventing damage to surrounding tissues. This is achieved by following RICE protocol:

• Rest – Avoid exercise and limit daily activities if possible. Use elbow crutches to take weight off leg injuries.
• Ice –Wrap a bag of frozen peas in a towel and apply for approximately 20 minutes. This will help to minimise swelling. Prolonged use of ice, however, can have a detrimental effect on the injury.
• Compression – Use of a compression bandage helps to minimalize swelling
• Elevation – Whenever possible, keep the injured area above the level of the heart

The No HARM rules should also be followed:

• No Heat
• No Alcohol
• No Running / Activity
• No Massage

After the acute stage, the body moves into the repair or ‘sub-acute’ phase. As the bleeding stops, new capillaries and scar tissue are laid down to replace damaged muscle / ligament fibres. Management in this stage is critical. Physiotherapy intervention will focus on:

• Decreasing pain and swelling
• Restoring muscle / joint flexibility
• Increasing muscle strength
• Maintaining cardiovascular fitness
• Improving proprioception / balance
• Introducing sports-specific activities / drills

Our specialised physiotherapy team will tailor your rehabilitation program to your specific soft tissue injury, gradually progressing your exercises / drills to ensure that recover and a return to normal activities are achieved as soon possible. Our sports injury treatment programmes also aim to minimise the risk of re-injury.

Book your sports injury treatment here >