James Barford
Soft Tissue Therapy
Information
Coming Soon!
I have decided to go back to "school" and undertake a new qualification. I am training to be a Sports Therapist. It will take a few months to complete, but once finished I can offer much greater insight into fitness, personal training and prescription of exercise programs. There is the added bonus of further understanding rehabilitating injuries through carefully selected exercise and equipment based methods.
If your injury is a new one.
If the injury is severe then seek medical advice as soon as possible. Otherwise in
the initial 24-48 hour period rest the injured area as much as is practical. This helps to prevent further damage and allows healing to begin.
Apply ice to the affected area. This has an anti-inflammatory effect to control swelling and help lessen pain. Ice should only be applied for short periods and never in direct contact with the skin.
Compression may also help to stabilise the injury and help to minimise inflammation. This could be in the form of a support bandage, strapping or K-tape.
Elevation where possible may also help to prevent swelling and help lymphatic drainage of the affected area. Particularly important when sitting or laying.
After the initial 24-48 hours symptoms should be improving. If they are not then it is advisable to seek medical advice. If there is improvement then gentle non weight bearing and if able small amounts of weight bearing exercise can begin.
Ice application should continue for at least a week. After this period of time occasional introduction of heat may be beneficial as this helps to improve local circulation and helps to ease the stiffness in muscles and joints. As with the ice application heat should never be directly applied to the skin.
If support or compression is being worn, start to limit the use of it to periods of exercise. Removal will help the normal movement to resume and prevent over reliance on the strapping which over time will weaken the affected area.
Elevation is still important. However if you haven't already, its time to call your friendly Soft Tissue Therapist to help your recovery!