5 Helpful Tips for a Faster Recovery from an Injury

Suffering from an injury is very frustrating, especially when you have know that the recovery will take a long period of time. But, it is important to respect the recovery time given by your doctor, as well as the dictated timing for your treatment and rehabilitation.

Oftentimes, patients try to speed up their recovery by not following the doctor’s advice. Doing so will cause more harm than good because the injured tissues will experience more stress, which they're not ready for.

There are some things you can do on your own to gain great recovery. Today orthopedics in Palm Beach County will give you 5 helpful tips for a faster recovery from an injury.

• Do the “RICE” method

When soft tissue injury occurs, such as a sprain, muscle pull or tear, immediate first aid treatment can help reduce pain, prevent further complications and increase the rate of the healing. The most common first aid treatment process for injuries is called “RICE”, which stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation.

• REST: We advise you to stop any physical activity  immediately after sustaining an injury. This is to prevent additional stress to the injured area. As much as possible, rest the area for the first two days.

• ICE:  Apply an ice pack to the injured area for 20-30 minutes. Repeat the process as often as possible, especially for the first 24 to 48 hours after the injury. This helps reduce pain, swelling, bleeding and muscle spasms.

• COMPRESSION: Wrap the injured area with an elastic medical bandage. Keep reapplying the bandage in the first 48 hours of the injury to prevent excessive swelling. Make sure that it is not too tight, if the skin below the compressor turns blue, cold, numb or tingly, loosen the bandage.

• ELEVATION: Use a pillow or a sling to raise the injured area above the level of your heart. This will reduce pain, throbbing, and any form of internal bleeding that can result in bruises.

• Obtain immediate medical treatment

While the “RICE” method could work as a first aid treatment for minor injuries, it won’t cure the underlying problems from serious injuries. Only a professional health care provider can help you with further treatments.

Obtaining immediate medical attention will help prevent further injury and speed up your recovery. If your injury is not considered to be an emergency case, talk to your primary health care provider about your concerns or if your injury worsens.

If it needs immediate medical attention visit the nearest urgent care center to receive proper medical care.

• Get into a rehabilitation facility

Rehabilitation facilities have highly trained professionals that supervise your recovery progress to ensure full recovery. Eliminated pain and swelling doesn’t mean that you have fully recovered. Choosing to be rehabilitated after your injury will provide you with proper guidance from certified medical practitioners.  

• Understand the cause of your injury

It is important for you to understand the cause of your injury to prevent incident as such to happen in the future. Learn why your injury occurred, so you can implement precautionary measures in the future.

• Ease back from strenuous physical activities

Once you have recovered from injury, it is important to ease back from vigorous physical activity that could possibly put a strain in the injured area. Ask your doctor what physical activities can you do and what activities should you need to ease back from. Remember to always follow your doctor's advice for faster recovery.

Orthopedics in Palm Beach County provide comprehensive care and seamless experience for patients who suffer from orthopedic disorders and injuries.

Our physicians are Board Certified and Fellowship trained in the fields of hand, knee, hip, spine and foot therapy, including sports medicine. 

The material contained on this site is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE, and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.