How to Reduce Swelling Due to an Injury and Increase Range of Motion
Whiplash is the most common name for a neck pain type injury. This happens when the head is
suddenly jerks backwards and then forward. Whiplash or neck pain is usually associated
with car accidents and vertical compression injuries, such as diving in a
swimming pool. These injuries can cause serious neck injuries. These sudden forces
often tears muscles, tendons and ligaments that support your neck.
When a person suffers from a car crash and or experiences neck pain,
whiplash they may have:
In many cases, pain may take up to several hours to appear in the neck area.
Concussions can also occur. A person should visit a chiropractic doctor
right away if any pain or discomfort is present. Often times, within the
week, the symptoms can become overbearing with the most common complaints
of neck pain, headaches, and back pain.
Rest
Rest the areas of the body that are injured as to not aggravate your condition.
Ice
Here's a way to reduce the swelling and the pain
after an injury. Use an ice pack on area of that is inflamed. Ice helps the
blood vessels to constrict. This in turn causes less blood flow to that area
and causes decreased swelling. I would like to emphasize using Ice. I
often hear patients tell me they used heat. Heat may feel good and causes relaxation but causes
the blood vessels to dilate. This causes more blood to that area therefore increased
swelling. Ice should be used for no longer than 20 minutes every two hours. This
should be done for a few days after a car accident or other types of injuries.
After the swelling has gone down, or usually about 72 hours, it is now time
to use heat or warm hot towels to increase the blood flow. By doing this, fresh
blood will enter into that area containing oxygen and nutrients within the blood.
This will help speed up the healing process and to help loosen the muscles
and gain flexibility.
Compression and Elevation
If the body part is for example the ankle, elevate the ankle to the height of your
heart. Use the ice on the ankle and compress it with an ace bandage. This helps reduce
the swelling. Keep the ankle elevated to reduce the blood pooling.
As soon as it is tolerable, slowly move the area that is tight/sore working
on range of motion. When one gets injured, the body tries to heal itself; it
lays tissue down to that area. The problem with this is, the body lays tissue all over
the area that is sore. The muscles have fibers that run in a linear formation
and stretch up and down in straight lines. When the body lays this excess tissue in
hopes of making this area stronger, this tissue that is formed does not run in a
linear formation. These new tissues connect with the torn fibers but are no longer
linear. This tissue is now in a matted formation. With time this matted formation of
tissue causes the muscles to be less pliable and have less flexibility.
This is how arthritis develops. Arthritis is caused by abnormal stresses
to the body. It can be seen on x-rays in years to come. This is why it is important
to stretch so one can keep that flexibility.
The most important way to help preventing serious injuries to your body is to
pay attention to how we feel. If you feel any pain or discomfort while
doing an activity, it is a warning that there could be something wrong. Just stop what you
are doing and take it easy. Pain is there for a reason, be aware of it.
It is important to come in following an injury and stop this early unwanted tissue from
building up.
"I cannot count how many times I have seen a patient come in weeks, even months following
an ailment. When asked what took so long, most replies are I was hoping, "Maybe it will go away".
Carlsbad Chiropractic
2808 Roosevelt St. #102
Carlsbad, CA 92008
760-720-CARE (2273)
Fax: 760-730-9911
Office Hours:
Mon, Wed, Thurs and Fri:
9am-1:30pm and 2pm-6pm
Tues: closed
Open the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month
Most Insurances Accepted
Licensed Massage Therapist On Staff
