Physical injury to
your muscles and joints can occur with workplace, household, sporting, and
recreational activities. This can cause
pain, stiffness, and swelling in a joint or muscle, leading to injuries known
as sprains, strains, and contusions. Initial
conservative management and first aid of such injuries should follow the
P.R.I.C.E. principle (Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) outlined below.
PROTECTION: Immobilize the injured area to protect from further injury. This can be accomplished with the use of an
elastic wrap, brace, splint or sling.
Walking aids such as crutches or a cane can be useful to help you get around.
REST: To ensure proper healing, rest the injured
area and avoid activities that cause pain.
Do not restrict all activities completely. Other regions of your body can still be
used. This will help prevent physical
de-conditioning. An attempt should be
made to return to regular or modified activities as soon as possible provided it
does not put you at risk for further injury.
ICE: Crushed ice, ice cubes, or snow should be molded or applied to an
injury site immediately. Icing will help
to reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation in the injured tissues. Ice application should not exceed 10 to 30
minutes at a time. Allow for skin
temperature to return to normal before ice is reapplied. This cycle can be repeated as often as
necessary within the first 48 to 72 hours.
Ice should not be applied directly to the skin. Instead, a damp towel should be used to serve
as a barrier between the ice and skin and act as a conductor of cold. Do not apply ice to blisters, open cuts or
sores. Individuals hypersensitive to
cold and those who have a circulation problem should avoid ice.
COMPRESSION: Compress the injured area with an elastic
tensor bandage. This will help decrease
swelling. Do not wrap the bandage too
tightly as to cut off circulation. You
should not feel an increase in pain with compression.
ELEVATION: Elevate the injured area
(whenever possible) above the level of the heart, especially at night. Gravity helps reduce swelling by draining
excess fluid.
You should seek immediate medical care under the
following circumstances: a popping sound
heard during the injury accompanied by a feeling of joint instability or
inability to weight bear; obvious evidence or suspicion of a broken bone,
fracture or joint dislocation; or injuries at risk for infection.
By
using the P.R.I.C.E. principle after
an injury, you can significantly reduce swelling, tissue damage, inflammation,
muscle spasms, pain, and recovery time. In
the event that you suffer from ongoing muscle and joint pain following an
injury, you should contact a licensed health professional who can diagnose your
condition and prescribe appropriate therapy, exercises, and rehabilitation
strategies specifically for your circumstance.
For more information, visit www.nhwc.ca.
This article is a basic summary for educational purposes
only. It is not intended, and should not
be considered, as a replacement for consultation, diagnosis or treatment by a
duly licensed health practitioner.
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