Treatment of sports injuries does not always require surgery usually it requires the following method:
RICE stands for:
- Rest – avoid regular exercise and reduce daily physical activity. Using crutches or a walking stick may help if the patient cannot put weight on the ankle or knee.
- Ice – apply an ice pack to the affected area for 10–30 minutes. Wrap the ice pack in a towel to avoid it directly touching the skin as it may cause ice burn.
- Compression – using elastic compression bandages to limit swelling.
- Elevation – keep the injured leg, knee, arm, elbow or wrist raised above the level of the heart. This may also help to reduce swelling.
After 48 hours of RICE therapy, stop compression and the patient should try moving the injured area. RICE therapy can be useful for any sports injury, but some injuries may require additional treatment.
Other treatments for sports injuries may include common painkillers, such as paracetamol which can be used along with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, to help ease the pain caused by sprains and fractures and help reduce any swelling. Also to treat such injuries immobilisation is a treatment that helps prevent further damage by reducing movement. It also reduces pain, muscle swelling and muscle spasm, and speeds up the healing process by encouraging blood to flow directly to the injured area. After a knee injury or knee surgery, a leg immobiliser, made from foam rubber, may be used to keep the knee in a fixed position and prevent it from bending.
If the sports injury has caused severe or persistent inflammation, a corticosteroid injection may be recommended. As well as reducing inflammation, it will help prevent long-term muscle and ligament damage. Most patients who have a corticosteroid injection find that the pain improves significantly or disappears completely within four weeks of treatment. The risk of side effects after a corticosteroid injection is small, although the patient may have some increased discomfort at the site of the injection for up to forty-eight hours. Most sports injuries do not require surgery. However, very severe injuries, such as a torn ligament or badly broken bones, may require corrective surgery.
