Acute Injury Care

Acute Injuries occur suddenly during activities. Examples of Acute Injuries include sprained ankle, strained back, or fractured hand.

When you have an acute injury there are things you can do to minimize tissue damage, protect from further injury and promote faster recovery.

At Sherwood Park Sports Physiotherapy we will help you to manage and recorver from your injury.

The most important things to do in the first 5 days after injury:
Days 1-2

seek medical help -> early intervention is a key to diagnosis and recovery
protect the joint
RICE

Days 2-5

Begin gentle range of motion as advised by your Sherwood Park Sports Physiotherapy therapist. A Cryokinetics Program (ice and progressive exercises) can be initiated for most acute injuries at 24-48 hours post injury. This early rehabilitation program is very effective in promoting healing and preventing disuse atrophy and a loss of conditioning. See our therapists for an injury specific program designed for your acute injury.

Acute Injury Reference Guide

The following is a reference list of common terms and guidelines that we may use at Sherwood Park Sports Physiotherapy to assist with the initial care for acute injuries.

Acute Injury. An acute injury is an injury that just happened with a sudden onset such as a sprained ankle, finger or strained back.

Braces

For acute injury or during a post-operative period, common braces include:

walking cast
wrist splint
ankle brace
knee brace
finger/toe splints
casts (hard and removable)

Diet. The body's injury recovery process is fueled by carbohydrates but we also need protein - the building blocks for building new tissue.

Elevation: Keeping the affected body part above the level of the heart to promote drainage and minimize swelling.

Heat Vs Cold. Can heat be used instead of cold for an acute inury?
No – Some people believe that heat is just as good as cold for the treatment of inflammation, but this is not the case for acute injuries. Applying heat to an acute injury may feel good but will bring more blood to the area and cause greater "flooding" due to weakened and injured blood vessels around the injury site. After an injury, you want to stop bleeding, not encourage it. Remember, the less fluid that comes, the shorter the inflammation process is and the sooner healing can begin.

It is true that heat can reduce pain and stiffness, much the same that cold can, but it is because cold restricts the blood flow to the injured area and lowers the local metabolism, that it is used instead of heat to treat acute injuries.

Ice Treatment. As a general rule smaller body parts (i.e. finger and more superficial injuries) require a shorter time for ice treatment. For example, the recommended ice time for a sprained finger may be 10 minutes but an injury to your upper thigh could be 20 minutes. If the skin area you are icing becomes too pink the ice may have been on too long.

Aggressive icing the first night after an injury can reduce your recovery time significantly by minimizing swelling. Professional athletes will often ice all through the first night with hourly 15-20 minute icings. If appropriate, you may want to aggressively ice your injury as well. Contact your SPSP therapist for proper care of your acute injury.

Some chemical ice packs can cause damage to the skin and should be used only with a damp towel between the skin and the ice packs for 15-20 minutes maximum. Cold water soaks are excellent for ankles and wrists/hands (tap run cold water is usually cold enough, but a tray of ice cubes may need to be added in the summer time).

Ice Massage. Use ice directly on the skin but for a maximum of 5 minutes. If the skin area you are icing becomes too pink the ice may have been on too long.

Compression. Use of tensor or neoprene sleeve as need. Do not sleep with tensor on and monitor the colour of your skin beyond the compression. If the skin turns blue or becomes puffy, remove the compression.

Inflammation. Inflammation is important in the first 48 hours to allow the body's natural healing chemicals time to work.

Range Of Motion (ROM) When to keep the joint in one position and when to start moving it (active, active assisted, passive). A controlled early mobilization program (cryokinetics) using ice and progressive exercises can be initiated for many acute injuries. See a SPSP therapist for guidance.

Rest: Rest can range between absolute and relative.

Return to Activity When you can safely resume normal activities of daily living and/or return to your sport will depend on the body part injured (e.g. muscle, tendon, ligament or bone) and the magnitude of the injury.

R.I.C.E - stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation - important for the first 48-72 hrs. Click here to read our R.I.C.E article

Sleep and injury recovery. Growth hormone which is critical for injury recovery is released during stage 3 sleep of sleep. Getting the proper amount of sleep is important for injury recovery. Stage 3 of sleep generally occurs between hours 4-6.

Swelling. Swelling can cause further damage the longer it is in the joint, and it needs to be controlled.