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During this wet and cold time of year in healthcare we see different injuries that we may not see during the dryer warmer months of the year. After the snow and ice around the holidays there were injuries from falls, accidents, shoveling snow and even from tensing to the cold. There are some simple steps one can take in treating at home to assist the pain and healing from acute trauma or injury.

For acute tissue trauma:

I recommend taking Arnica Montana found at your local New Seasons, Whole Foods or Fred Meyer. Use as directed on the bottle. For most brands this is 4-5 tablets three to five times a day until symptoms subside.

Use cold pack for about 6-8 minutes 3x/day or as needed for pain control. For application place a gel pack in a pillow case and put directly against the skin over the bruised or strained tissue.

Move the joint or strained tissue gently at least 3-6x/day. If you can move without worsening the pain then you can keep the area moving at least 10 repetitions every hour. Bone, ligament, tendon and muscle tissues have been shown to heal faster when gentle forces through movement are applied frequently and early. (If worsening with movement see your physician)

Rest: If swelling or redness is involved, then allowing the tissue to rest elevating swollen extremity is recommended until the swelling subsides. You can generally get up and move between rest breaks without compromising the effect of resting the tissue. In the case of swelling, wrapping lightly with compression wrap can be helpful. If swelling persists see your physician.

If you or someone you know could benefit from a McKenzie evaluation call Ted at (503) 445-4936.