How to treat an injury
Follow RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) procedure for first 24-48 hours (depending on severity) after injury.
REST
Rest is vital in early stage. If fibres have been torn movement will aggravate tear and cause more bleeding. Rest enables fibres to knit together quickly before more damage is done. Don't ignore the symptoms, pain is telling you things aren't right. No real fitness will be lost in 2 days but if trauma is aggravated it could take much longer to get back to normal activity.ICE
Ice should be applied as soon as possible as this reduces bleeding and swelling in the tissue. If ice is not available use anything cold although ice sprays are not that useful with large traumas. Cold packs are the easy, cheap and effective option. Ice must not be applied directly to the skin but should be wrapped in a wet cloth. Only apply to the local injury site. Ice must only be applied for 5-20 minutes depending on the area (wrist 5 minutes, thigh 20 minutes). To judge right amount of time observe colour of skin, pale colour is right if red too long. You can repeat it as often as necessary but allow enough time for skin temperature to return to normal before reapplying.COMPRESSION
Compression should be applied immediately too restrict bleeding. It should be applied by using a firm pad over the injury with a strapping around it to hold it in place. Do not apply compression around a whole limb as this will starve other areas of blood.ELEVATION
Elevation should happen as much as possible. A leg or arm should be comfortably supported so that it is raised higher than the torso. This helps remove swelling and aids recovery. Correct and immediate treatment as described here can achieve fantastic results and can remove symptoms of injury almost completely. Although pain maybe reduced damaged fibres are only in the early stages of repair and can be easily re-damaged. Ideally all injuries should be seen by a medical practitioner as soon as possible, especially if the area remains inflamed after 48 hours despite good RICE procedure as this indicates it might be more than a minor soft tissue injury.MASSAGE
Should not be applied directly to an acute injury but general massage techniques away from the injury improve lymph drainage and are very beneficial. Massage is vital once the acute phase has passed. It promotes healing, prevents excess scar tissue from forming and breaks down adhesions.