A few helpful hints on what to do when injured!
Firstly check if you can put your full weight onto
the affected leg. If you can manage this immediately then the injury will tend
not to be as severe. If you cannot put weight on it go to Accident and
Emergency.
The most likely structures injured are the lateral
ligaments which are over stretched with the sprain. Try and walk as normally as
you can, if you cannot stop limping you may benefit from the use of crutches.
Think POLICE…… when injured:
Protect you ankle from further stresses, this might
include wearing a support, strapping or use of crutches
Optimal Loading of the joint to facilitate the
best healing environment. This can mean moving and walking without aggravating
the pain.
Ice with some movement can reduce the swelling.
Protect your skin from ice burns with a damp face cloth and never leave on for
more than 10 minutes at a time.
Compression can prevent further swelling but must
not restrict normal circulation.
Elevation of the leg in a supported way with pillows
can aid with the reduction of the swelling.
Generally speaking ligaments like movement and
keeping the ankle still for extended periods will result in the joint feeling
stiff.
So think little and often movements within pain
restrictions. It is important to work on Balance and proprioception exercises
once the ankle is starting to heal. This is for future injury prevention.
Physiotherapy can help to facilitate the healing environment
and work on the rehabilitation of the ankle to try to prevent future problems.
Tennis Elbow
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tZgn51Xcm-0DRZk_I_xBxzR1rR0qJT7aB-lxBfoYZ-bSBCtdXAN51kLbAH7dpDAzwT6WPJjAU8Cup98Zuhk5HAnzJKsZRVyQB14-lr_C44kN3DAUGk9VNmg3iCx2OO0Mi_Pz4vA2nUQ/s1600/tennis+elbow.jpg.png)
Tennis elbow is a common overuse injury involving
the tendon of the wrist extensors where they attach at the elbow. It tends to
occur when you start a new activity or make a sudden increase in demand of
those tendons. It can occur with tennis but
often is from other activities such as decorating.
Tendons are responsible for transmitting forces
from the muscles to the bony attachments and can store energy. When painful
they need to have some rest from the aggravating activities and then have a
progressive strengthening programme to get them used to the demands you have in
your life.
Physiotherapy can direct patient on appropriate
loading for the tendons and treatments available can help to alleviate the
painful aspect of the tendinopathy.
Even when the pain has subsided take a graded
approach to return to full activity to prevent a flare up!
Hamstring Muscle Strain
The hamstrings are never used 100% of their full
capacity but can be injured through over-stretching or in a more explosive
manner when sprinting.
Muscles have 2 functions to contract to move a
joint and to lengthen when not contracting. When injured muscles will tend heal
more effectively when early muscle pain free contraction is introduced.The POLICE principles above apply to this type of
injury!
Progressing through a rehabilitation programme is
key to get the appropriate strength and agility back in the tissues. Very often
athletes return too quickly to full activity and have a recurrence of the
problem.
Do not overstretch muscles prior to activity and
ensure an appropriate cool down has been undertaken to prevent over tight
shorted muscles.
Physiotherapy helps to facilitate the healing
process and guide the rehabilitation programme to full recovery of the
hamstring muscle.
Why Early Physiotherapy?
The benefit of early Physiotherapy intervention in
all of these types of injuries can prevent some of the pain from the injury as
well as facilitate the best healing environment for the tissues and future
problems. Even one session of understanding what is happening within your body
and what you can do to help yourself can make all the difference to how long
your injury lasts or gives you pain.
Jill Kerr Physiotherapy is dedicated to giving you
the most up to date information and advice on your injury and will not treat
you unnecessarily. A full explanation of the problem and what you can do to
help yourself as well as a hands on approach will be given if appropriate at
the first session.
Jill Kerr is co- author of the textbook book A
Practical Approach to Orthopaedic Medicine 3rd Edition 2010 by
Elsevier and is currently writing the next Edition titled A Practical Approach to Musculoskeletal
Medicine due out in 2015.