You have been treated for an injury to a muscle, tendon or ligament. You have had a thorough examination and are now considered fit to be discharged. The following instructions will aid your recovery.
What is a Soft Tissue Injury?
Soft tissue injury is a term used for injuries to muscles, tendons and ligaments (not bone). When soft tissues are injured, there is usually pain, tenderness, swelling and bruising. Quick and appropriate action is very important for recovery, so the first 24 hours are crucial.
When soft tissues are injured you can develop bruises which are caused by damage to the small blood vessels. Swelling and increased pressure can cause pain and muscle spasm. This is normal and all part of the healing process, but excessive swelling can slow this down.
What to expect
You can expect full recovery from most soft tissue injuries between one–six weeks. The length of time depends on your age, general health and the severity of the injury.
Is it safe to exercise?
Gentle exercises and stretching are very important and should begin immediately to minimise stiffness. Mild pain should be expected, however significant pain should be avoided. Unless you have been told otherwise, after the first few days slowly increase your activity levels as tolerated.
How can you help yourself?
To reduce the amount of bleeding, swelling and to maximise your recovery you can help yourself by following the PRICE principle and avoiding HARM. These are most important in the 42–78 hours post injury.
PRICE
Following the steps below will help aid a quicker recovery:
Protection
Prevent further injury, limiting weight bearing or immobilising with a splint, plaster of paris (POP), crutches, tape or a sling.
This will help your injury recover. However, it is still very important to regularly keep moving the affected area to prevent any stiffness developing.
Rest
This is required to prevent dense scar tissue formation, although complete rest for too long can lead to muscle weakening and poor scar tissue. Therefore, the period of rest will be determined by the severity of your injury. An experienced practitioner (nurse/physio/paramedic) or doctor will assess and tell you this information.
- Mild injuries 1–2 days rest
- Moderate injuries 3–5 days rest
- Severe injuries 7 days at least
Ice
Reduces the swelling and bleeding, helping to reduce pain. Wrap an ice pack or anything from the freezer, eg, a bag of peas in a damp towel (do not apply ice directly to your skin) apply to area for 10–20 minutes, monitor skin condition and do not leave more than 20 minutes. Repeat every two hours for the first 24 hours after this gradually reduce frequency. Do not use ice if you have any circulatory/vascular conditions or reduced sensation/numbness.
Compression
We no longer offer compression bandages for sprains because they appear to have no beneficial effect on how quickly or fully you recover. However, some people do find them comforting to use on sprained limbs; they can be purchased from most pharmacies if you wish to try them.
Elevation
Reduce the swelling further by encouraging the swelling to drain. If you have a lower limb injury, raise the leg above hip level. If you have an upper limb injury, make sure this is raised above your heart.
Things to avoid in the initial 72 hours after injury to speed up your recovery are: ‘HARM’
Heat
Increases blood flow and swelling
Alcohol
Increases blood flow and swelling. Can make you less aware of aggravating your injury.
Re-injury
Protect your joint until it has healed adequately and avoid excessive exercise.
Massage
Vigorous massage increases swelling and bleeding. Direct massage to the injured area may aggravate the damaged tissues and is normally best avoided for the first 72 hours.
Pain Relief
In most cases Paracetamol is sufficient. 72 hours post injury, anti-inflammatory medications such as Ibuprofen may help, but these may not suitable for some people. Ask your doctor or Pharmacist if you are unsure.
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