The five-step process for treating a muscle or joint injury such as an ankle sprain is called "P.R.I.C.E." which is short for Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation).
It can be used even by someone without first-aid training, and should be used immediately when an injury occurs – the earlier, the better – while further medical attention is being sought.
If the athlete experiences too much pain during the process, stop immediately.
Protect the injured person and the area being treated but also protect yourself. If the injury occurs on the sports field, stop the game.
Protect the area being treated with a splint if possible.
If the athlete can move, carefully move them to a safer area using a stretcher or a crutch, but if there is any doubt, do not move the injured athlete.
When a child is injured, the body responds in an effort to defend, localize, protect, and clean up the injured area, a response called inflammation. At the time of injury small blood vessels at the injury site rupture and cause tissue bleeding, which, in turn, can cause bruising and swelling.
There are five warning signs of inflammation:
Not every injury exhibits all these signs, but if your child is in pain then it is important to stop exercising immediately to avoid further damage.
Icing for 15-20 minutes with an ice bag is unlikely to cause nerve damage or frostbite; however, any loss of sensation and any changes in tissue coloration in areas other than the area that is being iced indicate that the application is no longer safe.
Because ice and plastic bags are so important, make sure that someone brings these to every practice and game. Better yet, to be on the safe side, bring your own!
For both upper and lower limb injuries, it is equally important to keep the limb elevated to minimize swelling. Elevation to the level of the heart or above allows for excess fluid to be pumped back into the blood vessel system and will help prevent further swelling from occurring.
In addition to protection, rest, ice, compression, and elevation, restoring range of motion (ROM) is an important part of the recovery process when the swelling and pain begins to subside. Active ROM of an injured joint assists in introducing new blood flow to the injury site to "flush" out any residual cellular waste and joint edema present. Motion also assists in decreasing scar tissue and adhesion formation and stimulates the nervous system to begin activating the muscles that control strength, balance, and proprioception (position-movement sensation or body awareness) when return to play occurs. An athlete experiencing pain or swelling upon return to play or during rehab prior to play should seek the advice of a physician for further evaluation and/or diagnostic testing.
Return to play should ultimately be dictated by:
Not only is rest important in the period immediately after your child is injured, but adequate rest is necessary before your child returns to sports. Returning too soon from an injury can cause further damage and result in a chronic, long-term condition, such as chronic ankle instability [1]
Links:
[1] https://mail.momsteam.com/node/287
[2] https://mail.momsteam.com/users/drsusan
[3] https://mail.momsteam.com/node/7271
[4] https://mail.momsteam.com/health-safety/return-to-sports-psychological-readiness-as-important-as-physical-readiness
[5] https://mail.momsteam.com/health-safety/general-safety/injury-treatment/recovery-from-youth-sports-injury-step-by-step process
[6] https://mail.momsteam.com/range-motion/physical-therapy-restoring-range-motion-critical-to-avoiding-re-injury-athletic-performance
[7] https://mail.momsteam.com/team-experts/physical-therapy-injured-athlete-swelling
[8] https://mail.momsteam.com/team-experts/evaluating-pain-during-sports-injury-recovery-process
[9] https://mail.momsteam.com/health-safety/it-time-put-ice-in-rice-ice