Remember RICE when considering home treatments for sprains and strains

Every day, hundreds of people suffer from a variety of sprains and strains. Many of these people visit their GP or use the hospital accident and emergency services costing the NHS millions of pounds every year. And yet home treatments for sprains and strains are effective and, for most people, all that is needed. Even the NHS suggests that most of these common injuries which affect muscles and ligaments can be treated at home without seeing a GP.

However, you should call 999 or go to A&E if you experienced any of the following when you had your injury as these may indicate a broken bone which will need to be x-rayed as soon as possible:

• If you heard a crack at the time of the injury;
• If the injured body part has changed shape;
• If the injury is numb, discoloured, or cold to touch.

If you did not experience any of the above, the recommended home treatment for sprains and strains is known as RICE therapy:

1. Rest and avoid putting any weight on the injury
2. Ice: apply an ice pack to the injury for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours. A bag of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel makes an extremely effective ice pack!
3. Compression: wrap a bandage around the injury to support it.
4. Elevate: keep the injury raised on a pillar as much as possible.

It is also best to avoid hot baths and heat packs, or other forms of heat for the first couple of days. Likewise, alcohol and massages should both be avoided as these tend to increase the likelihood of swelling.

As the pain decreases, try and move the injured area to ensure the joint or muscle does not become stiff.

Over-the-counter pain relievers such as paracetamol may prove helpful, but ibuprofen should not be taken for at least 48 hours after the injury as it may slow down healing.

Your local pharmacist may suggest creams or rubs to help ease the pain and swelling including arnica as a topical treatment, although this should not be used if the skin is broken.

If you are not feeling any better after a few days, if the pain or swelling is getting worse, or if you have a high temperature or feel hot and shivery, you should get further advice from the NHS by calling the non-emergency NHS helpline: 111.

Preventing sprains and strains

Naturally, it is important to try and prevent sprains and strains as much as possible.

Sprains and strains happen when you overstretch or twist a muscle. Not warming up before exercising, tired muscles and playing sport are common causes of these injuries.

But main sprains and strains are the results of a fall and as we get older, the likelihood of falls increases as does the risk of more serious injuries.

As we get older, our muscle strength and balance reduce so simple exercises designed to mitigate these risks are recommended. Research by the University of East Anglia also shows that Vitamin C can help older people retain muscle mass in later life.

Eating well and keeping hydrated is also important to avoid feeling light-headed which increases the risk of falls.

Many slips, trips and falls happen in and around the home, including the garden,  so it is important to ensure these areas are a safe as possible.

The type of flooring in the home can be very important. The Spruce provides an excellent summary of the pros and cons of different types of flooring. An increasing number of people now choose real wood flooring as it looks beautiful and is easy to keep clean. However, many people tend to use rugs and mats in conjunction with hardwood flooring. This may look attractive, but these are trip hazards and likely to increase the risk of falls so are best avoided.

Clutter and trailing wires are also other common trip hazards.

Many older people need to get up during the night for toilet trips and this is a very common time for trips. A motion-activated light in the bedroom can help reduce the risks.

Summary

Take steps to avoid slips and trips, especially as you get older. But if you do have a fall which causes a minor injury, don’t forget to consider the above home treatments for sprains and strains.