The body is an amazing structure. It’s able to take on trauma’s and push past limits. But once it’s taken more than it should in one sitting, it can become injured.

When it’s a simple injury, you don’t want to spend time and money at the doctor’s office. Most times, they’ll send you home with instructions you could’ve given yourself. Here, we’ll cover a simple injury treatment for each type of injury you may encounter.

The Science of Simple Injuries

Experts say a majority of sports and exercise injuries stem from overexertion. Repetitive motions can cause pain from overexertion. It can also happen when you’ve tired out your body. Here are some of the common causes for this kind of pain:

• Sports/exercise
• Heavy work
• Video games with controllers
• Hobbies that include heavy movement

Exercise and sport-related injuries are some of the most common. They can happen for a few reasons. When you start to get tired, you stop noticing how well you hold your posture. When you start slacking on form, your body gets injured much faster.

Know when your injury is more complex. If you’re unsure the difference between a simple injury and something worse, see a doctor. You don’t want to risk an injury getting worse.

Preventing Injuries

The best way to avoid treating an injury is to try and prevent it from happening. What are some ways you can do this when exercising?

• Get a personal trainers input before trying something new
• Stretch/warm up before and after exercise
• Wear proper shoes and clothing
• Give yourself rest

The best thing you can do to prevent injury is to listen to your body. It’ll tell you when to stop. The saying “no pain, no gain” is famous, but no rest means injuries.

Injury Treatment for Common Injuries

Here is a list of common injuries and their treatments. Most everything is treatable using things you can find at home or the store.

Treating Common Sprains

A stretch or tear in the ligament is what causes a sprain. They’re also some of the most common sports and exercise injuries. A sprain can be minimal, though it can also cause more damage than you think.

The severity of your sprain depends on how many ligaments become damaged, and if they’re torn. Some of the most common sprains are in the ankle, elbow, and knees. Though they can happen other places as well.

How do you treat a sprain? By using the P.R.I.C.E. method. It’s like the common R.I.C.E. abbreviation, with an added element:

• Protection
• Rest
• Ice
• Compression
• Elevation

First, you need to brace or splint the area. The reason you do this is to prevent further pain by allowing it to move. Doing so adds more support.

Once you’ve protected it, stop all activity so it can rest. Be sure to ice it, taking the ice pack off every five minutes. After the swelling has stopped, wrap it with a sports bandage. You should keep compressing it until there’s no swelling or discomfort.

The last stage is to keep it elevated, keeping it above heart level. Doing this helps decrease swelling.

If the pain doesn’t go away or doesn’t get better, you should see a doctor. If you’ve injured it more than you thought, you shouldn’t wait too long. Look into finding the best sports medicine in your area. They can help you treat it so you can go back to being active.

Pulled Hamstrings

As mentioned above, one way to prevent pulled muscles is to stretch before and after. However, not all muscle strains can are preventable.

When you’ve pulled your hamstring, it can feel like the worst pain. You almost wonder what you could even do for it. Rest assured, your injury likely isn’t severe enough to worry.

Use the R.I.C.E method of rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Once you’ve rested, and the ice has brought the swelling down you’ll have relief. Another way to help with the pain is to take an over the counter anti-inflammatory.

Once you’re past the worst of it, try stretching more often. It helps with pain, as well as make you less likely to pull your hamstrings again.

Treating Runner’s Knee

Runner’s knee is what happens when you run too much. It often happens from pushing further than your body can take. The body knows when to say enough is enough. Sharp pains and shooting discomfort in any area of the body means something is wrong.

One of the common problems with runner’s knee is core strength. That may be surprising, but a lot of problems stem from lack of strength in the core. The reason is that the muscles in the stomach help hold up the rest of the body. The more you’re able to hold yourself up, the less strain there is on the joints.

Strengthening the glutes, thighs, and core will help with runner’s knee. It won’t have as much weight on it when you run, resulting in less pain.

Treating Tendonitis

Tendonitis is the inflammation of tendons from prolonged use. It can feel like a dull ache, or sharp pain whenever you use it in the same position. Tendonitis can cause loss of motion in the wrist, elbow, ankle, and other areas.

To treat the onset of tendonitis, be ready to stop what it is you’ve been doing. Repetitive motions cause a build-up of pain, so you’ll need to quit using the same movements.

To reduce inflammation, apply ice to the area a few minutes at a time. Or whenever you feel pain. Doing this for a few days can help it heal better before you start back to activities. Anti-inflammatory pills can help as well.

As with other injuries, stretching can be a beneficial activity. It helps loosen the tendons and reduce swelling.

Exercise Tips and More

The best way to avoid an injury is to take preventative measures. Though sometimes, accident’s happen anyway. In those cases, don’t forget this list of injury treatment tips. R.I.C.E. is a great way to help reduce the pain of almost any sports injury.

Read more fitness tips on our blog, then check out these healthy snack ideas!