Showing posts with label bone injuries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bone injuries. Show all posts

Saturday 7 September 2013

Bone and muscle Injuries and their prevention and treatment

bone and muscle injuries
Welcome, today we're going to talk about the bones and muscles, injuries that could happen to them and how to prevent those injuries from happening and maintain a good health.Below are the sorts of injuries that could happen to the bone and muscles:
1.Strain
2.sprain
3.Fracture
4.Dislocation

1.Strain:a strain is a pulled muscle, which happens as a result of over stretching of the muscle or by doing any other thing that involves the muscle in excess. This may also happen during a workout session when you move and twist you body in a way that is not appropriate.

2.Sprain: a sprain is an injury to the muscles, ligaments, tendons and soft tissues around a joint. Generally , sprains are more dangerous to the general health of  muscles and bones and it hurts more and take longer to heal than strains.

3.Fracture: a fracture is a broken bone. most fractures also involve strains and sprains to the connecting muscles and ligaments. a stress fracture is a weak spot or small crack in the bone, often due to an increase in an activity that affects the bone by pounding.

4.Dislocation: a dislocation occurs when one end of a bone is pushed or pulled out of place at a joint.

      unless a broken bone is obvious, it can be difficult to tell if an injury is a sprain, strain or fracture. injuries often involve all three. rapid swelling often indicates a more serious injury which requires proper health attention.
      most minor strains and sprains can be treated at home, but severe sprains, fracture and dislocated joints needs professional healthcare. taking the time for good home treatment will often prevent further damage to an injured limb on the way to the doctor.
It will also help to splint the injured region of the body. splinting immobilizes a limb that may be broken so that it isn't injured more. there are two ways to splint a fracture: tie the injured limb to a stiff object or fasten it to some other parts of the body. do not tie too tight.
      For the first method, tie rolled-up newspapers or magazines, a stick,a cane, or anything that is stiff to the injured limb with a rope, a belt or anything else that will work.
      position the splint so that the injured limb cannot bend. a general rule is to splint from the joint above the fracture to a joint below it. for example, splint a broken forearm from above the elbow to below the wrist. for the second method, tape a broken toe to the next toe or immobilize an arm by tying it across the victim's chest.

                                                                      Prevention
       Many strains, sprains and fractures in older adults are the result of falls so falls also are dangerous to health. to prevent or reduce your risk for these muscle and bone injuries as an adult, you have to maintain a good balance at all times and try to prevent falls as much as possible.
                                   
                                   Treatment for bone and muscle injuries.
        Generally speaking,if the injury is to a muscle, ligament, tendon, or bone, the basic treatment is the same. it involves a two part process:RICE(rest, ice, compression,elevation) to treat the acute pain and injury; and MSA(movement,strength,alternative activity) to help the injury heal completely and to prevent further problems. the RICE process should begin immediately for most injuries. if you suspect a fracture, splint the affected limb to prevent further injuries. if the sprain is to a finger or part of the hand, remove all rings immediately.
REST: do not put weight on the injured  joint for at least 24 to 48 hours. do not splint a joint or wear a sling for longer then 48 hours.
*use crutches or a wheelchair to rest a badly sprained knee or ankle.
*support a sprained wrist, elbow or shoulder with a sling, which helps the injury to heal faster.
*rest a  sprained finger or toe by taping it to a healthy one.
ICE: cold will reduce pain and swelling and promote healing. Heat feels nice, but until all of the swelling is gone, it does more harm than good. apply ice or cold packs immediately to prevent or minimize swelling.
COMPRESSION:wrap the injury with an elastic bandage or compression sleeve to immobilize and compress the sprain. don't wrap it too tightly as it might cause more swelling. loosen the bandage if it gets too tight.
ELEVATION: elevate the injured area on pillows while you apply ice and anytime you are sitting or lying down. try to keep the injury at or above the level of the heart to help minimize swelling.
       Begin the MSA process as soon as the initial pain and swelling have subsided. this may be in three days or up to a week or longer, depending on the location and severity of the injury. resume activities slowly. any increased pain may be a sign that you need a little more rest.

MOVEMENT: resume a full range of motion as soon as possible after an injury. after one or two days of rest, begin moving the joint. if an activity causes pain, stop it and give the joint more rest. gentle stretching will prevent scar tissue(formed as the injury heals) from limiting movement later. 
STRENGTH: once the swelling is gone and range of motion is restored, begin gradual efforts to strengthen the injured area.
ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES: after the first few days, but while the injury is still healing, phase in regular exercise using activities that do not place a strain on the injured area.
       All these are the most effective and best ways to prevent and treat bone and muscle injuries, so whenever a bone or muscle injury occurs, please make sure to apply the tips listed here.