After a serious injury, it can take a long time for your body to heal. Fortunately, there are several steps that you can take to speed up the healing process. By using these steps, you can begin to feel better quickly.
See a Doctor
The very first thing that you should do after suffering a serious injury is to go to your doctor. If it was severe enough, you may have already visited the hospital and gotten some immediate care in the emergency room, but that will most likely not be sufficient. You should always go see your doctor as part of the recovery process. They will help you set a plan for full recovery that best matches you and your situation.
Use Ice and Heat
If you are experiencing soreness or pain in your muscles or joints, consider using ice and heat to relieve the pain. Icing the area will help reduce the swelling, which is very helpful for reducing the pain. When the area is swollen, it is putting pressure on the injury, causing you more pain. Heat will relax your muscles so that your body is less tense and you are less likely to further injure yourself.
Make sure that you do not use ice or heat on your bare skin so you don’t burn yourself or cause damage to your skin. You should also make sure that you don’t apply ice or heat for a long period of time, as this can also cause problems. Consider alternating the two every 10-15 minutes for best results.
Get a Therapeutic Massage
While regular massages are wonderful, therapeutic massages are designed to provide relief and help your body heal. Make sure that you find a massage therapist with experience giving therapeutic massages so that they don’t accidentally cause further damage. The massage will stimulate your muscles and tendons to help the body’s tissues heal quickly. With regular massages, you will also have less pain in your body’s sensitive tissues. In some cases, therapeutic massages for injuries are covered by your health care insurance policy.
Go to Physical Therapy
Not only will your body have to repair itself after an injury, it will also have to rebuild the strength that it used to have. While you are healing, you will probably not use the injured area as much as your normally would. Your muscles may be weakened, or you may have a limited range of movement. Working with a physical therapist will help you gradually work your body back to your previous healthy state.
See a Chiropractor
In addition to seeing a physical therapist, you may want to consider visiting a chiropractor. Chiropractors have many treatments available to help you reduce the pain in your body and recover from your injury. One useful treatment that your chiropractor may use is electrical stimulation. This treatment gently stimulates your muscles, allowing them to heal quicker than they would otherwise. It also gently exercises your muscles, which can be useful if you are not able to exercise yourself or if you have been suffering from muscles spasms.
Combine Treatments
Make sure to combine treatments to overcome an injury faster. It is possible for different therapists, physicians, and chiropractors to work as a team to help you heal faster after an injury occurs.
