How to treat muscle strain in children

Children are always reckless when playing, and they are particularly likely to hurt themselves, especially straining their muscles. This kind of thing is very common, so many parents will not be so panicked when they find their children in such a situation. However, they must remember to handle it properly after it happens. If it is not handled properly, the movement of the child's joints will be restricted, and they must be fixed.

(1) After an injury, you must do the following: rest, ice (24 to 48 hours), apply pressure, and elevate your foot to reduce bleeding and swelling and speed up healing.

(ii) Protect and fix the ankle joint for one to three weeks

(III) After three weeks, the joints gradually become active

(iv) Normal activities can be resumed after approximately four to eight weeks.

If you are unfortunately injured while exercising, remember there is an English word that can help you: RICE. It actually stands for: R-Rest, I-Ice, C-Compression, E-Elevate.

Rest can prevent more serious injuries. Apply cold compresses to the injured area for at least 10 minutes every two hours to reduce pain and swelling. Use an elastic bandage to wrap the injured area and apply pressure to reduce swelling. Elevate the injured limb to encourage blood to flow out of the injured area. Whether to apply cold or heat depends on the injured tissue that needs cooling. Numbing the injured area can reduce pain. Cold compresses also constrict blood vessels, limiting blood supply to the injured area, reducing swelling, and also relieving muscle spasms. If an area hurts when you move it, or swells after exercise, use ice. It is best to apply an ice pack for about 15 minutes every two hours after the injury. For general discomfort, apply an ice pack 2-3 times a day. If it's too cold, place a towel between the ice pack and your skin.

Apply hot compress. Generally, heat is applied in the later stages of an injury, usually after 4 to 5 days. Hot compress can speed up blood supply to the local area, bring healing cells to the injured area, and relieve tense muscles. Steam, hot towels, or microwave-heated heat packs can be used for treatment several times a day, for 10 to 15 minutes each time. To prevent overheating, place a towel or piece of clothing between the heat source and your skin, but do not sleep on an electric blanket.

If the injured area is swollen after exercise, it means that it is not suitable for further exercise. You will need to rest and keep the injured area cool for 48 to 72 hours. Adjust your exercise accordingly depending on the severity of your injury. Of course, prevention is always better than cure! Stretch correctly, warm up before exercise, pay attention to how your body feels, and stop exercising if you feel any pain or discomfort.

If your child feels that his muscles are particularly painful, you might as well try massage or hot compress. These can effectively relieve the pain. However, hot compress can only be applied about a week after the injury. Hot compress can speed up blood circulation, so it can soothe injured muscles.