There’s nothing more frustrating than an injury keeping you from doing the activity you love the most. Often the pain and discomfort doesn’t feel bad, but judging from the swelling, you can tell you’re still in the process of healing.Here are a few ideas to help you reduce the swelling and get through the recovery process with more ease.

Why should I try to reduce swelling?

If swelling is part of the body’s natural response towards an injury, then shouldn’t you just let it run its course? While it’s true that it is unavoidable, you can safely reduce it to a more controllable level, which will result in quicker healing and a more comfortable range of movement. This will, in turn, allow your body to heal the injury that much sooner, so you can get back to your normal activities.

Of course, always speak to a medical professional to guide you in the right direction and make sure you complete the prescribed duration of recovery, such as icing, medication and of course, avoiding sports and exercise.

Can’t I just take a pill?

Medication to reduce inflammation has its place and can greatly reduce severe pain. If the pain is bearable or has reduced considerably since your injury first occurred, you might not want to take something with a potential for side effects that could react with other medication. Additionally, the complete absence of discomfort you can get from taking medication can lead you to believe that you’re prematurely healed when you’re not. It’s best wherever possible to rely on topical and common-sense ways to reduce swelling and ensure thorough healing takes place.

Reducing swelling the natural way

You can easily reduce swelling from the comfort of your own home and many of these tips don’t even require you to move or get up:

• First, make sure you rest the injured area until it’s been medically cleared by a professional.
• Keep it elevated to keep excess fluid from accumulating.
• If possible, compress the area with a bandage or compression device to keep the area from moving and reduce excess blood flow.
• Apply a cold compression to the area or apply a topical pain relief treatment that reduces swelling.

If you need more information about managing your injury-induced swelling, feel free to contact us anytime.