Intervention | Application and guidance |
Protection and rest | - Unload and avoid movements in plane of injury.
- Avoid painful movements.
- Degree of protection (eg, wrap versus brace or crutches) and duration of rest depend on severity of injury.¶
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Ice application | - Reduces pain and swelling.
- Apply for approximately 15 minutes, then remove for 45 minutes. May be applied hourly while awake.
- For significant injury, can apply for 48 to 72 hours.
- Use barrier (eg, thin, slightly damp towel) to avoid frostbite.
- Avoid in:
- True cold allergy
- Digits affected by Raynaud syndrome
- Tissues affected by severe peripheral vascular disease
- Open wounds
- Areas with local infection
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Compression | - Helps to reduce swelling, unload movements, and protect affected joints.
- Compression bandages and braces should not cause pain or impair blood flow.
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Elevation | - Reduces swelling and pain.
- Raise injured tissue (usually the affected limb) above the level of the heart for upper extremity injury and above the pelvis for lower extremity injury.
- Generally maintained for 48 to 72 hours after any injury likely to cause significant swelling.
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