Joint Injury Treatments

Most joint injuries will heal well with the right treatment. Below are some of the most common treatments for injured joints.

• Rest: Avoid doing any activity that increase pain or swelling.
• Changing how you do activities: If your pain has slowly increased over time, stop and figure out what you’re doing that might be causing the problem. Then stop the activity or change how you do it. Ask your health care practitioner for ideas about how you might be able to modify the activity for best results.
• The RICE method: This is used for acute joint injuries. It stands for:
  • Rest the joint.
  • Ice the joint (first 2-3 days after an injury).
  • Compress the swelling (wraps or bandages).
  • Elevate the joint (above heart level).
• Protection: Joints may need a period of protection, support, or rest after an injury. Braces, splints, slings, or crutches may be used to protect the joint and help it heal.
• Mobilization: If a joint is immobile for too long, though, it can become weak and stiff. That’s why it’s important to start moving the joint as soon as you can. This includes doing gentle movements to increase a joint’s range of motion.
• Cold therapy (ice): Icing a joint can ease pain and swelling. Apply ice right after an injury. You can ice 3-4 times a day for the first 2-3 days.
  To safety ice a joint, follow these steps:
  • Wet a thin towel with water (room temperature or slightly warmer).
  • Wring out the excess water.
  • Wrap the wet towel around an ice pack or a plastic bag of crushed ice.
  • Lie down and place the ice pack on the joint for 10-15 minutes.

  Note: don’t put the ice pack directly on your skin. And never leave ice on your longer than 20 minutes.

• Heat therapy: Heat increases circulation and swelling, so it’s not good to use heat in the first 2-3 days after an injury. But after the swelling goes down, heat can relax tense muscles and reduce pain.
  To safety apply moist heat to a joint, follow these steps:
  • Wet a thin towel with water (room temperature or slightly warmer).
  • Wring out the excess water.
  • Microwave a hot pack or fill a hot water bottle with very hot water. Wrap the wet towel around it.
  • Lie down and place the hot pack on the joint for 15-20 minutes, several times a day.

  Note: Don’t put the hot pack directly on your skin or leave it on for longer than 20 minutes. Never lie on top of an electric heating pad or fall asleep with it.

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