Soft tissue injuries and treatment Wharanga kiko ngohe me whakarauoranga
Strains and sprains are common soft tissue injuries. They can affect your muscles, tendons, joint capsules and ligaments.
Causes of soft tissue injury
These injuries usually happen when you have moved suddenly or landed awkwardly. This can cause twisting, stretching or tearing of the soft tissue, such as your ligaments, tendons and muscles.
- Strains affect muscles or tendons.
- Sprains happen when a ligament is torn or twisted.
Symptoms of a strain or sprain
Depending on the area you have injured and how severe your injury is, your symptoms may include:
- pain
- difficulty moving the affected area
- swelling
- bruising.
Self care for strain and sprains
You can do a lot to make sure you recover as quickly as possible, or to help someone else with a soft tissue injury.
These helpful tips are for immediate self care for soft tissue injuries, in the first couple of days after injury.
What to do when you have a soft tissue injury
- Stop the activity you were doing, straight away.
- Balance rest with gentle movement — it is important not to keep the area too still. Gently moving the injured area in directions that do not hurt will help healing — do this every few hours.
- Do not force movements and stop if it gets too painful.
- If your leg is injured you may need crutches to help protect the injury by taking weight off it.
- Ice can help with pain relief — put an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas in a light towel and place it over the injured area. Remove after 10 minutes, or earlier if it aggravates your skin — repeat every few hours.
- Wrap the injured area firmly but comfortably with a bandage or compression stocking. This helps provide support and reduce swelling. Take it off at night to prevent discomfort.
- Raise the injured area, ideally above the level of your heart. You can support your limb with a soft cushion.
- Pump your fingers and toes regularly and put them through a full range of movement.
- Paracetamol may help to reduce pain — take as directed on the packaging.
- Anti-inflammatory medicines can help reduce pain and swelling. But remember, your body needs an inflammatory response to help start the healing process.
- Discuss pain relief options with your healthcare provider or pharmacist.
Pain relief medicines for adults (internal link)
What not to do when you have a soft tissue injury
Do not apply any heat or deep heat creams, as these increase bleeding and swelling.
Do not drink alcohol, as it increases swelling.
Do not run or exercise too soon, as this can make the injury worse.
Do not massage the injured area, as this will increase swelling and bleeding.
Getting help and advice
If your injury does not improve within a few days of self care, see your healthcare provider. They can check it and help you to recover.
You can see a physiotherapist without needing a referral. They can make an ACC claim for you, if you are eligible. This will help cover some of your treatment costs.
It may be useful to discuss your medicines, including the options for reducing pain and swelling, with your healthcare provider or pharmacist.
General practice, after hours and urgent medical care — Healthpoint (external link)
Physiotherapy — Healthpoint (external link)
Accident cover
The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) is a government agency that helps pay for treatment if you are injured in an accident.
The ACC provides comprehensive, no-fault personal injury cover for all residents and visitors to Aotearoa New Zealand. This means if you are hurt in an accident, ACC can help no matter who caused the accident.
If you have an accident and need emergency care in a hospital, it will be covered by ACC.
ACC usually pays some of the other medical costs if you have an accident, like surgery, physiotherapy and medicines. ACC may also be able to cover some loss of earnings resulting from an accident.