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Summertime is synonymous with outdoor sports and recreation. But before you hit the beach, trails, lake or ballfield, learn what to do to prevent injuries—and how to treat an injury if you do get hurt. Follow these helpful tips from Eric Stehly, M.D., orthopedic surgeon on the medical staff at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine.
Keeping Injuries at Bay
To prepare for summer sports or other outdoor activities, you may want to follow at least a few days a week to help prevent muscle tears and pulls, as well as tendinitis:
• Stretching
• Light weight-lifting
• Light cardio workouts
Healing with RICE
Unfortunately, injuries can happen even if you're well prepared. Maybe you ran too far or too fast, lifted too much or just played too hard. Either way, most minor injuries can be treated at home. Fast track your path to feeling better by using the RICE method:
Rest: To heal quickly and prevent re-injury, give yourself a few days of down time—or a few weeks if the injury is severe.
Ice: Applying ice (for 20 minutes or less per application) can help reduce swelling and inflammation, numb the pain and help stop bleeding.
Compression: For extra support and to control swelling, wrap the affected area with an elastic bandage.
Elevation: Raise the injured area above your heart as often as possible to further reduce swelling.
Don't let an injury keep you on the sidelines. If you're hurt, get a referral to an orthopedic surgeon on the medical staff at Baylor Grapevine. You can also find a physician by calling 1-800-4BAYLOR.
Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine is a full-service, fully-accredited not-for-profit hospital serving residents in more than 20 cities throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth region. Focused on being the best place to give and receive quality, safe and compassionate care, Baylor Grapevine works to lead the transformation of health care. The 276-bed hospital offers advanced medical services for cardiovascular services, women’s services, oncology, neurology, spine care, orthopaedics, diagnostic imaging, neonatal intensive care, intensive and emergency care.
About Baylor Health Care System
Baylor Health Care System is a not-for-profit, faith-based supporting organization providing services to a network of acute care hospitals and related health care entities that provide patient care, medical education, research and community service. Baylor recorded more than 2.8 million patient encounters, $4 billion in total operating revenue, $5.2 billion in total assets and $502 million in community benefit in fiscal year 2011 (as reported to the Texas Department of State Health Services). Baylor's network of more than 300 access points includes 30 owned/operated/ ventured/affiliated hospitals; joint ventured ambulatory surgical centers; satellite outpatient locations; senior centers and more than 180 HealthTexas Provider Network physician clinics.
Physicians are members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Health Care System's subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and are neither employees nor agents of those medical centers, Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine or Baylor Health Care System.