Diagnosing
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): noninvasive medical imaging test to produce detailed images of the body’s organs, bones, muscles, and blood vessels/tissues
X-ray: detect bone fractures and injuries and joint dislocations
Ultrasound: assessing soft tissue injuries such as muscle strains, tendon tears, and ligament sprains
Treatment & Management
- PRICE
- Protect: use splints or braces to provide support and stability
- Rest: avoid activities/bearing weight
- Ice: apply ice on the injury for 20 minutes at a time, several times a day to reduce swelling
- Compression: use a wrap or sleeve proximal and distal to injury
- Elevation: ensure injured limb is elevated above heart level
- Refer
- Physician
- Orthopedic
- Rehabilitation
- Restore strength/stability
- Rebuild muscle strength
- Improve balance/coordination
- Surgery
- Joint replacement
- Ligament reconstruction/repair
- Surgical fixation for fractures using plates, screws, or rods