What to do with muscle and soft tissue injuries? This treatment will help you recover faster

Muscle and soft tissue injuries are caused by chronic strain or some acute trauma. The pain will be particularly obvious, and swelling and limb movement disorders may also occur. Timely treatment is required, especially shock and bleeding, which must be dealt with first.

1. If shock occurs, treat the shock first.

2. If bleeding occurs, stop it immediately.

For mild or moderate bleeding, pressure bandage or packing can be used to stop the bleeding; for bleeding from large blood vessels in the limbs, apply a tourniquet first and prepare for surgery to stop the bleeding as soon as possible. The tourniquet should be loosened once every 30 minutes before surgery. When blood loss is heavy, blood transfusion should be given promptly. If bleeding does not stop, emergency surgery should be performed to stop the bleeding. For patients with severe pain, pethidine or morphine, or other sedatives or analgesics can be given. When there is a fracture, the injured limb should be properly immobilized.

3. Patients with compartment syndrome and compression syndrome should be treated promptly.

4. Treatment of severe closed contusion.

(1) Place ice packs or cold compresses around the limbs in the early stages. Once the bleeding stops (usually after 24 to 48 hours), use hot compresses to promote absorption of local blood stasis. If necessary, give antibiotics to prevent and treat infection.

(2) If the edema is severe and affects the blood circulation of the limbs, or if the calf or forearm is severely squeezed and has muscle dysfunction and weakened arterial pulsation, early incision and relief should be performed. The skin, deep fascia and myometrium should be cut open longitudinally in multiple places, and then the upper flow should be loosely filled with saline gauze strips. If the poisoning symptoms are severe, retaining the affected limb will be life-threatening, and amputation should be considered.

5. Open wounds, except for superficial abrasions and small puncture wounds, should receive initial surgical treatment (debridement) as soon as possible.