How to Bring Down Inflammation After an Injury

Inflammation often occurs when we overexert ourselves or injure ourselves. This could be exercising at the gym, spraining an ankle, or throwing a shoulder out. Inflammation can be uncomfortable and painful and it’s important to know how to reduce inflammation in order to make the pain more bearable.

Anti-Inflammatory Supplements

One of the best ways to reduce pain is to take anti-inflammatory supplements. Anti-inflammatory supplements reduce pain and can help with healing an injury. Fish oil is a natural anti-inflammatory supplement rich in Omega 3’s. Other anti-inflammatory supplements include turmeric, alpha-lipoic acid, and quercetin. Taking an anti-inflammatory supplement before you work out can also help reduce the swelling from the workout.

A Cold Compress

Another way to reduce inflammation after an injury is to use a cold compress. Cold compresses reduce pain by constricting blood flow. Icing an injury will help the injury be less painful, but it is not something you want directly on your skin. You should always use a towel to put a little distance between the cold compress and your skin because too much cold can damage skin cells. When you ice the injury, you should only ice for 20-30 minutes because too much contact with cold can cause more harm than help. Icing an injury too long could actually prevent the injury from healing properly or take much longer than it otherwise would to heal.

Elevation

Another way to reduce inflammation after an injury is to elevate the injury. Elevation reduces swelling by causing a decrease in blood flow immediately around the injury, which prevents fluids from collecting right around the injury. Doing so reduces swelling and reduces the pain of the injury. Elevation and icing an injury typically go hand in hand as it is important to not just ice an injury, but keep it elevated to reduce swelling, which is why ice and elevation are included in the acronym RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression Elevation) which is still common for treating many minor injuries. When you elevate an injury, you should prop it up with something comfortable, like pillows, so that it is comfortable to elevate.

Sports and athletic events are fun, but they can cause sprain and injury. Inflammatory injuries can be very painful, but by using anti-inflammatory supplements, icing the injury, and elevating the injury, you can reduce the inflammation and be well on your way towards wellness.

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