Treating a Strained Muscle: First Aid for Minor Injuries

Video Transcript

"Hi! I’m Tracey Cullers on behalf of expertvillage.com. In this segment, I’ll show you how to take care of a strained muscle. First of all, you want to use an Ace bandage or a compression stocking to go around and dress the area. You are going to start at the area farthest from the heart and move upwards using overlapping wraps around. Go ahead and go to the bottom of the injured area all the way to above the top of the injured area. Some of the bandages come with clips that you can use. I prefer to just use tape. Next, you want to elevate the injured area. I’m going to use this cooler. Go ahead and stick your leg up there. Elevation and rest will do a lot of good for it. Next, I will put ice on the area. This is going to constrict the blood flow, help the muscle to feel better, and reduce swelling and bruising. In addition to this, I would suggest ibuprofen, and going home as soon as possible. "