Injured? Here’s What To Do Next
An injury can disrupt your routine in an instant. Whether you pulled a muscle in your back helping a friend move or twisted your ankle while you were out on a jog, it’s easy to feel unsure about what to do next. Should you rest? Push through it? Wait it out?
Here’s the truth: what you do in the first few days matters more than most people realize. Early care from the team at Exercise Sport Physical Therapy can reduce pain, speed recovery, and help you return to the activities you enjoy as safely and quickly as possible.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Healing After Injury
Right after an injury, your body needs a short period of protection. While rest can seem helpful, too much slows healing. Focus on gentle movement within a comfortable range of motion to maintain circulation and prevent stiffness.
Avoid movements causing a significant increase in lasting pain, and use support like a brace or sling if needed.
Pain and swelling are normal, but controlling them early reduces nervous system sensitivity, lowering the risk of long-term pain.
Icing for 10-15 minutes in the first 24-48 hours helps with pain. Apply compression and elevation to minimize swelling.
Complete rest is rarely best. Focus on simple, controlled movements to promote blood flow, tissue healing, maintain mobility, and reduce muscle loss.
Do not push through pain; guidance from ESPTKC is helpful.
Patients who start physical therapy early experience better outcomes and fewer long-term issues. A guided program helps manage pain and improve strength.
Start care at ESPTKC without seeing a doctor first, making the first step easy.
Our team evaluates how your body moves to build a plan specific to your goals. Techniques include:
- Hands-on manual therapy to improve mobility and reduce pain.
- Advanced pain management (electrical stimulation, heat/cold therapy) to calm the nervous system.
- Targeted exercises restoring strength, balance, and coordination.
- Neuromuscular re-education retraining how your body moves to avoid injury.
We look beyond the injury itself to identify contributing factors (muscle imbalance, poor posture, impaired movement patterns). Correcting these reduces recurrence risk.
Recovering from injury is about returning to your life with confidence. We work with you to gradually reintroduce daily activities and sports-specific movements safely.
Don’t Wait on Recovery. Start Moving Forward Today
Waiting to address an injury can lead to long-term problems, including chronic pain or reduced mobility. What starts as a minor issue can gradually limit how you move, exercise, or even perform daily tasks.
Early physical therapy helps break that cycle before it becomes harder to reverse.
If your pain is not improving—or you want to recover the right way from the start—this is the time to take action. A personalized plan from Exercise Sport Physical Therapy can help you feel better, move more freely, and get back to what you love.
Request AppointmentExercise of the Month
Seated Sciatic Nerve Tensioner
(Sciatic Nerve, Hamstrings)
Sit in a chair with one foot flat on the ground and the foot on the side you want to work, flexed with your toes pointing towards your face. Lift one lower leg by lightly contracting the upper thigh while simultaneously lowering your head, slowly tucking your chin towards your chest, and exhaling. Slowly return to the start. 3 Sets, 10 Reps. (Materials needed: chair)
Deep-Dish Apple Pie
This deep-dish apple pie is a family favorite and a true classic. With a mountain of gooey cinnamon apples nestled under a perfectly buttery, flaky from-scratch pie crust, it has the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
For the Filling
- 10 cups sliced peeled tart apples (about 8 medium)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large egg (for egg wash)
- 1 tablespoon 2% milk (for egg wash)
Instructions
Step 1: Make the pie dough. Place the all-purpose flour in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter, fork tines, or your fingers, cut in the shortening until the mixture becomes crumbly. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, cold water, and white vinegar. Gradually add the egg mixture to the crumbly mixture, stirring gently just until the dough comes together.
Step 2: Shape and chill. Shape the pie dough into a rectangle. Wrap it well in storage wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes or, ideally, overnight. (The longer it chills, the flakier the crust will be!)
Step 3: Mix the filling. Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, toss together the sliced apples with the lemon juice. In a small bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the sugar and spice mixture to the apple mixture and toss everything together until all the apple slices are coated evenly.
Step 4: Add the filling to the dish. Pour the filling into a 13×9-inch baking dish and spread out the apples evenly. Dot the top of the filling with the pats of butter.
Step 5: Top with the pie crust. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie dough big enough to fit over the top of the pie. Place the pie crust over the filling. Trim the pie crust down a bit and flute the edges. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg with the milk to make the egg wash. Brush the egg wash over the crust. Using a paring knife, cut a few slits in the crust to allow steam to escape.
Step 6: Bake the pie. Slide the pie into the oven and bake until the crust is golden brown and the apples are tender, about 40 to 50 minutes. Carefully remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool at room temperature on a wire rack before serving.
Start Healing the Right Way
What you do in the first few days after an injury matters. Contact Exercise Sport Physical Therapy today to schedule your first appointment! Our expert team will guide your recovery safely so you can avoid long-term pain and regain your mobility.
