INTEGRATIVE HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS

SELF-CARE FOR INJURY, PREVENTION & SELF LOVE

Below you will find some guidelines on preventing injuries, along with a few self-care tips for treating minor health issues that happen from time to time and the importance of and steps to learn to "Self Love".

SELF LOVE

Here are some guidelines on the importance of self love. It may seem hard to grasp, but self-love and self-care are important for overall well-being. Self-love is not just about feeling good or taking time for yourself. It’s a state of appreciation for oneself that grows from actions that support your physical, psychological, and spiritual growth. Self-love allows you to accept your weaknesses along with your strengths, and to have compassion for yourself as you strive to find personal meaning and fulfillment.

Self-love builds out of the thoughts and actions that you choose. This, in turn, will support you emotionally, psychologically, physically, and spiritually. Self-love is a dynamic experience that expands and moves with you as you change, experience life, and grow.

Start with these strategies to get back in touch with your own heart

5 Steps to Cultivate Self-Love

INJURY PREVENTION

Warm Up

Stretch Slowly and Gently

cool down

Always warm up before exercise. For example, 3-10 minutes of slow walking or jogging, easy cycling, or light weights helps to increase blood flow to the major muscle groups and increase your metabolic rate to prepare your body for a higher intensity activity.

cool down

Stretch Slowly and Gently

cool down

After exercising, cool down. Decrease the intensity of your exercise and continue to move for 5 more minutes, then do slow, static stretches for 5-10 minutes. Cooling down helps your body adjust by allowing a proper decrease in heart rate and blood pressure, prevents blood from pooling in your legs, and promotes removal of lactic acid to aid in decreasing muscular soreness, common after a moderate to high-intensity workout.

Stretch Slowly and Gently

Never bounce, and stop short of pain. Inhale and exhale regularly while stretching. Hold the stretch for 10-30 seconds. Learn Proper Exercise Techniques Join an instructional class or take private lessons, or utilize the guidance of a certified personal trainer.

Wear Proper Attire

TAKE PRECAUTIONS IN HOT/COLD WEATHER

Stretch Slowly and Gently

- Shoes should fit well and should be designed for the activity you doing.

- Wear socks made with cotton or wool to prevent blisters.

- Wear shirts on hot days to protect the skin.

- Women should wear sports bras when exercising strenuously.

- Wear helmets for sports such as rollerskating and biking.

- Wear safety glass for sports such as racquetball and squash.

- Wear clothes designed for the activity.

TAKE PRECAUTIONS IN HOT/COLD WEATHER

-Drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise. Don't wait until you are thirsty.

-Wear light-colored, lightweight, loose-fitting clothes. Avoid overdressing; wear layers that can be removed as you warm up and remove damp or wet clothing as soon as possible. Water increases the rate of heat loss and decreases the insulation value of the clothing.

-Wear a hat or sun visor, sunglasses, and sunscreen or wear a hat and warm clothing to prevent heat loss.

-Exercise more slowly and less intensely.

-Be aware of symptoms of heat exhaustion: weakness, dizziness, rapid pulse, headache, muscle cramps, decreased sweating, nausea.

REST

TAKE PRECAUTIONS IN HOT/COLD WEATHER

If you are tired or have had insufficient sleep, cut down on the duration or intensity of exercise. Also, give your body adequate time to recover from exercise, ideally 24 to 48 hours.

TREAT YOUR INJURIES USING THE R.I.C.E. METHOD

An injury can occur at anytime, anywhere. Whether you were injured while exercising or while working outside in the garden, pain and swelling can occur as a result. You may believe that you can work through the pain, but you can actually cause further damage.

For treatment of minor injuries not involving the eye, follow the RICE procedure:

Step 1: Rest

After an injury, you need to rest the injured joint to avoid a delay in healing. Doctors typically recommend that a patient refrain from weight-bearing activities for 24 to 48 hours.

Step 2: Ice

Ice the injured joint for about 10 to 20 minutes every four hours to ease pain and reduce the swelling. An ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel are both useful tactics to use. However, make sure to not ice the injured joint for more than 20 minutes in one sitting.

Step 3: Compression

Reduce swelling and the chance of internal bleeding by wrapping the injured joint with an elastic wrap bandage. The bandage needs to be snug, but avoid wrapping it too tightly in order to properly circulate the joint. Signs that the bandage is improperly wrapped include increased pain, swelling, a numb or tingling feeling, and coolness. If you believe that you will need to bandage the injured joint for more than 48 to 72 hours, medical attention may be necessary.

Step 4: Elevation

While resting, icing, and compressing the injured joint, elevate the joint on pillows. To reduce swelling, keep the joint at or above the level of your heart.

Seek Medical Help For:

Any eye injury
Severe pain, disability, or numbness
An injured joint or broken bone
Loss of movement
Minor injury which does not improve or heal within 3 weeks
Infection, pus, red streaks, swollen nodes, or fever