The Duke Medical Minute allows Duke specialists to give a brief snapshot into health offerings at Duke.

In this episode, Kelly Hess speaks about common soccer injuries and tips for how to recover from them.

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Podcast Transcript

Announcer: We’re talking with Kelly Hess, physical therapist at Duke Sports Medicine.  Now what happens after an injury? When should somebody seek physical therapy?

Hess: It’s important to if you’re having difficulty walking or if you have an injury, a head injury -- that’s important to seek immediate assistance. If it’s one of the lingering injuries that you’re able to walk, but it's just not getting better after a few days, then it would be important to seek medical care.

Announcer: Head injuries have taken more of the headlines, but it happens in soccer as well. It’s something that definitely needs to be taken care of.

Hess: Youth athletes are more susceptible to serious head injuries, and it’s important to seek medical care immediately even if it seems like it’s very minor.

Announcer: Speak more to the RICE principle.

Hess: RICE stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation. It is important to rest and modify your activities over the first few days after an injury. Ice is important to not only help with pain but to minimize the swelling.

Compression also helps to minimize the swelling. And, by keeping an area wrapped, it will not allow it to get really swollen. And elevation, again, is important for swelling. If you elevate the body part above the level of your heart, you will minimize the effects of swelling.