Like any other form of physical activity, martial arts training involves risks. Among these risks, the most immediate is the risk of incurring injury. Because of this, it’s always prudent for individuals in training to observe safety precautions. In fact, most martial art training schools incorporate safety in their classes. But there are instances when people get so much into the training that the injuries occur even with the outmost caution is observed. This is especially common during sparring sessions.
Therefore, it’s important for individuals undergoing martial arts training to understand what they should do immediately after being injured. No matter how minor your injury is, you must know how to handle it in order to avoid worsening it.
Most injuries no matter how minor can lead to eventual swelling of the injured area. The swelling adds to the pain and inconvenience that the individual will have to live with in the coming days after the injury. However, the swelling can be reduced significantly by applying cold or ice compress to the affected area. This is a valuable knowledge every martial artist in training should possess. I came across this article on turtlepress.com that discusses how ice compress should be use for injuries. The following sections are directly quoted from the said article.
If an injury is less than 7 days old, new in other words, the only thing you want to use is ice. If an injury still has quite a bit of swelling and/or pain, even if more than 7 days old, you want to use ice following any workout, even if you are going to workout or fight later on in the day. If the injury is no longer swollen and simply sore or stiff after 7 days you can either use a moist heat pack (NOT DRY HEAT PACK) or heat rub prior to a workout to help increase the blood flow to the area. You should always use ice at the conclusion of the workout, usually for at least two to three weeks (or as long as it is painful or swollen) while the tissue is healing.
