Soft Tissue Injury
Your child has been diagnosed with a soft tissue injury.
We know this can be a stressful time with lots of information from healthcare providers. It can be difficult to absorb everything.
We hope the following pages will be helpful in providing you with the education and resources you need to support your child from home.
What is a Soft Tissue Injury?
A soft tissue injury is an injury to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the body. These injuries are mostly related to trauma but can be related to overuse or weakness of the soft tissue, causing swelling and pain without a broken bone.
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Other Resources: AboutKidsHealth - Soft Tissue Injuries
What to do at home
Click below for information on ways to help at home.
Rest
Rest the injured area for 48 to 72 hours after the injury.
Listen to what the doctor told you to do to treat the
injury.
If the doctor told you your child’s injury was caused by
overuse, stop the activity that was causing your injury
until the pain and swelling improves.
Ice
You can use ice to help your child with pain and swelling for the first 2 days after the injury. Do not place ice directly on the skin. Put crushed ice in a plastic bag and cover with a towel or cover an ice pack with a towel. Place ice on the injured area for 10 to 15 minutes, 4 to 6 times per day.
Compression
Compression can help decrease swelling or help with walking.
You can use a wrap bandage (tensor or ACE bandage), air
casts or neoprene splints. You can buy these compression
items at a drugstore.
Remove the compression immediately if your child’s hand or
foot becomes pale or blue, tingles or becomes cold to touch.
Your child should never sleep with any compression on.
Elevate the injured area
When your child can, keep the injured area raised above the level of the heart to reduce swelling. You can use a pillow, stool, or armrest to help elevate the injured arm or leg.
Pain management
To help alleviate pain, you can give your child
acetaminophen (Tylenol) and/or ibuprofen (Advil), so long as
your child does not have allergies or other reasons not to
take these medications.
Unless your doctor advises you otherwise, give the dose
recommended on the medication package.
Safe Acetaminophen Dosing for Infants and Children
Mount Sinai - Ibuprofen Dosing for Infants and
Children
When to seek medical attention
Here are some signs that, if present, should lead you to seek further medical attention for your child:
- worsening redness, swelling, pain and chills which could indicate infection
- swelling and pain that does not get better within 5 to 7 days
- loss of feeling in the area that was hurt
- signs of allergic reaction to any pain medications