Must-Read: Fix Your Injuries

Fix yourself!

We’ve all been there. You were playing basketball and landed on something wrong. Or maybe you were jogging and felt a little twinge in your thigh. Or maybe you were just going on a hike and a goddamn stupid bee decided to stick its not in your goddamn business and stung you right between your fingers. Or you were cooking for your lady friend, and your knife got a little bit away from you and left you with a seemingly-deep cut on your arm that just … will … not … stop … bleeding.

Whatever happened, it’s a weird moment right after that injury occurs where you’re thinking to yourself if you need to go to the ER or not. Most cases, you don’t need to, but if you wait too long than you may be putting yourself at the risk of being hurt even further. Enter, then, this fine article over at Men’s Health. It goes through five various everyday common injuries and how to heal them yourselves. Among them are the terrible feeling when something is strained or broken:

If it’s sprained or broken…

First things first: Whether it’s a sprain or a break, apply ice (alternating 10 minutes on and 10 minutes off) for the first day or so. To make a quick ice pack, place crushed ice in a zip-top bag and then wrap the bag in a thin towel or T-shirt. A bag of frozen peas will work, too.

If you can move the joint or bone without major discomfort and there’s no obvious deformity, it’s probably not broken, says Dr. Ross. Ice it, elevate it, and grab an ibuprofen or two to dull discomfort.

However, if this doesn’t work as a remedy, than you know it’s time to pack up the insurance cards and head on over to the doctor. Keep it safe out there, everyone!