A Soft tissue injury is the damage of muscles, ligaments and tendons throughout the body. Common soft tissue

Soft tissue

In anatomy, the term soft tissue refers to tissues that connect, support, or surround other structures and organs of the body, not being bone. Soft tissue includes tendons, ligaments, fascia, skin, fibrous tissues, fat, and synovial membranes , and muscles, nerves and blood vessels .It is sometimes...

 injuries usually occur from a sprain

Sprain

A sprain is an injury in a joint, caused by the ligament being stretched beyond its capacity. A muscular tear caused in the same manner is referred to as a strain. In cases where either ligament or muscle tissue is torn, immobilization and surgical repair may be necessary...

, strain

Strain (injury)

A strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon in which the muscle fibres tear as a result of overstretching. A strain is also colloquially known as a pulled muscle...

, a one off blow resulting in a contusion or overuse of a particular part of the body. Soft tissue injuries can result in pain

Pain

Pain is an unpleasant sensation often caused by intense or damaging stimuli such as stubbing a toe, burning a finger, putting iodine on a cut, and bumping the "funny bone."...

, swelling

Swelling (medical)

In medical parlance, swelling is the transient enlargement or protuberance in the body and may include tumors. According to cause, it may be congenital, traumatic, inflammatory, neoplastic or miscellaneous....

, bruising and loss of function (Lovering, 2008).

Management

Immediately after the injury occurs one should apply the RICE principle to minimize the local tissue damage and reduce inflammation

Inflammation

Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...

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’PROTECTION’
Protect the individual from further injury by preventing them from moving and keep further hazards away from the individual (Flegel, 2004).

‘REST’
Rest the individual from any activity that causes pain. If simple movements such as bending, straightening or walking are causing pain ‘’rest’’ means immobilizing the injury by splinting or preventing weight bearing with crutches (Flegel, 2004). If walking does not cause any pain, continue to walk for short distances as comfort allows (Lindsay, Watson, Hickmott, Broadfoot & Bruynel, 1994).

’ICE’
During the first 72 hours following an injury ice can help minimize pain and control swelling caused by bleeding and fluid loss from the injured tissue (Flegel, 2004). Icing is recommended for 15minutes every 4 hours to help control the swelling and pain (Subotnick, 1991).

‘COMPRESSION’
Compression is the application of pressure over the injured area with the use of a bandage, elastic wrap or compression tape (Lindsay et al., 1994). This is to control the initial bleeding of joint or limb tissues, or to reduce residual swelling (Flegel, 2004). It is vital that compression is applied within the first few minutes following the injury to see the benefits (Lindsay et al., 1994).

‘ELEVATION’
Used in combination with ice and compression, elevation can also minimize initial tissue bleeding and swelling. Elevate the injured part above the level of the heart as much as possible for the first 72hours, or longer of the swelling persists. (Flegel, 2004).

Treatment

If severe pain persists after the first 24hours it is recommended that an individual consults with a professional who can make a diagnosis and implement a treatment plan so the patient can return to everyday activities (Flegel, 2004). These are some of the tools that a professional can use to help make a full diagnosis;

Nerve conduction studies

Nerve conduction study

A nerve conduction study is a test commonly used to evaluate the function, especially the ability of electrical conduction, of the motor and sensory nerves of the human body.Nerve conduction velocity is a common measurement made during this test...

 may also be used to localize nerve

Nerve

A peripheral nerve, or simply nerve, is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of peripheral axons . A nerve provides a common pathway for the electrochemical nerve impulses that are transmitted along each of the axons. Nerves are found only in the peripheral nervous system...

 dysfunction (e.g., carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is an entrapment idiopathic median neuropathy, causing paresthesia, pain, and other symptoms in the distribution of the median nerve due to its compression at the wrist in the carpal tunnel. The pathophysiology is not completely understood but can be considered compression...

), assess severity, and help with prognosis.
Electrodiagnosis also helps differentiate between myopathy

Myopathy

In medicine, a myopathy is a muscular disease in which the muscle fibers do not function for any one of many reasons, resulting in muscular weakness. "Myopathy" simply means muscle disease...

 and neuropathy.

Ultimately, the best method of imaging soft tissue is magnetic resonance imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance imaging , or magnetic resonance tomography is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structures...

 (MRI), though it is cost-prohibitive and carries a high false positive

Type I and type II errors

In statistical test theory the notion of statistical error is an integral part of hypothesis testing. The test requires an unambiguous statement of a null hypothesis, which usually corresponds to a default "state of nature", for example "this person is healthy", "this accused is not guilty" or...

rate.