Emergency and Urgent Care - Tubigrip

This leaflet contains discharge advice following your attendance to the Accident & Emergency Department (A&E).

You have been seen today by a doctor or clinician and have been diagnosed as suffering from a soft tissue injury. This means you have an injury to a ligament, tendon or muscle. This injury does NOT involve the bone.

Tubigrip has been applied to your injured limb. Please wear this for as long as advised by the clinician or doctor which you were seen by.

General advice:

• Remove the Tubigrip if your fingers or toes become blue, white, cold, numb or if you experience 'pins and needles'. If there is no improvement to these symptoms please seek further advice at your local A&E
• Avoid wearing nail varnish, rings or other jewellery until your injury has healed
• Avoid getting the Tubigrip wet, if it does become wet remove and dry it
• Move your fingers and toes on the affected limb as much as possible to avoid them becoming stiff and painful
• The Tubigrip can be removed, washed and re-applied when needed
• Rest the affected limb for the first 2 to 3 days, this helps prevent further swelling and pain
• REMOVE the Tubigrip at night whilst in bed

Rest
For the next 24 to 48 hours rest your injured limb, keeping it raised up (elevated), and gently moving it to prevent stiffness.

Ice
Apply ice or something cool every 2 hours for 20 minutes for the next 24 to 48 hours, ensure that the ice or frozen peas is wrapped in a cloth or a towel, DO NOT APPLY DIRECTLY TO SKIN as this could cause a burn.

Elevation
Raise your limb when resting. This will help reduce the swelling significantly. Continue to elevate as long as the swelling persists.

Follow up
There will be no routine follow up for patients with this type of soft tissue injury. It can take 2 to 6 weeks for sprains and strains to heal. If after 3 to 6 weeks you are still experiencing:

• Significant pain or swelling
• Still struggling to weight bear or use your injured limb

If you have any concerns please contact the Emergency department for further advice
Telephone: 0161 627 8926.
The Royal Oldham Hospital, Rochdale Road, Oldham, OL1 2JH.