Why elevate your leg when injured?
Why elevate your leg when injured?
To help reduce swelling and pain in limb injuries, elevation is very important. In fact, it helps drain the excess fluid from the site of your injury, and this may reduce pain and speed up healing. In order to get the best results from elevation, you should raise the limb above the level of your heart.
How do you elevate an injured leg?
Elevating a leg correctly includes:
- Tilting your thigh at less than a 45-degree angle.
- Bending your knee to between 20 and 30 degrees.
- Tilting your calf between 15 and 20 degrees.
What does elevation do for an injury?
Elevation is another way to help decrease swelling by using gravity. If you can, keep the injured part above the level of your heart. This helps blood go back to the heart. If you can’t raise the injured body part above the level of your heart, at least keep it parallel to the ground.
What does elevating your injured knee do?
Elevate. Elevating an injury above the level of your heart will helping minimize swelling by allowing fluid to drain away from the area. If you can’t raise it above your heart, try to keep the injured area at the same level as your heart or close to it.
What are the effects of elevating your legs?
It can cause a variety of symptoms in your legs, including pain, swelling, and varicose veins. If you’ve had an injury that affects your leg, you’ll likely experience symptoms like pain, tenderness, and swelling. Elevating your legs may help alleviate these symptoms. Leg elevation after surgery may also help ease pain and swelling.
What does elevation do to the injured body?
Elevation: Keeping the injured body part above the heart reduces swelling and the associated pain and discomfort.
What should the elevation of your legs be?
Leg Elevation. To improve your circulation, elevate your legs above heart level to promote venous drainage and reduce swelling. According to the “Manual of Medical-Surgical Nursing Care,” do not elevate your legs more than 45 degrees, so your legs should be lifted and propped approximately 8 to 12 inches above your heart.
What are the benefits of elevating your legs after surgery?
Leg elevation after surgery may also help ease pain and swelling. Additionally, blood clots (such as DVT or thrombophlebitis) are a concern after surgeries, especially with hip or leg surgery.