Sports Injury Help Line Could Save Trip to Emergency Room

What do you do when you've rolled your ankle? Is heat the best cure? Or maybe it should be ice. Of course, sometimes the best thing you can do is alternate the two! It's a fairly minor injury but some advice would be nice. On the other hand, who wants to sit at the emergency room? So EMMC has a new help line that could give you the advice for free!

I went through something like this a while back. I injured my knee in a step class and suffered with it for months. I mean, it got to the point where I couldn't do my grocery shopping without resting it in the pharmacy chairs halfway through! I ended up going to my primary care physician for my regularly scheduled check-up, and then going through physical therapy. I wonder, I had talked to an athletic trainer before it got so bad, if I could have avoided the therapy.

Well, this is exactly the kind of situation that the new sports helpline hopes to...well....help with! If your child turns an ankle, or you start having pain in your elbow, just call the helpline and tell your symptoms to an athletic trainer, 24/7, 365 days a year. They can give you their best advice about how to deal with the problem and advise you on whether you should see a professional. As a matter of fact, they can even schedule appointments, if necessary!

Of course, if you have a serious injury, call 911 or have someone take you to the emergency room. The helpline is not meant for things like broken limbs and dislocated shoulders.

The injury helpline number is (207) 974-7400. You might want to program that into your phone, so it will be handy when you need it! For more information, log onto the website for EMMC Sports Health.