The most important part of treating an injured muscle is resting the muscle. Resting your muscle allows the swelling to reduce and the injury to heal. When the pain decreases, begin normal, slow movements.

• Keep the injured muscle raised above your heart, if this is possible. This helps to reduce both the pain and swelling.
• Ice causes blood vessels to constrict (get smaller) which helps lessen inflammation (swelling, pain, and redness). Put crushed ice in a plastic bag and cover it with a towel. Place it on your injured muscle for Fifteen  to Twenty minutes each hour as long as needed.
• You may need to wear a brace or splint to keep the injured muscle from moving so the muscle will heal. How bad the sprain is will determine if you need a splint.
• You may remove the splint every day to cleanse the injured area.
• Put your splint back on as soon as possible. When retaping the injury, make sure the splint is in the same place and position. You may also retape the splint if it gets wet. If the area below or above the splint starts to tingle or feel numb, the splint may be too tight. Loosen the tape so the area is comfortable.
• Move the part of your body near the injury, such as toes or fingers, which is not covered by the splint several times a day.