Whether it is cycling, roller skating or obvious spring skating, road rash is almost inevitable. It may be more annoying than pain, but it will definitely damage the self, and road rashes are not necessarily difficult to treat. Contrary to popular belief, it works more like burns than scrapes. In addition, contrary to popular belief, treatment should not try to dry it out.

Make sure your hands are clean or wear gloves. Clean the area with water. If there are a lot of gravel fragments, you want to remove them as much as possible. Gently scrubbing with a clean brush works well, but be prepared for pain and curse. Stay away from hydrogen peroxide, as it actually breaks down epithelial tissue. If there is still a little dirt remaining after washing with water, betadine can help prevent infection.

The goal of the dressing is to keep the area moist and clean. First, apply an antibacterial ointment such as Neosporin or Bacitracin. Then cover the wound. Gauze and road rash do not match well. Unless the wound is very superficial and dry, the gauze will only stick to the wound and tear it apart when it is removed. "Non-stick" gauze is a lie. Tegaderm is used by professionals. Our medical team on the Utah Tour is distributing Tegaderm like candy on Halloween. It did a good job of achieving our goal: wet and clean. In a wide, fairly static area, such as the buttocks or one side of the buttocks, Tegaderm usually stays in place on its own. On the knees or elbows where you exercise frequently, a piece of mesh stockings will help hold it in place. It is also waterproof, so unless you want to replace it, turn it on in the shower.

The Tegaderm dressing can be used for a few days without changing. However, if you are exercising and sweating, the effect is not good and should be replaced once or twice a day. Continue to dress the wound with ointment and Tegaderm until the skin feels dry. Even so, it is worth wearing for a few more days. Resist the temptation to soak it up with a towel, blow it with a hair dryer, or otherwise try to speed up the "drying" process. The skin must heal from the inside out. After drying and healing, remember that new skin will be more prone to sunburn. If you are worried about scars, lotion or vitamin E oil will help, although you are unlikely to get rid of the marks of fighting completely.

Needless to say, if you see something terrible, such as bones, constant bleeding, weird colored liquid, or red radiating around the wound, please stop your DIY medication and seek professional care.

Buy salbutamol inhaler, buy combigen online, buy chantix, buy voltaren gel online

Ned Dowling is a physical therapist in Salt Lake City, Utah. Questions can be sent to ned.dowling@hsc.utah.edu

You must be logged in to leave a comment.