No matter what steps you take to stay healthy, you are sure to deal with at least a few serious injuries over the years. Luckily, most of those injuries should heal on their own as long as you continue to take care of your body.

The first thing that you need to do after an injury occurs is spend a little bit of time resting. The primary purpose of resting is to give your body ample time to flood the area with fresh blood. That inflammation might be uncomfortable at first, but the extra blood is going to protect the ligaments, joints, and soft tissue from further damage. You can also alternate using hot and cold packs to further stimulate blood flow and minimize your discomfort.

Contrary to what many people believe, most injuries are going to heal faster if you move around. Resting will be important for a short period of time, but you need to get your heart rate up and blood flowing to your extremities if you want to trigger the natural healing process. That being said, you should only move around and stretch if you have been cleared by a doctor. Fractures and other serious injuries might get worse if you move around too much.

Sticking to a healthy diet is one of the best things that an individual can do after they are injured. Eating nutrient-dense foods will allow your body to create healthy new cells to replace all of the damaged cells. You must also avoid any foods or ingredients that will increase your risk of chronic inflammation. That includes processed sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial trans fats, alcohol, and refined carbohydrates.

For a major injury that doesn’t seem to be healing on its own, you should consider heading to an injury rehab clinic. At one of those clinics, you are going to work with a team of medical professionals that can help you come up with a long-term recovery plan. That team might suggest services such as chiropractic adjustments, deep tissue massages, ultrasound therapy, and muscle stimulation.

These few steps should help you deal with most injuries, but you need to seek out medical assistance for all injuries that involve your head or spine. Those types of injuries can quickly spiral out of control, and you could end up dealing with lifelong health problems if you aren’t treated right away.