This is a great string. I took the liberty of editing it for a note to our HS wrestlers and thought I'd post it. Doc, I hope I didn't loose or confuse anything...!?
Cauliflower ear results from ear trauma with subsequent collection of bloody fluid (auricular hematoma). If left alone, the ear may become permanently deformed with impaired hearing. Treatment = drainage + compression. Drainage alone allows the fluid to return. A family doc or ENT can treat the ear, miss 1 day of wrestling.
1. Numb the ear with 1% xylocaine without EPI.
2. Drain with an 18 gauge needle.
3. Sew thru and thru, compressing the ear front and back
(3-0 nylon suture with either small rolls of gauze or a silicone splint).
4. Control infection with oral antibiotics (keflex) for 5-14 days.
Many wrestlers claim, “Stretching does nothing to prevent injury”. The most recent data suggests that stretching is beneficial when the muscle is 'warm'; therefore, a slow jog should precede the stretch.
Does the R.I.C.E. formula (rest, ice, compression, elevation) work for shoulders or knees injuries? The R.I.C.E. regimen for acute injuries (tissue/muscle surrounding a joint, not a sprain or tear) is still the best to date.
Shouldn't heat be applied to that injury? After any injury inflammation is the initial problem. Ice and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (Advil, etc) are the best.