Introduction
RICE is a simple method to treat minor injuries. It stands for "rest", "ice", "compression", and "elevation" and has been recommended for decades as an easy way to deal with bumps, bruises, sprains, strains, and other injuries. The idea is that by applying these four steps in sequence (rest first, then ice then compression then elevation) you can make your body more comfortable while it repairs itself from the injury. However, recent research has shown that using RICE in this way isn't always helpful — it's better to know when not to use RICE!
Rest
- Rest in the injured area.
- Don't do anything that hurts. This is really important, because if you try to play through the pain and re-injure yourself, then it will take longer for your body to heal.
- Don't try to play through the pain or increase swelling or bleeding by doing activities that increase these things (like running). If you're unsure whether an activity would increase bleeding or swelling, talk with a doctor before getting back into action!
- Don't move the injured area until you are ready to start moving it again--this includes stretching out muscles with massage therapy and other treatments such as heat packs/cold packs (which can help reduce swelling), massage pads/balls (which can help relax tight muscles), etcetera...
Ice
Ice is a great way to reduce inflammation. It's best to use ice for the first 48 hours after an injury, but you can also continue applying it for up to three days. For example, if you sprain your ankle on Monday and wrap it in an elastic compression bandage (more on these below), then continue wrapping it with an ice pack or bag of frozen vegetables every day until Friday.
- Avoid using ice directly on the skin--it could cause frostbite! Instead, place a towel between your skin and the ice pack so that only indirect contact occurs between them.
- You should compress swollen areas tightly enough so that blood flow is reduced slightly--but not so much that circulation stops completely! If there's no swelling present at all (as might happen with certain types of chronic pain), then there won't be much benefit from compressing anything tightly enough to cut off blood flow completely anyway; however, many people find this helpful when dealing with acute injuries such as sprains or strains where swelling may occur quickly due to internal bleeding into tissues surrounding bones/joints etcetera."
Compression
Compression is used to reduce swelling and blood flow. Compression can be achieved with a bandage or with a compression sleeve, which is more comfortable than using a bandage. If you are using ice, it should be applied for up to 20 minutes at a time and then removed for about 20 minutes before reapplying again. If you're going to use ice on your injury, it's best to do so with an ice pack or bag of frozen peas instead of directly applying cold water from the tap because this could cause frostbite if left on for too long.
If rest does not help after 24 hours (or if there's any pain), see your doctor immediately! Resting until healed means resting as much as possible--that may mean walking around but not exercising; lying down most of each day; staying off work; etcetera based upon how bad off you were when injured (and don't forget that sometimes injuries can worsen over time).
Elevation
The RICE method is a standard first aid treatment for injuries. It stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.
- Rest: This means avoiding movement of your injured limb as much as possible. Try not to put any weight on it at all until you see your doctor or another healthcare professional who can evaluate whether further treatment is necessary (or if it's just time for rest).
- Ice: The idea behind icing an injury is that ice helps reduce swelling by slowing down blood flow through capillaries near an injured area. To do this effectively, apply ice packs directly over the injured part--you can use bags of frozen peas or corn kernels in plastic bags--for 15 minutes at a time every hour until symptoms subside (usually within 48 hours). You may also want to consider using compression bandages during this time period so that you can wrap up any swelling before applying heat later on in the recovery process
RICE is a great first aid technique for injuries but you can't rely on it for treating long-term problems.
- RICE is a great first aid technique for injuries but you can't rely on it for treating long-term problems.
- Use RICE to treat acute injuries and get back to your normal routine as soon as possible, but don't use it as a long-term treatment plan.
- If you have chronic pain or inflammation, RICE may not be the most effective way of treating your symptoms. In fact, some studies have shown that icing an injury can actually make things worse in these cases!
- Don't try this at home! This method isn't recommended if there's any chance that surgery will be needed to fix your problem--it could cause further damage instead of helping with healing (and remember: even though ice feels good when applied directly after injury or strain occurs, this doesn't mean that it's good for those areas).
Conclusion
The RICE method is a great first-aid technique for injuries, but you can't rely on it for treating long-term problems. The best way to treat an injury is by seeing a doctor, who will prescribe the right treatment and let you know when it's safe to return to activity.