RICE - First Response Treatment For Injuries
If you are an active or athletic individual - whether you enjoy playing basketball, hiking, or running - chances are you have encountered an injury. Many injuries are not serious, such as a sprain or strain that leaves you with temporary pain. On the other hand, a muscle pull or tear might sideline you for a longer period of time. In either case, immediate care and treatment will relieve pain, limit swelling, and protect injured tissues.
A widely accepted method of first response treatment for an injury is RICE, which stands for Rest, Ice, Compress, and Elevate. Following these steps can relieve the pain and swelling that accompanies the injury and increase your chances of a speedy recovery process.
Rest
The first step in any treatment is adequate rest. You should not continue to play a sport or engage in activity if you feel pain, as this puts the injured muscle, tendon or ligament at further risk. Rest will also give your body the energy it needs to heal most effectively. Without rest, your injury will only have further stress, lengthening the recovery process.
Ice
Icing an injury is a common approach to dealing with pain. The cold provides short-term pain relief and can limit swelling, reducing blood flow to the injured area. Ice bags, packs or frozen packages from your freezer can be used to apply cold to your injury. You should apply cold in 20 minute intervals - 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off, as longer exposure may potentially damage your skin.
Compression
Wrapping a bandage around the swollen area is the easiest way to immediately compress an injury. Wrap the bandage firmly, but not so much that you feel throbbing. Compressing an injury will reduce swelling and may also help with pain relief.
Elevate
The final aspect of immediate care is elevation. You should elevate the injured area so it is raised above the level of your heart. If it’s your ankle, lie down and place your foot on top of a few pillows. For a wrist injury, raise your wrist so that it is in line with your shoulder. This will aid in reducing swelling.
The RICE method can be applied to any both mild and severe injuries. Each step will increase the chances that your immediate pain is reduced and swelling is kept at a minimum until you are able to meet with a doctor to receive further treatment.