Orthopedics Sports Injuries R.I.C.E. Treatment for Acute Musculoskeletal Injury Self-Care to Reduce Pain and Swelling With Soft Tissue Injuries By Carol Eustice facebook Carol Eustice is a writer covering arthritis and chronic illness, who herself has been diagnosed with both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Learn about our editorial process Carol Eustice Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Jonathan Cluett, MD on October 19, 2020 twitter linkedin Jonathan Cluett, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with subspecialty training in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery. Learn about our Medical Review Board Jonathan Cluett, MD on October 19, 2020 Print Table of Contents View All Rest Ice Compression Elevation When to Seek Medical Treatment A Word From Verywell The R.I.C.E. treatment is recommended by health professionals for the early treatment of bone injury or acute soft tissue injuries such as a sprain or strain. It can be helpful for sports injuries, closed fractures, and degenerative joint problems. 1:18 How to Treat a Sports Injury with R.I.C.E. Technique The acronym R.I.C.E. stands for: RestIceCompressionElevation The primary goal of R.I.C.E. is to bring pain and swelling under control as quickly as possible. It should be started as soon as pain and swelling occur and used until there is healing of minor injuries or until another treatment has been initiated for more complex problems. Here are the basics of R.I.C.E. Verywell / JR Bee Rest Rest is needed for the healing of injured tissue. Without rest, movement and weight bearing can continue to aggravate an injury and cause increased inflammation and swelling. You should initially reduce using or stop using the injured area for 48 hours. If you have a leg injury, you may need to stay off of it completely and not bear any weight on it. You may need to use assistive devices or mobility aids to keep off of the injured joint or limb. Ice Ice is useful for reducing pain and inflammation associated with an acute injury. Icing is believed to be most effective if done the first couple of days after the injury has occurred. You can apply ice for 20 minutes at a time and as frequently as every hour. If you prefer, apply it four to eight times a day. You can use a cold gel pack or a plastic bag filled with ice, but do not apply a bag of ice directly to the skin. Instead, wrap the bag of ice in a towel or make sure there is some layer of material between the ice and your skin. Often, gel packs or cold packs sold for this purpose have a cover provided. Don't leave the ice on your injury for more than 20 minutes at a time or you could damage your skin. After you remove the ice pack, give your skin time enough to get warm before icing it again. Compression Compression of an injured or painful ankle, knee, or wrist helps to reduce the swelling. Elastic bandages, such as ACE wraps, are most commonly used. Special boots, air casts, and splints can serve a dual purpose of compression and support. Your doctor should make a recommendation and discuss your options. Be sure not to apply excessive compression which would act as a tourniquet and interfere with your blood circulation. If you feel throbbing, the bandage is probably wrapped too tight; take it off and put it back on a little looser. Elastic Bandage Dos and Don'ts Elevation Elevate the injured part of the body above heart level. This provides a downward path for draining fluid back to the heart, which may reduce swelling and pain. Try to elevate the entire limb 6 to 10 inches above the heart so there is a complete downhill path. Lay down and use a pillow to help elevate the injured limb. When to Seek Medical Treatment Too often, people with an acute injury do nothing with the hope that it will go away without any intervention. Many common acute injuries can be helped by R.I.C.E., especially when combined with over-the-counter pain relievers. If your pain and swelling don't begin to go down after 48 hours, you should see your doctor. Get professional treatment immediately if any injury is severe. A severe injury implies that there is an obvious fracture, dislocation of a joint, prolonged swelling, or prolonged or severe pain. Serious injuries may require more intensive treatment and possibly surgery. A Word From Verywell Sprains and strains can happen to anyone, whether on the playing field or simply when making a wrong move at home. Bringing pain, swelling, and inflammation under control as soon as possible is the optimal plan. It's smart to stock an ice bag and an ACE bandage as part of your emergency first aid supplies. You might even keep a cold gel pack in the freezer to have ready. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get exercise tips to make your workouts less work and more fun. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Sloan J. Soft tissue injuries: introduction and basic principles. Emerg Med J. 2008;25(1):33‐37. doi:10.1136/emj.2007.050971 Bleakley CM, O'Connor S, Tully MA, Rocke LG, Macauley DC, McDonough SM. The PRICE study (Protection Rest Ice Compression Elevation): design of a randomised controlled trial comparing standard versus cryokinetic ice applications in the management of acute ankle sprain [ISRCTN13903946]. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2007;8:125. Published 2007 Dec 19. doi:10.1186/1471-2474-8-125 Krafts KP. Tissue repair: The hidden drama. Organogenesis. 2010;6(4):225‐233. doi:10.4161/org.6.4.12555 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Sprains, strains and other soft-tissue injuries. Updated July 2015. Additional Reading RICE Therapy. Family Practice Notebook. Sports Injuries. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.