RICE is an acronym for a type of treatment. Doctors usually recommend this treatment when a person has injured a muscle, tendon, or ligament. These are called soft tissue injuries.
RICE stands for:
Rest: Avoiding use of the injured area.
Ice: Applying ice packs or bags of frozen vegetables to the area, without them touching the skin directly.
Compression: Wrapping the injured area with an elastic bandage to provide support, reduce blood flow, and limit swelling.
Elevation: Keeping the area raised above the level of the heart to reduce swelling.
Soft tissue injuries include sprains, strains, and contusions, which are commonly known as bruises.
These injuries are often sports-related. One study reported that sports are responsible for about 50 percentTrusted Source of all musculoskeletal injuries sustained in the United States.
In this article, we describe the correct way to perform RICE and explore why it may be useful.
