What is RICE Therapy for Routine Care of Injuries

RICE therapy is rest, ice, compression, and elevation

Many injuries can be cared for with RICE therapy. This includes:

• Resting the injured part.
• Putting ice on the injury.
• Putting pressure (compression) on the injury.
• Raising the injured part (elevation).

Using RICE therapy can help to lessen pain and swelling.

Supplies needed:

• Ice.
• Plastic bag.
• Towel.
• Elastic bandage.
• Pillow or pillows to raise (elevate) your injured body part.

How to care for your injury with RICE therapy

Rest

Limit your normal activities, and try not to use the injured part of your body. You can go back to your normal activities when your doctor says it is okay to do them and you feel okay. Ask your doctor if you should do exercises to help your injury get better.

Ice

Put ice on the injured area. Do not put ice on your bare skin.

• Put ice in a plastic bag.
• Place a towel between your skin and the bag.
• Leave the ice on for 20 minutes, 2–3 times a day. Use ice on as many days as told by your doctor.

Compression

Compression means putting pressure on the injured area. This can be done with an elastic bandage. If an elastic bandage has been put on your injury:

• Do not wrap the bandage too tight. Wrap the bandage more loosely if part of your body away from the bandage is blue, swollen, cold, painful, or loses feeling (gets numb).
• Take off the bandage and put it on again. Do this every 3–4 hours or as told by your doctor.
• See your doctor if the bandage seems to make your problems worse.

Elevation

Elevation means keeping the injured area raised. If you can, raise the injured area above your heart or the center of your chest.

Contact a doctor if:

• You keep having pain and swelling.
• Your symptoms get worse.

Get help right away if:

• You have sudden bad pain at your injury or lower than your injury.
• You have redness or more swelling around your injury.
• You have tingling or numbness at your injury or lower than your injury, and it does not go away when you take off the bandage.

Summary

• Many injuries can be cared for using rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE therapy).
• You can go back to your normal activities when you feel okay and your doctor says it is okay.
• Put ice on the injured area as told by your doctor.
• Get help if your symptoms get worse or if you keep having pain and swelling.