Health Topics for Sports Medicine

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

UI Family Care

Treating Athletic Injuries With Rice

Sports injuries can occur no matter how careful people are. Many injuries are caused from overusing muscles and joints. Overuse injuries should not be ignored. They can take a long time to heal. Most sports injuries caused by overuse can be treated at home with RICE therapy.

The four steps to take for RICE therapy are: rest, ice, compression, and elevation.

• REST is very important. Avoid activities that cause pain or swelling to your injury. Pay attention to aches and pains. Exercising before an injury has healed may worsen the injury and increase the chance of re-injury. Rest is needed for repair. Rest an injury until it no longer hurts.

• ICE is the most effective, safest, and cheapest first aid treatment for injuries. Apply ice as soon as possible. Applying ice relieves the pain, slows the blood flow to the injury, and reduces the swelling. Ice also speeds the repair process. Ice should be applied for 10 to 30 minutes on and off for 48 to 72 hours. A one- or two-pound package of frozen corn or peas makes an excellent ice pack. They mold to the ankle and can be refrozen for repeated use. Be sure to protect your skin from the direct application of ice. Do not ice an injury for more than 30 minutes at a time, unless doing ice massage.

• Apply a COMPRESSION bandage such as an Ace wrap. An Ace wrap helps to reduce the amount of swelling and loss of motion. Be careful not to apply the bandage too tightly. The bandage is meant to reduce swelling, not block blood flow to the injury.

• ELEVATION reduces swelling at the injury site. Keep the injured limb above the level of your heart.

Seek medical care if your injury appears more serious than a mild overuse injury. In the meantime, follow the RICE steps. They will relieve pain and prevent further damage. Also seek medical care for:

• injuries to joints that "popped" and became immediately difficult to use

• injuries that do not get better with home care within 7-10 days

Remember, many overuse injuries can be treated successfully at home. Appropriate care will keep you exercising longer and without long-term injuries. Listen to your body and stop when it is fatigued. Doing this will prevent many overuse injuries from occurring.

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