RICE ( Medicine ) - wikipedia RICE ( Medicine ) For other uses, see Rice ( disambiguation ). This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( December 2014 ) This article needs attention from an expert in Medicine. See the talk page for details. WikiProject Medicine may be able to help recruit an expert. ( February 2015 ) RICE ( edit on Wikidata ) RICE is a mnemonic for four elements of treatment for soft tissue injuries -- an acronym for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. The mnemonic was introduced by Gabe Mirkin in Sportsmedicine Book ( ISBN 978 - 0316574365 ) in year 1978. However, he has since recanted his support for the regimen. On March 16, 2014, he wrote `` Coaches have used my ' RICE ' guideline for decades, but now it appears that both Ice and complete Rest may delay healing, instead of helping. In a recent study, athletes were told to exercise so intensely that they developed severe muscle damage that caused extensive muscle soreness. Although cooling delayed swelling, it did not hasten recovery from this muscle damage. '' RICE is considered a first - aid treatment, rather than a cure for soft tissue injuries. The aim is to manage discomfort and internal bleeding. Contents 1 Evidence 2 Primary four terms 2.1 Rest 2.2 Ice 2.3 Compression 2.4 Elevation 3 Variations 4 Alternatives 5 See also 6 References 7 External links Evidence There is not enough evidence from randomized controlled trials to determine the true effectiveness of RICE therapy for acute ankle sprains. Treatment decisions for ankle sprains must be made on an individual basis and relies on expert opinions and national guidelines. Primary four terms Rest Rest is a key component of repairing the body. Without rest, continual strain is placed on the affected area that is injured, leading to increased inflammation, pain, and possible further injury. Rest is recommended during the initial 24 -- 48 hours after an injury, but after that modified activities can be started. Additionally, some soft tissue injuries will take longer to heal without rest. There is also a risk of abnormal repair or chronic inflammation resulting from a failure to rest. In general, the period of rest should be long enough that the patient is able to use the affected limb with the majority of function restored and pain essentially gone. Ice Ice is excellent at reducing the inflammatory response and pain associated with heat generated by increased blood flow and / or blood loss. A good method is apply ice for 20 minutes of each hour. Other recommendations are an alternation of ice and no - ice for 15 -- 20 minutes each, for a 48 - hour period. To prevent localised ischemia or frostbite to the skin, it is recommended that the ice be placed within a towel or other insulating material before wrapping around the area. Exceeding the recommended time for ice application may be detrimental, as it has been shown to delay healing. Compression Compression aims to reduce the edematous swelling that results from the inflammatory process. Although some swelling is inevitable, too much swelling results in significant loss of function, excessive pain and eventual slowing of blood flow through vessel restriction. An elastic bandage, rather than a firm plastic bandage ( such as zinc - oxide tape ) is required. Usage of a tight, non-elastic bandage will result in reduction of adequate blood flow, potentially causing ischemia. The fit should be snug so as to not move freely, but still allow expansion for when muscles contract and fill with blood. Compression stockings or sleeves are a viable option to manage swelling of extremities with graduated compression ( where the amount of compression decreases as the distance to the heart decreases ). These garments are especially effective post-operatively and are used in virtually all hospitals to manage acute or chronic swelling, such as congestive heart failure. Elevation Elevation aims to reduce swelling by increasing venous return of blood to the systemic circulation. This will result in less edema which reduces pain and / or swelling. Variations Variations of the acronym are sometimes used, to emphasize additional steps that should be taken. These include : `` HI - RICE '' -- Hydration, Ibuprofen, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation `` PRICE '' -- Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation `` PRICE '' -- Pulse ( Typically Radial or Distal ), Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation `` PRICES '' -- Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation, and Support `` PRINCE '' -- Protection, Rest, Ice, NSAIDs, Compression, and Elevation `` RICER '' -- Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation, and Referral `` DRICE '' -- Diagnosis, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation `` POLICE '' -- Protection, Optimal Loading, Ice, Compression, and Elevation Alternatives As RICE and its variations work by reducing blood flow to the injured area, some people argue that for certain types of injuries ( such as damage to ligaments and tendons ) a protocol that increases blood flow, such as MEAT ( Movement, Exercise, Analgesics and Treatments ), should be used instead. See also Cold compression therapy References Jump up ^ `` R.I.C.E - Best for Acute Injuries ''. Retrieved 2007 - 08 - 15. Jump up ^ `` Sports Medicine Advisor 2005.4 : RICE : Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation for Injuries ''. Archived from the original on 2007 - 09 - 11. Retrieved 2007 - 08 - 15. Jump up ^ Medical Mnemonics.com : 235 Jump up ^ `` Why Ice Delays Recovery ''. Archived from the original on 29 June 2014. Retrieved 2014 - 10 - 24. Jump up ^ Järvinen TA, Järvinen TL, Kääriäinen M, et al. ( 2007 ). `` Muscle injuries : optimising recovery ''. Best practice & research. Clinical rheumatology. 21 ( 2 ) : 317 -- 31. doi : 10.1016 / j. berh. 2006.12. 004. PMID 17512485. Jump up ^ van den Bekerom MP, Struijs PA, Blankevoort L, Welling L, van Dijk CN, Kerkhoffs GM ( 2012 ). `` What is the evidence for rest, ice, compression, and elevation therapy in the treatment of ankle sprains in adults ? ''. Journal of Athletic Training. 47 ( 4 ) : 435 -- 43. doi : 10.4085 / 1062 - 6050 - 47.4. 14. PMC 3396304. PMID 22889660. Jump up ^ `` Physiotherapy ''. Retrieved 2016 - 07 - 11. Jump up ^ `` Sprains and strains ''. Retrieved 2011. Check date values in : access - date = ( help ) Jump up ^ RICE : Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation for Injuries on the website of the University of Michigan Health System, retrieved 28 July 2008 Jump up ^ `` Sprains and strains : Self - care - MayoClinic.com ''. Retrieved 2007 - 08 - 15. Jump up ^ Ivins D ( 2006 ). `` Acute ankle sprain : an update ''. American Family Physician. 74 ( 10 ) : 1714 -- 20. PMID 17137000. Jump up ^ Bleakley CM, O'Connor S, Tully MA, Rocke LG, Macauley DC, McDonough SM ( 2007 ). `` 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. 8 : 125. doi : 10.1186 / 1471 - 2474 - 8 - 125. PMC 2228299. PMID 18093299. Jump up ^ `` Ankle sprain - Yahoo ! Health ''. Retrieved 2008 - 02 - 23. Jump up ^ `` SmartPlay : Managing your Injuries ''. Retrieved 2008 - 05 - 28. Jump up ^ CM, Bleakley. `` PRICE needs updating, should we call the POLICE ? ''. BMJ. Retrieved 5 March 2012. Jump up ^ `` MEAT vs RICE treatmentwork = ''. 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MARCHE OPQRST RICE RNCHAMPS RPM - 30 - 2 - Can Do SAD PERSONS SAMPLE SBAR SOAP SOCRATES Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=RICE_(medicine)&oldid=822619988 '' Categories : Medical treatments Medical mnemonics Mnemonic acronyms Hidden categories : CS1 errors : dates Articles needing additional references from December 2014 All articles needing additional references Articles needing expert attention from February 2015 All articles needing expert attention Medicine articles needing expert attention All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from November 2013 Articles with unsourced statements from November 2016 Articles with unsourced statements from May 2013 Articles with unsourced statements from September 2011 All articles lacking reliable references Articles lacking reliable references from January 2013 Use dmy dates from September 2011 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Deutsch עברית 日本 語 Norsk Edit links This page was last edited on 27 January 2018, at 13 : 58. 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Question: with regard to the treatment of sports injuries the protocol rice stands for
Answer: Rest