Do You Play Sports? Learn the RICE Protocol in Case of Injury

Playing sports, or getting regular exercise, is good for your body, mind, and spirit. But accidents happen. Sports injuries are common and may affect any part of the body. 

If you get hurt playing a sport or exercising, the first thing you need to do is stop playing to prevent more damage. What happens after that depends on the type of injury you have, but it’s never a bad idea to get checked out by a health professional. 

At Pro-Health Urgent Care of Midland our skilled and experienced providers specialize in sports health and injuries. We treat many people with sports injuries at our urgent care clinic. 

Rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE) is a common treatment for injuries involving the muscles, ligaments, or tendons. If you play sports, you need to know about the RICE protocol. Following it may help you recover faster.

Rest

When you live an active lifestyle and love playing your favorite sport, you may find it difficult to rest. But it’s one of the most important things you need to do when you have an injury. 

Though treatment time varies, you may need to avoid using the injured body part for 24-48 hours after the initial injury. Walking too soon on a sprained ankle, for example, may delay your healing or make your injury worse. 

Ice

You’re going to have pain and swelling following your injury. This is part of your body’s healing process. We recommend icing your injury for 20 minutes every four hours during the first two days to reduce discomfort and swelling.

Use an ice pack covered with a towel. If you don’t have an ice pack, a bag of frozen vegetables works well. Though icing is part of the RICE protocol, don’t overdo it. Icing your injury for more than 20 minutes may damage skin tissue.

Compression

The compression part of the RICE protocol involves wrapping your injured body part with a bandage to control swelling. Make sure you wrap the bandage so it’s tight enough to prevent swelling, but not so tight that it’s cutting off circulation. If the skin below your bandage turns blue or feels tingly, your bandage is too tight. 

Keep your injury wrapped for the first 48 hours. You may need to continue with the compression protocol for up to a week following your injury.

Elevation

Raise and keep your injured body part up so it’s higher than the level of your heart. This helps reduce swelling, pain, and internal bleeding. 

For your sprained ankle, put pillows under your leg to elevate your foot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says you should keep your injured body part elevated as much as possible. 

Following the RICE protocol and taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) when you have a minor sports injury may help you heal faster so you can return to your active lifestyle sooner.

If your injury fails to improve within a few days or your pain and swelling get worse instead of better, you may have a more serious injury. No matter what type of injury you have, we can provide the urgent care you need. Call our office in Midland, Michigan, or book an appointment online now.