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It is critically important to apply ice and compression immediately after an injury. Studies show that recovery from an injury is directly related to how soon ice and compression are applied. More Ice Therapy facts »
Weekend Warriors, Heal Yourselves
Category: RICES
Jan 20, 2007
By JOHN BRILEY / The Washington Post
So you just couldn't hold back. Despite pointed advice to ease back slowly into your exercise routine, you pushed too hard and are now limping, wincing, whining or worse. We feel for you. But we'll also exploit your pain as a chance to explain the fine art of self-treating minor injuries.
Rushing back into action can be a sure-fire way to make an injury worse.
First: Know when to head to the doctor.
Darryl Conway, assistant athletic director for sports medicine at the University of Maryland in College Park, cites four injury types that should prompt a visit to the doctor:
•Any pain in your back that extends into the buttocks or legs;
•A fracture or dislocation;
•Numbness or tingling in the extremities;
•Gross swelling – for example, Mr. Conway says, "if your ankle swells to the point where it looks like you have a grapefruit under your sock."
For more common episodes of minor pain or swelling or both, experts recommend self-care via the RICE treatment – rest, ice, compression and elevation.
Ideally, you can apply ice periodically throughout the day for about 20 minutes at a time. Yes, we know you have jobs, commutes and other annoyances to deal with. But the more consistently you ice, especially in the first 48 hours after injury, the quicker you heal, says Walter R. Thompson, a professor of kinesiology and nutrition at Georgia State University in Atlanta.
If your injury is swollen, do not apply heat, which can worsen swelling. Absent such distension, however, alternating heat and ice is fine, Dr. Thompson says.
"Compression" means a tight wrap during icing, then an Ace bandage or similar wrap during the rest of the day. Nothing that will cut off circulation, of course; you're looking to limit mobility, not cut off a spurting artery. Keep the site elevated above your heart as often as possible, to let gravity help reduce the swelling.
Do the RICE routine for at least five to seven days before testing the injury with exercise.