RICE—First response to treat any injury

RICE  is simple first aid method to get quick recovery

Have you ever been a victim or find a victim, who met with an unforeseen accident? An accident can be either a sudden slip from the stairs, or an athletic injury, or any sort of accident on road, a proper injury management, includes a simple formulae i.e. RICE, which means Rest, Ice, Compression & elevation. This simple formulae can make wonders and helps in easing pain, reduce swelling & speeds up healing. These sort of accidents may make you may feel pain, loss of function, discomfort& unable to perform the task at hand. Thus, for quick recovery of injuries caused due to the accidents must receive an immediate treatment.

RICE Method for Injuries

RICE is a first and foremost simple self-care technique that aids in reducing inflammation, ease pain, & accelerates the recovery time. Whenever a person met with an accident and experience achy knee, ankle, or wrist, this RICE method would definitely help in healing the injury quickly and eases the pain. If the pain gets worse, approach doctor immediately.

Steps to proceed with RICE formulae

Step 1: Rest

Whenever you get hurt, stop the activity you were doing at that time and rest & protect the injured or sore area. Avoid putting weight on injured area.

Step 2: Ice

Cold helps in reducing pain & swelling. Thus, apply an ice or cold pack immediately to reduce or prevent the swelling. Following the injury, apply the cold pack or ice for at least 10 to 20 minutes, or 3 or more times a day. After the completion of 48 to 72 hours, if there is no swelling, apply a slight heat to the injured area. Always remember that, neither ice nor heat should be applied directly on the affected area. Use a towel over the cold or heat pack prior to applying it to the skin.

Step 3: Compression

Compression means wrapping the injured or affected area to prevent or reduce the swelling. Wrap the area with an elastic medical bandage such as ACE bandage. Snug it, but not too tight, because too tight, may interrupt blood flow. If the wrapped area turns blue or feels numb, cold, or tingly, loosen the bandage. If the symptoms won’t disappear immediately, get doctors help immediately.

Step 4: Elevation

In this step, raise the sore part of your body over the level of heart. This process aids in reducing the pain, aching, & any sort of internal bleeding that may lead to bumps. It’s not as complicated to do as you may think. For instance, if an individual is having an ankle sprain, he or she can prop the leg up on pillows when sitting on the sofa.

While following R.I.C.E. method, the intake of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, such as ibuprofen or naproxen aid in reducing pain and swelling. With this method, a sprain, strain, or any other minor injury caused due to an accident can be easily treated &one can get back to their regular activities ASAP.