Musculoskeletal pain is a very common condition that affects people of all ages and works of life. It can result from trauma, wrong posturing, or even wear and tear that often accompanies ageing.
Do you know that RICE can be used to treat musculoskeletal injuries affecting the muscles (e.g. strains and sprains), bones or joints?
By RICE, we do not mean the white staple grains enjoyed by many. ‘RICE’ in the orthopaedics context (think bones and joints) is an acronym that represents important steps used in the management of acute (new onset) musculoskeletal injury.
It stands for:
R -rest
I -ice
C -compress
E -elevate
By adhering to all four steps, you can safely manage many cases of muscle, bone and joint complaints at home.
1. Rest
After a musculoskeletal injury, it is very important to rest the affected body part. For example, if you had an ankle sprain, or stretched a ligament in your knees, it would do you a lot of good to avoid bearing weight on the affected leg.
Get a lot of bed rest and avoid using that body part in the meantime. Giving the injured part at least 48 hours of rest will help you heal faster.
2. Ice
The normal response to bodily injury is inflammation, and this results in pain and swelling of the affected area. Applying a cold compress can help to reduce these symptoms dramatically.
Applying cold to the skin will result in constriction of blood vessels, and this will help to reduce swelling. The cold also soothes pain.
It is important, however, not to apply ice directly to your skin. Instead, place the ice in a clean towel or napkin, and apply it over the injured part.
Apply ice compress to musculoskeletal injuries for a maximum of 20 minutes at a time. After 20 minutes, give your body time to warm up before reapplying the ice.
Exposing your body to cold temperatures for a long time increases your risk of frostbite . People with advanced diabetes, or those with neuropathies that affect how they feel sensations, are more prone to ice injuries.
3. Compression
Another key point in the treatment of acute musculoskeletal injury is compression. Compression helps to reduce swelling, and it also helps to keep bones and joints in place.
In case of a fracture, compression will help you immobilize the fracture and keep the bones aligned as much as possible.
Casts and bandages are common materials used for compression.
Note: Make sure you do not compress too tightly, as this can compromise blood supply, or result in a dangerous condition called compartment syndrome .
4. Elevation
Raising the affected part above your heart level will help to reduce pain and swelling.
You can try elevating the injured body part using one or two pillows.
A word from Healthfacts
The RICE principle is a safe approach that you can use to treat many musculoskeletal injuries at home.
Not all injuries should be managed conservatively, however. We advise that you visit your doctor if:
1. The injury is causing severe pain
2. There is an obvious fracture or dislocation
3. There is significant bleeding
4. If your symptoms do not improve after a few days of using RICE.
We hope you’ve learnt something new. Kindly share this article for others to see.
Till next time, stay safe.
Good post. I learn something totally new and challenging on websites
I stumbleupon everyday. It’s always helpful to read through content from other writers and use something from their web sites.
[…] Suggested Reading: How to treat muscle and bone pains with RICE! […]
It’s an amazing article designed for all the web visitors; they will
obtain advantage from it I am sure.
What’s up mates, its fantastic post concerning educationand
completely explained, keep it up all the time.
This blog was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I’ve found something which helped me.
Thank you!
When someone writes an post he/she maintains the plan of
a user in his/her brain that how a user can understand it.
Therefore that’s why this paragraph is outstdanding. Thanks!
Fantastic beat ! I would like to apprentice while you amend
your website, how can i subscribe for a blog web site?
The account helped me a acceptable deal. I had been a little bit acquainted of this your broadcast offered bright clear idea
It’s hard to find knowledgeable people about this topic, however, you seem like you know what you’re talking about!
Thanks
Howdy I am so thrilled I found your website, I really found you
by error, while I was looking on Digg for something else, Nonetheless I
am here now and would just like to say many thanks for a remarkable post
and a all round interesting blog (I also love the
theme/design), I don’t have time to go through it all at the moment but I have bookmarked it and also added your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will
be back to read more, Please do keep up the awesome work.
I’m extremely inspired together with your writing talents as neatly as with the format in your blog.
Is this a paid theme or did you modify it yourself?
Anyway stay up the excellent quality writing, it’s rare to look a great blog like this
one today..
Examine values that underpin societal structures and institutions. How do these values contribute to social cohesion or discord?
Hello there! Would you mind if I share your
blog with my myspace group? There’s a lot of people that I think would really appreciate
your content. Please let me know. Many thanks
Hello colleagues, how is all, and what you want to say regarding this article, in my view its truly amazing in support of me.