People do their best to keep themselves fit and in all this chaos tend to forget that their body is just like the machines, demanding service and care every now and then. The most common “out of service” part of our body is the muscles in our hand and legs. Strain and sprain are two of the most common injuries as we do not give enough rest to the muscles and overstrain them.
The magic four letter word
There is no doubt that at least once in your lifetime, you will pull a muscle, suffer from sprain or strain. So the question is what to do next after this happens? Well, the answer is a simple acronym called RICE.
RICE is a method of treating soft tissue injuries. It is an acronym for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. RICE is a first aid treatment people use to prevent further injuries, it aims at reducing discomfort and avoid further internal bleeding.
RICE is the basic necessity first aid needed for an injured person until the doctor arrives. It is commonly used for musculoskeletal injuries such as sprains and strains. So, let us break down and analyze the process of RICE.
Rest: After an injury, it is vital for the injured person to take rest until help arrives. This will help in preventing the person from accelerating the severity of the current injury or having a further injury. The injured part should be at rest but it should also not be completely inactive. A complete inactivity of that part might result in the decrease of strength and mobility and even after the soft tissue and promote swelling.
Ice: Keeping ice on the injured part is a well-known technique that reduces the swelling and inflammation by stopping the fluid in the body to flow to the injured soft tissue. This technique is also known as cryotherapy. This therapy helps by freezing the neural stimuli which cut off the pain receptors in the brain and keeps the area numb and free from pain. Ice should be applied for 15 to 20 every couple of hours in the first 48 hours after the injury. Before treating, the ice should be covered with a damp towel or cloth to avoid any superficial nerve damage.
Compression: Compression is the process of wrapping the injured or sore area with an elastic bandage.It should be noted that the bandage should not be wrapped tightly as this might cause more swelling.
Elevation: After the compression treatment, the injured area should be kept in an elevated position. The preferred elevation is a level above the heart. This makes the fluid from the injured part to go back to the main circulating system and the swelling will gradually stop after this process.
Advantages of the RICE process at the right time:
RICE should be administered as soon as possible after the injury.
This process done at the right time will result in a decrease in:
Pain
Inflammation
Muscle spasms
Swelling
Tissue damages
When a person gets a strain or a sprain, it is important to note that the person should have enough rest to his affected area until he is ready again. The affected area should not be used as it normally would have been used. The basic mantra after the treatment is to take sufficient rest after the treatment. This accelerates the healing process and your body will be healthy and happy as ever.