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use a little rice for strains and sprainsPatricia Carroll, RN,C, CEN, RRT, MS To watch this interview click here Most people think
of wintertime as the season for colds and flu,
not sprains and strains. (To To learn warning signs that mean a trip to the ER or urgent care center, click here. Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation Winter or summer, the treatment of sprains and strains is the same: RICE. Not Uncle Ben's, but est Ice Compression Elevation
Rest means just that—not using the injured area. If you’ve injured your hand or wrist, rest means not using that hand to eat, write, type, carry things, or drive. For a knee, foot, or ankle injury, rest usually means using crutches for 24 to 48 hours, so that the injured area isn’t bearing any of your body weight.Ice
means applying an ice or cold pack to reduce
bruising and swelling. The standard routine is
to put the ice on the injured site for 20
minutes and then take it off for 40 minutes.
Even There are many ways to apply ice:
Be aware, though, that ice packs not used properly can cause frostbite. Here are some important ice safety tips:
Compression means using a stretchy bandage (a common brand of compression bandage is ACE) that applies gentle, constant pressure to the injured area, to limit swelling. Limit swelling, and you'll limit pain. A compression bandage will also provide protection for the skin when you apply ice, so you don't need to add a towel between the bandage and the ice.Be sure to use the
compression bandage properly. Always wrap from
the injured area toward Elevation means keeping the injured area raised—above the level of the heart—again, to reduce swelling. Have you noticed a pattern? More swelling = more pain. Placing your sprained ankle on a footstool isn't true elevation. The proper technique would be lying flat on the couch with your foot up on about 4 pillows so the ankle is higher than your heart. (Be sure to have that TV remote control or juicy novel handy!). If you follow these four steps for 24 to 48 hours, most mild to moderate strains and sprains should heal quickly. When Should You to Go to the ER? You can treat many sprain and strain injuries at home, but if the strain or sprain is severe, or there is a chance that a bone is broken, you’ll need to get medical help. Go to your local emergency room or urgent care center if any of these conditions is present:
If you do wind up at the ER, don’t be surprised if the staff gives you home care instructions for—RICE. If you have a broken bone, you'll probably wear a splint for a few days before a cast is applied, to give the swelling time to decrease. RICE works with a splint, too. For sprains and strains, the best treatment will continue to be rest, ice, compression, and elevation—usually for several days, until the tissues have a chance to heal. For a strain or sprain, there's no need to call up the cavalry. Just serve up some RICE. Healthful, healing and non-fattening, too!
Written: January 2003
Reviewed: May 2004
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learn how to avoid colds and flu,
though
you may have injured yourself when you fell on
ice, ice is truly your best friend after a
sprain or strain. It helps decrease the swelling
that occurs in tissues after an injury. Less
swelling means less means less pain. In
addition, ice will numb the area of injury,
further reducing pain. You should start
applying ice as soon as possible, but ice will
still be helpful if you begin applying it up to
24 hours after the injury occurs.
the heart. For the ankle, for example, start
wrapping at the toes and wrap the bandage snugly
(but not too tightly) around ankle and leg. If
you wrap the compression bandage from knee to
ankle, blood will collect in the toes, and
swelling will worsen. The same procedure goes
for a wrist or hand injury. Start wrapping at
the fingers and work the bandage up over the
wrist and toward the elbow. Don’t be afraid to
loosen the bandage and re-wrap if it feels too
tight.