The RICE technique is used for acute muscle, ligament and other soft tissue strains, sprains, or other bruising injuries. It is the gold standard in the treatment of acute sports injuries. Within the first 24-48 hours of an acute sports injury, damage to soft tissues such as muscles and ligaments can cause problems such as muscle tears, rupture of blood vessels, swelling and pain at the site of the injury. Increased bleeding from the ruptured blood vessels further triggers secondary hypoxic injury, leading to cellular tissue necrosis. Therefore, early treatment is aimed at effectively controlling excessive bleeding. Proper use of the RICE technique can minimize bleeding from blood vessels, help relieve swelling and pain, facilitate early healing and shorten recovery time. The so-called “rest” is not only to reduce the activities and simply rest the body, the key is to make the injured part of the protection, restrict the activities and get rest, so it contains the concept of “local braking”. After any muscle, bone or joint injury, rest and braking is the first step. You need to stop exercising immediately to allow time for the injury to heal. For example, when you sprain your ankle, you usually should not walk with weight on the injured foot. The injured area should be rested and not reused or put under pressure. It is usually necessary to rest the injured area for 1-2 days. If a more serious injury occurs, you will need to go to the hospital. In this case, crutches, splints or plaster casts may be needed to protect the injured area for better rest. Minor injuries caused by repetitive motion can accumulate into larger injuries, so it is important to know when to stop exercising. Usually with enough rest and treatment, minor injuries can heal without further deterioration. When pain and discomfort from a minor injury occurs during exercise, people usually think that if they grit their teeth and hang in there, they’ll be fine. In truth, with this approach, sometimes the pain or discomfort seems to ease a bit. There are many reasons for this. During movement, nerve fibers respond to signals of mechanical activity in a similar way that touching reduces the impulses transmitted by pain nerve fibers. The practice of gritting one’s teeth and pushing through may reduce pain signaling and relieve some of the pain. This phenomenon is referred to as the pain gate doctrine. Other factors include, for example, the mental state of mind during exercise, which can also play a role in reducing pain. However, pain is a signal of injury, and the reduction of pain by these means does not reduce the damage to the locally damaged tissue itself, which can lead to more serious injuries if the movement continues. Ice packs Ice packs, more systematically known as cryotherapy, are one of the most widely used treatments for acute sports injuries. It is economical, easy to use and convenient, and can help control the development of swelling and inflammation at the site of injury. Ice should be applied as soon as possible after an injury to help speed up recovery. The main principles of ice packs are 1. to constrict the blood vessels at the site of injury, reducing bleeding and hence swelling 2. to relieve pain 3. to relieve muscle spasms 4. to reduce the risk of cellular tissue damage by lowering the metabolic rate. When performing ice treatment, do not touch the ice directly to the skin. Use a towel or clothing to wrap the ice pack before applying ice. If you cannot find ice, you can use a bag of frozen chestnuts or frozen peas. So sometimes even a glass of cold water will do. The duration of each ice application is usually about 15-20 minutes, and then the ice pack is removed and rested for 15-20 minutes to allow the injury to warm up and return to room temperature. This can be repeated several times depending on the injury. Ice should be applied as often as possible within 1-2 days of the injury. Compression Compression techniques are generally used within 24-48 hours of the injury and can help limit the progression of swelling in the injured area; they can also provide additional supportive protection to the injured area. Compressing the injured area raises the pressure in the tissue and narrows the blood vessels, which slows down the inflammation and prevents further swelling in the joint. If this swelling is allowed to develop, it can seriously affect the function of the limb. There are several ways to implement compression techniques. One of the most effective is the use of a compression bandage to cover the injured area. A compression bandage is usually an elastic type of bandage, commonly referred to as an elastic bandage. The advantages of compression bandages are that they are easy to apply, and the elastic support provides enough localized pressure to stop excessive bleeding and reduce the amount of blood leaking into the tissues surrounding the injury. Regular non-elastic bandages, training tapes or even a piece of clothing cloth can also be used, but care needs to be taken not to wrap the bandage too tightly as this may cause localized tissue necrosis. When you find the end of the limb, such as fingers, toes, etc. appeared skin color pale, cold, may be bandaged too tightly caused by the bandage, need to be removed immediately, must be taken seriously. When bandaging, start from the distal end of the injured area and cover it layer by layer towards the proximal end. Pressurization can be combined with the use of ice packs, i.e., the bandage wrapped in ice packs to pressurize the bandage on the injured area. Applying ice while applying compression kills two birds with one stone. Elevation Elevation usually means raising the affected limb. It is a method of using gravity to help blood and tissue fluids return to the injured area to reduce swelling and relieve pain. After an injury, the injured area is placed as high above the level of the heart as possible to use gravity to help return blood back to the heart. Elevation of the affected limb is recommended around the clock for 48 hours after the injury. For example, in the case of a lower extremity injury, keep the ankle above hip level whenever possible. For upper extremity injuries, a support pillow or sling can be used. If it is not possible to raise the injured part above the heart level, at least keep it in line with that level. If possible, do not go below that level, as this may increase swelling.