Injuries to soft tissue such as sprains and strains, though not life threatening are still pretty painful. It is universally accepted to RICE those injured sites. We are not suggesting that you use “Uncle Ben’s” or “Risotto” on these injuries, instead using RICE as an acronym for steps to take in the treatment of soft tissue injuries. It’s best to perform these treatments within the first 48 hours of the injury. If fact, the sooner you can begin treatment the better.

For soft tissue injuries complete the following steps:

R Rest the injured site, get off of it or greatly reduce the use of that injured body part.

I Ice to control swelling. The best formula for icing is to ice the area for 20 minutes and then remove the ice for at least the same period of time before reapplying. Continual icing of a limb or injured area can actually cause more swelling. Interval icing, as suggested, is the best process.

C Compression. Wrap the injured area with a Ace Bandage to also help control swelling, as well as adding support to the injury.

E Elevation. Elevate the injured body part above the heart as much as you can during the day and evening
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Following these easy first aid steps can help reduce the pain the victim is experiencing, as well as reduce the overall recovery time.