When you've had an injury like a sprained ankle or wrist, remember RICE.
Rest ... Ice ... Compression ... and Elevation.
Rest means taking it easy so the injury has a chance to heal.
Don't do any activity that might hurt it again while it's healing.
Ice means using an ice pack right away to keep the swelling down and help your pain.
Use ice for 10 to 20 minutes at a time, 3 or more times a day.
In a few days, when the swelling is gone, you can switch from ice to heat.
Be sure to protect your skin by putting a thin towel over your injury before you apply the ice or heat pack.
Compression means wrapping your injury snugly with an elastic bandage to help keep swelling down.
Don't wrap it too tightly or the swelling below the bandage could get worse.
Loosen the bandage if it starts to feel tight or if the area below it feels numb or tingly.
Elevation means propping up your injured arm or leg while you're using an ice pack and anytime you're sitting or lying down.
Try to prop it up so it's higher than your heart to help keep the swelling down.
While you're using RICE, you can also take an over-the-counter pain reliever like ibuprofen or naproxen.
Just make sure you follow the directions on the label.
So when you have a sprain or strain, use RICE.
It can help you have less pain and swelling, stay flexible, and get back in action faster.
