Health News Share Email Print Treating sports injuries Learn more about the R.I.C.E. method. Reviewed 9/1/2023 Treating sports injuries. Mild strains and sprains can benefit from initial treatment at home using the R.I.C.E. method. Using the R.I.C.E. method is a good first treatment for mild sprains or strains. The benefits include pain relief, reduced inflammation and faster healing. Start R.I.C.E. right after a mild sprain or strain. Continue for at least 48 hours. Keep scrolling to learn how to use R.I.C.E. REST Reduce your activity as needed. Use crutches if you need to. ICE Put ice on right away to keep the swelling down. Use ice for 20 minutes at a time, 4 to 8 times a day. You can use a cold pack, an ice bag, or a plastic bag filled with crushed ice and wrapped in a towel. COMPRESSION Compress the injured area to keep the swelling down and support the injured area. You can use elastic wraps, air casts, splints or special boots. ELEVATION Keep the injured area elevated on a pillow above the level of your heart, if possible. This will help reduce swelling. GET HELP IF: The injury causes severe pain, swelling or numbness. You can't put any weight on the injured area. The pain or ache of an old injury is accompanied by increased swelling or joint abnormality or instability. Pain or other symptoms worsen after using R.I.C.E. NEED CRUTCHES AFTER AN INJURY? FIND OUT HOW TO USE THEM SAFELY. GET SAFETY TIPS Sources: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Sources American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. "Sprained Ankle." https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/sprained-ankle. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. "Sprains, Strains and Other Soft-Tissue Injuries." https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/sprains-strains-and-other-soft-tissue-injuries. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. "Sports Injuries: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Steps to Take." https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/sports-injuries/diagnosis-treatment-and-steps-to-take. Related stories Health information main Health tools go Select a health topic ADHD Aging Alcohol use disorder Allergies Alternative medicine Alzheimer's disease Arthritis Asthma Babies Backs Bladder Bones Brain Breast cancer Cancer Cancer prevention Caregiving Cervical cancer Children and parenting Cholesterol Colds Colorectal cancer Coronavirus Dental care Depression Diabetes Disaster preparedness Down syndrome Ears Eating disorders Emergencies End of life/Palliative care Environmental health Epilepsy Eyes Fall prevention Family and relationships Feet Fitness and exercise Flu Food safety Hair Headache Health assessments Health calculators Healthcare Heart attack Heart health Hepatitis Hernia High blood pressure Hips HIV/AIDS Holiday health Hormones Imaging Incontinence Joints Kidneys Knees Leukemia Liver Lung cancer Lungs Medications Men's health Menopause Mental health Multiple sclerosis Nails Nose Nutrition Obesity Oral cancer Ovaries Pain Parkinson's disease Pets Pneumonia Pregnancy Prostate cancer Rehabilitation Reproductive health Safety School health Sexuality Sexually transmitted infections Skin Skin cancer Sleep Smoking Sports injuries Stomach pain Stress and anxiety Stroke Substance use disorder Summer safety Surgery Teen health Throat Thyroid Travel Vaccines Vascular health Violence Vitamins and supplements Weight management Winter health Women's health Workplace health Wound care i Providers Internal Medicine Sports Medicine Orthopedic Surgery Spinal Surgery Orthopedics Family Medicine i Services Sports Medicine RSS If you have questions or comments, please contact Randolph Health. Problems reading or opening a page? Legal restrictions and terms of use applicable to this site.