Did You Know RICE Is An Important Acronym For Injury Treatment and Recovery?
Listen to your body. If you feel pain, particularly if it increases or comes on earlier in your walk (or other form of exercise), limit your activity and contact your doctor. If you experience an injury while walking (or other form of exercise), follow the RICE prescription and call your healthcare provider:
- Rest. Rest the injured area. Get off your feet!
- Ice. Apply a bag of ice to the injured area for about 20 minutes. Ice is nature’s anti-inflammatory and can reduce tissue damage. Use a bag of frozen peas if you don’t have an ice bag handy. Place a wet cloth between the ice pack and your skin. Repeat morning, after work and evening as long as you experience pain and/or swelling.
- Compression. Use an ace bandage/wrap to secure your ice bag to the injury with some pressure. This can help control swelling.
- Elevation. If your foot or knee is injured, sit or lie down with your leg elevated at/above heart level. This reduces swelling and can help promote faster healing.