RICE should be in your medicine chest!

Friday, July 07, 2017 · Mike Davis

Good morning!

Dealing with injuries are a part of most athletic activities and runners certainly fall into that category. My injuries have been well chronicled through many Coffee’s & Chat, and my reason(s) for sharing my misfortunes are multiple, with the primary one being that I hope to encourage other runners not to give up. I certainly have gotten frustrated through the years with the various injuries that have kept me off the road and even away from the running community. Beyond the physical aspect of an injury, it is also very challenging mentally and emotionally.

Let’s first chat about the physical part of an injury. The acronym “RICE” is the standard for dealing with injuries that may or may not require a trip to the doctor. Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation is the initial steps to follow when an acute injury occurs (“Acute,” being defined as an injury that is caused by a traumatic incident, such as a calf tear or strain.). Rest, means exactly that, stop doing what aggravates the injured area. When I tore my calf a couple of weeks ago, I thought miraculously, if I walked a bit, I would somehow be healed and then attempted to run again. Dumb! Rest has different meanings during recovery, but initially, it means stop!

“Ice” is the next step and a very important one. Often, we grab a bag of frozen vegetables and put it on the injured area and when the vegies become soft, we are done. Icing is an important part of decreasing inflammation and that requires continuous intervals of icing. Typically, 10 to 15 minutes of icing followed by 15 minutes off then repeating multiple intervals. This icing interval process should be done daily, until the inflammation has gone away.

“Compression” is another step that is often neglected as well. For acute injuries that become swollen (inflammation), putting a tight wrap on the injured area will push the built-up fluids out of the inflamed area, thus relieving some pain, hastening the recovery, and improving the range of motion. If the affected area is not swollen, compression may not be necessary. Compression and icing should be done together.

The final component of “RICE” is elevation. Initially, you want to elevate the injured area to above the heart. The goal is to minimize the aforementioned swelling that prolongs the healing process. This step may often be the only one that can be done until ice and compression are available.

“RICE” is the standard in the fitness exercise world and yet many runners are either unware of it, or are like me, and do not always utilize it. While it may be a bothersome task, ultimately, it will help us get back on the road quicker. A huge caveat to all of this, is to consider seeking medical attention. My pulled torn calf is healing and given proper rest, it should heal fine. If it were not progressing, or if it had been more sever, I would have been better served to seek out medical help. Injuries are most often best left to be diagnosed and treated by a medical professional. A running coach such as I, can (and should) only recommend initial steps for acute injuries that are minor.

In my next Coffee & Chat, I will further discuss other factors of injuries. For now, I hope you keep “RICE” in your medicine chest.

Have a great Friday and stay healthy!

God Bless!

Mike