You just experienced a twisted ankle – what is the best way to help reduce your pain and swelling? Our podiatrist explains RICE Treatment in Cumming below.

What Does RICE Stand For?

An effective way to immediately treat any injured part of the body is to employ RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.

Promote Healing with RICE

Rest – Protect the sore area from additional stress by stopping or at least curtailing the level of your activity. Your healing will be faster if you don’t continue to use the affected area. If you want to remain active as your injury heals, you might want to consider changing to a different type of exercise, such as swimming.

Ice – Patients often wonder if it is better to use ice or heat on an ankle sprain or another injury. The RICE treatment method focuses on cold or ice to initially treat pain or swelling. While you should avoid applying the ice directly to your skin, we recommend using a cold pack for about 15 minutes, 3 or more times a day for the first 72 hours.

Compression – Wrapping the sore area with the firm pressure of a soft elastic material, such as an Ace bandage, will help more quickly decrease the swelling. However, it is important not to wrap your foot or ankle too tightly, which can result in numbness, tingling, and increased pain.

Elevation – Keeping the area elevated above the level of your heart will help diminish your swelling because it serves to reduce the amount of blood flow to the injured area. When you are lying in bed or on the couch, using a few pillows to cushion and elevate your leg will advance your healing.

Still Have Pain? Our Podiatrist Can Help with RICE Treatment in Cumming!

If you aren’t getting any relief from pain or swelling after a few days with RICE treatment, your injury may require additional treatment. Give our office a call to make an appointment with our experienced podiatry team.

The information provided in this article is not meant to be medical advice and is for educational purposes only. If you would like to learn more about this and other podiatry-related topics, feel free to contact Forsyth Foot & Ankle Associates by clicking here or by calling 678-262-4040.