RICE is a mnemonic acronym for the four elements of a treatment regimen that was once recommended for soft tissue injuries: rest, ice, compression, and elevation.

[2] It was thought that the reduction in pain and swelling that occurred as a result of decreased inflammation helped with healing.

As news of the successful operation spread, the use of ice to treat acute injuries became common.

[3][8] Ice, compression, and elevation may have roles in decreasing swelling and pain, but have not shown to help with healing an injury.

[14] Early and aggressive movement could potentially disrupt the scaffolds, delaying healing or worsen an existing injury.

[2] Although rest may provide some benefit immediately after an injury, returning to movement early has been shown to be better at reducing pain and encouraging healing.

[15] However, adequate blood flow is essential in allowing cells and signals from our immune system to reach injured areas.

[7] Compression refers to wearing bandages, stockings, braces, or similar devices to apply pressure over a localized area to reduce swelling and stop bleeding.

[2] Elevation refers to keeping an injury above the level of the heart, such as propping up a leg with pillows.

[1] The goal was to reduce swelling by using gravity to encourage blood return from the swollen area back to the heart.

[6] In 2015 he wrote: Coaches have used my 'RICE' guideline for decades, but now it appears that both ice and complete rest may delay healing, instead of helping.

Although cooling delayed swelling, it did not hasten recovery from this muscle damage.Rest may play a role immediately after an injury, but the evidence supports early mobilization to promote healing.

Heat has the opposite effect of ice, which restricts blood flow and slows the healing process.