The RICE rule for sports injuries is a good guide not to do anything wrong in case of injury. Everyone should know them, that’s why we’re introducing them.

The RICE rule for sports injuries

Every athlete knows that at some point you hurt yourself while exercising your sport and then you have to treat the injury quickly and above all correctly. In this context, the RICE rule plays an important role.

The right first treatment of a sports injury is especially important to ensure a good and fast healing.

First aid measures for sports injuries

With the mnemonic RICE, which stands for break, ice, compression and high camp, you have a good help to treat corresponding sports injuries quickly and above all correctly. This is particularly important because in such a case, the extent of the injury can be effectively reduced, especially at the beginning.

The RICE rule applies above all to closed injuries to the musculoskeletal system and is intended to reduce bleeding and swelling in the tissue in order to positively influence the future healing process right from the start.

Fast action in case of sports injuries accelerates the healing process

• R stands for Rest, and means that one should immediately stop the sporty activity.
• I means Immobilize, and means that the affected area of the body should be cooled.
• C means Cold, and means that a moderately tight pressure dressing should be applied to the injured area.
• E stands for elevation of the affected area, if possible above heart height, to support blood return to the heart.

If the injuries are not dull, closed sports injuries but, for example, cuts or minor open wounds, initial treatment according to the PECH rule is of course out of the question. Then it is of course always advisable to have an appropriate small first aid kit from the pharmacy or mail-order pharmacy in the sports bag in order to be able to guarantee the first treatment of the wound.