It has been common practice to ice immediately after an injury. Ice has been used in the past to reduce pain, to reduce swelling and inflammation, and even for recovery post sports training. This all stemmed from a protocol created by Dr. Mirkin who proposed to:
- R: Rest
- I: Ice
- C: Compress
- E: Elevate
However, this protocol was first established in 1976. Over the past 30+ years, we have adopted the R.I.C.E principle unquestioningly, but is it still the best recommended method post injury?
We reviewed the literature and check out below for the answer: