Injured? Ricer is your ticket to recovery

RICER is a common acronym used on sporting fields and is a good principal that we can all follow for the immediate and initial management of acute, soft tissue injuries.

Rest – Avoid aggravating activities that could potentially cause further damage.

Ice – Ice may assist with managing swelling and reducing pain. Depending on where your injury is you can use an ice pack or bucket of ice water. The general rule of thumb is to ice for 20 minutes every 1 hour for the first 24 hours, this will give you the best result.

Compression – A compression sock or bandage can assist with swelling management.

Elevation – As much as is practical. Elevation aids with swelling management. This simply means to sit or lay down with injured limb resting above the level of the heart.

Referral – Come see us at Powerhouse and we will manage the rest!

Even if you’re able to do only some of these measures, it is important to remember to do your best to avoid HARM – Heat, Alcohol, Running, Massage! While you can’t speed up the healing process you can slow it down by overworking an injury, or not giving yourself sufficient time to recover.

If you’ve been injured, get in touch with our qualified physiotherapists to see how we can help get you back in the action better, faster and stronger!