When I first heard about the RICE method I pictured myself eating lots of rice, and I said to myself, uh oh… This is going to be hard for me because I don’t eat much rice. Luckily, it had nothing to do with rice ha ha! It is not a cure for your injuries, but it will definitely help you with muscle recovery. I particularly use it a lot after I run more than certain distances. It is a way to keep the swelling and the inflammation down to a minimum. And trust me, I know it is hard to give up when you have your momentum going, but if it hurts just STOP, I have learned this the hard way and it is not worth it.
Despite your best running injury prevention efforts, you may find yourself dealing with some aches and pains during your training. The most common injures when you run are Shin splints, Achilles tendonitis, Runners knee, Planter fasciitis, and Iliotibial Band Syndrome (T-Band). Running injuries are most common due to stress and the RICE method has benefits for all repetitive stress injuries associated with running.
What is R.I.C.E.?
Rest: This is basic and most important step in any injury treatment. We expose our body to stress while we run, and this is relieved when we rest. Now I do not wait until something hurts and I do this every time I run more than 6 miles – I go home, lie down, let my legs rest for a bit and take the weight off them. It all depends on your experience and the amount of miles you run each week. You should rest immediately after a run for 30-60 minutes and you should take a break from running for 1 to 2 days at least if you are injured.
Ice: Ice helps with the swelling and a max of 15 to 20 minutes should do the work, sometimes depending on the workout I do it up to 3 to 5 times a day. Always carefully controlled as ice placed directly on the skin could produce ice burns.
Compression: As the word itself, compression provides support to specific areas and helps with swelling and recover time. You can wrap a bandage around the injured area, but not too tight, because it will cut blood flow and you do not want that, remember you just want a little bit of extra comfort. Some runners use compression socks while they run, after they run, while on the plane, when they go to work, to sleep in, for 30 minutes after a run. There is not a specific time or when, but I highly recommend them.
Elevate: Ideally this means raising the injury above the heart level to help you reduce the swelling. We are using the gravity principle here, allowing blood to drain from the injured area which aids with a faster recovery.
R.I.C.E. is a great first aid treatment. We can all use it for muscular running injuries, to reduce pain and swelling. But do not wait around long though, if you have a serious injury, can’t move a joint, or the pain gets worse, go and see a Doctor.
Stretching helps too – I do it after my runs to loosen up my muscles. Stiff muscles can cause injures, so give your body some stretching time before and after runs and you will feel better.