RICER Rest Ice/Compression/ Elevation Referral

Here at MTM Physiotherapy Warwick, we are frequently exposed to a large volume and variety of acute sporting injuries that occur in our home of Warwick Stadium. No matter if you are a player, parent or volunteer these tips on acute injury management will help you regardless of the sport you are involved in. You may never have heard of the RICER acronym for principles of acute injury management and even if you have you might not understand why we do it. The aims of this article is to explain the reasons and importance behind RICER. By following these principles, it has been shown to reduce weeks spent on the sideline from injury.

Rest

This does not need a huge explanation, generally if you have a serious injury you will not be considering return to the court, however if in doubt sit it out. I put this one to practice on game nights in the SBL (State Basketball League). If there are any doubts about whether a player will be putting themselves at further risk of injury or missing the next week’sgame, then I will get them to sit it out (sometimes even starting our treatment then and there).

Ice/Compression/ Elevation

Ice in the first 24-48 hours is critical. Ice reduces the swelling of an acute injury which therefore enables the healing phases of injury to start quicker. Icing the injured area causes the blood vessels to constrict which will reduce the flow of blood and swelling inside the injured joint or muscle.Similar to this, the compression of a joint or muscle will assist in the reduction of swelling by restricting the blood flow. Lastly, elevating the area reduces the blood flow as the fluid is fighting against gravity. By following the simple ice/compression/elevation it can take weeks off the recovery time of an injury.

Referral

The referral stage of injury management is the most important. By seeing a Physio within 24-48 hours of injury we are able to ensure a plan is in place to optimise recovery. A common misconception is that while a joint / muscle is swollen we cannot do anything. This is wrong. I believe that we are most effective in this initial stage, providing education and advice is just as important as the hands on treatment we can provide. If you are in doubt, feel free to give us a call or if you do get injured at the stadium pop in and get some free advice before you leave.