with regard to the treatment of sports injuries the protocol rice stands for
RICE (medicine) RICE is a mnemonic for four elements of treatment for soft tissue injuries – an acronym for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.[1][2][3] The mnemonic was introduced by Gabe Mirkin in Sportsmedicine Book (ISBN 978-0316574365) in year 1978. However, he has since recanted his support for the regimen. On March 16, 2014, he wrote "Coaches have used my 'RICE' guideline for decades, but now it appears that both Ice and complete Rest may delay healing, instead of helping. In a recent study, athletes were told to exercise so intensely that they developed severe muscle damage that caused extensive muscle soreness. Although cooling delayed swelling, it did not hasten recovery from this muscle damage."[4]