America Cryo - Why R.I.C.E isn't enough
RICE, or sometimes PRICE (protection, rest, ice, compression, elevation) has been the standard modality of care for musculoskeletal injuries for nearly four decades. It was first introduced by Gabe Mirkin in his Sportsmedicine Book in 1978. The term caught on and was taken as law throughout the last 40 years by athletes, doctors, and physical therapists alike. While the basic principles are sound as far as immediate treatment of an acute injury, there are some problems with the practice. Compliance tends to be low due to the difficulty of repeatedly applying messy ice bags to an area several times per day. Attempting to hold the bag or pack in place with an elastic bandage offers mediocre effectiveness at best, making the compression factor inconsistent and thus fairly ineffective. It’s difficult to maintain this routine while trying to attend to one’s obligation such as home, family, and work. More often than not, people tend to turn to painkillers such as NSAIDs or even narcot...