From Laura Inverarity, D.O.,
Your Guide to Physical Therapy.
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About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by Kate Grossman, MD

We have all heard of the RICE, (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation), technique, but how exactly does ice help in healing an injury?
Ice helps with injury recovery in several ways.
This technique:
1)Decreases the inflammation and swelling that occur after injury
2)Helps decrease the pain by numbing sore tissues
3)Slows nerve impulses which interrupts the spasm reaction between nerves

Ice should be applied as soon as an injury occurs to be most effective.