Fortunately for you and your injury management, I am not talking about the food items rice and meat!!
Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation
vs
Movement, Exercise, Analgesia, Treatment
The RICE method has been used for years for acute injury management, and is still applied in some situations, especially the first 48 hours of an injury occurring. However controversy around this method has encouraged researchers to find other approaches. Applying the RICE method means you are compressing, elevating, icing and resting the area, all of these lead to limited blood flow to the injury site, and in return, slower healing rates and reduced quality of healing. Although, if you suspect or confirm that you have fractured a bone, the RICE method can be appropriately applied in an acute setting, and casting is the safest way to let the bones heal, while reducing the risk of injury to local tissues.
However for muscle, tendon and joint strains, the MEAT method can be applied and shows better results for injury rates and healing quality. Movement and exercise allow continued blood flow to the injury site - which is crucial for healing! However, you may need to modify your normal movement and exercise routine to reduce the amount of pain during the task. Reducing the reps or sets during an exercise, changing the way you are moving, or reducing the time dedicated to a task can allow you to achieve the task or exercise, while reducing the pain or flare up from your injury. Treatment is where I can help - having quality treatment and informative advice can assist you during your rehabilitation and get you back to pre-injury status in appropriate time.
