R.I.C.E vs M.E.A.T

July sprains are piling up — rec softball, trailheads, and the occasional trampoline. People still ask if they should R.I.C.E. or “just walk it off.”

R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, elevation) calms a hot, swollen joint for a day or two. M.E.A.T. (movement, exercise, analgesia, treatment) is how most tissues actually recover. We use both. Early, smart movement usually beats complete rest.

Ball-on-wall squat in the clinic — Loaded, controlled movement once swelling allows — not heroics on day one.

Your therapist will match the approach to the tissue and the calendar. If you twisted something this month, come in before it becomes a “I have been limping since the Fourth” story.