Insights from The Orlando Senior Help Desk: What to do when you're in pain

When you experience a soft tissue injury like a sprain, strain, or pulled muscle, the first instinct is often to reach for ice or wrap the area. For decades, the standard recommendation was the RICE protocol: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. However, recent insights into sports medicine and physical therapy have led many experts to shift their focus to a newer protocol: MEAT – Movement, Exercise, Analgesics, and Treatment.

Let’s look at both approaches, when to use them, and how to transition from injury to recovery effectively.

The RICE Protocol (traditional approach)

Developed in the l...