The RICE first-aid method stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Elevation means raising the injured body part—ideally above heart level—to help limit swelling through gravity-assisted fluid drainage.
The acronym was introduced by sports-medicine physician Gabe Mirkin in 1978 and became widely used for sprains, strains, bruises, and similar soft-tissue injuries. Rest was intended to reduce further irritation, ice to provide short-term pain relief, compression to control swelling, and elevation to reduce pressure in the injured area.
RICE is still a familiar first-aid mnemonic, but its medical status has changed. Research has questioned whether prolonged rest or routine icing improves healing, and modern approaches often encourage protected, comfortable movement and progressive rehabilitation. Ice may still help temporarily with pain, while elevation can reduce swelling for as long as the limb remains raised.
Related versions include PRICE, which adds protection, and POLICE, which replaces complete rest with optimal loading. The answer remains “elevation” because that is the final letter in the original RICE acronym.