Ice and cold tell the body not to send too much inflammation to an area.

Ice will help a lot after an injury, like a bruise or sprain. Ice is not usually helpful with infection, although it may feel soothing.

Heat causes blood to flow into an area. It also softens the inflammation. Blood flow can then clean out some of the trash from healing, and some of the swelling will go down.

Heat is very helpful for athletes before a practice or game. It can also help with a skin infection, when the body is trying to push an infection out. This happens with abscesses, boils, and pimples.

Rest means using the body’s energy wisely.

With an injury to a joint or muscle, sometimes a brace or cast can help a patient enjoy some movement while still resting the injured area.

When resting the whole body, sleep is best. During the waking hours, a familiar movie offers more chance for relaxation than an episode or video game. With an illness, this lets the body use all its energy for fighting germs.

Be careful about returning to “normal life” too quickly. If your child’s body hasn’t completely healed from an illness or injury, you don’t want to pull all energy away from the healing systems.

Compression also helps to keep large amounts of inflammation from moving into an area.

Range of motion means how much a joint can move or how far a muscle can stretch. If a joint or muscle has been injured, it can still be used. It’s okay to push through tightness or a little discomfort, but movements should stop with any true pain.