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About this tool
Time ice-on and ice-off cycles for a fresh soft-tissue injury, with a dated application schedule and compression and elevation checks.
A RICE protocol timer runs the ice-on and ice-off cycles for a fresh sprain or strain: 10 to 20 minutes of cold at a time, repeated every 2 to 3 hours while you are awake, through the first 24 to 48 hours. RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation, and this tool covers all four — the countdown handles the icing, while the schedule marks which applications fall during sleep so you are not setting alarms, and the checklists cover safe bandage tension and when to stop icing altogether.
Open RICE Protocol Timer on AltFTool — it loads instantly in your browser.
Add your input to the workspace.
Adjust the options until the result looks right.
Copy or download the output and put it to work.
Caps applications at 20 minutes, the point beyond which extra cold risks ice burn and nerve irritation.
Applications landing inside your sleep window are marked as skip, not as missed.
Contraindications, bandage warning signs and red flags sit alongside the timer.
Ten to twenty minutes per application, repeated every two to three hours while awake, during the first 24 to 48 hours. Longer applications do not cool the tissue any further and increase the risk of an ice burn or irritating a superficial nerve. Always put a damp cloth between the ice and your skin.
Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. Rest the area for the first day, apply cold in short repeated bouts, wrap with an elastic bandage that is snug but not tight, and keep the injured part above heart level to limit swelling.
Snug enough to support the joint but loose enough that you can slide a finger under it. Loosen it immediately if you get numbness or pins and needles, if toes or fingers turn pale, blue or cold, if pain increases after wrapping, or if swelling appears below the bandage edge.
It is still standard first aid for the first day or two, but sports medicine has moved towards protected, gradually increased loading after that rather than prolonged rest — the frameworks POLICE and PEACE & LOVE reflect that change. See a physiotherapist or doctor if you cannot bear weight, the limb looks deformed, you have numbness, or there is no improvement after 48 to 72 hours.